Bill Text: CA SB426 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Community-based home visitation pilot program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-09-01 - September 1 hearing postponed by committee. [SB426 Detail]
Download: California-2017-SB426-Amended.html
10 percent one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) of funds shall be used to cover the administration of the funds, management of the program, and training and evaluation. section article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2022, and as of that date is repealed.
Bill Title: Community-based home visitation pilot program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-09-01 - September 1 hearing postponed by committee. [SB426 Detail]
Download: California-2017-SB426-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Senate
April 18, 2017 |
|
Amended
IN
Senate
March 27, 2017 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION
| Senate Bill | No. 426 |
| Introduced by Senator Pan |
February 15, 2017 |
An act to add and repeal Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 16519.75) of Chapter 5 of Part 4 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to child abuse prevention, and making an appropriation therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 426, as amended, Pan.
Community-based home visitation pilot program.
Existing law authorizes the juvenile court to limit the control exercised by a parent or guardian over a child who has been adjudged to be a dependent child of the juvenile court on the grounds that the child has been subject to, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, as specified. Existing law authorizes the juvenile court to remove the child from his or her home under certain conditions, and generally requires the county welfare department to provide or arrange for reunification services in order to reunite a child separated from his or her parent because of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
This bill would, only until January 1, 2022, establish the Community-Based Home Visitation Program as a pilot program in no more than 3 counties representing a cross section of the state to provide child abuse and neglect prevention and intervention services
to families through one family resource center located in each county.
This bill would appropriate up to $1,500,000 $1,650,000 annually from the General Fund to the State Department of Social Services to be allocated in the amount of $500,000 to each of up to 3 family resource centers that apply for, and are selected to conduct, a pilot program pursuant to specified criteria. The bill would require the department to administer the program, as specified. The bill would provide that no more than $150,000 of funds may be used to cover the administration of the funds, management of the program, and training and evaluation.
Digest Key
Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: YES Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 16519.75) is added to Chapter 5 of Part 4 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:Article 2.5. Community-Based Home Visitation Program
16519.75.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Child abuse and neglect continue to pose serious threats to our state’s children.
(b) In 2013, approximately 84,000 children in California were found to be victims of abuse or neglect.
(c) In 2012, according to the State Department of Public Health, 85 children in California died as a result of child abuse and neglect.
(d) Children who have been abused or neglected have a higher risk of developing various health problems as adults, including alcoholism,
depression, drug abuse, eating disorders, obesity,
suicide, and certain chronic diseases.
(e) California’s children deserve to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment free from fear, abuse, and neglect.
(f) Statewide, child abuse and neglect cases disproportionately involve children of color.
(g) Prevention of child abuse and neglect depends on the involvement of people throughout the community.
(h) Child abuse and neglect have long-term economic and societal costs.
(i) Providing community-based prevention services to families whose children may be at risk of child abuse or neglect is less costly than addressing the emotional and
physical damage that can result from child abuse and neglect.
(j) Providing community-based prevention services to those families can reduce the costs of protective services, law enforcement, the judicial system, foster care, and the treatment of adults recovering from abuse as children.
(k) Quality home visitation programs have demonstrated results in improved health, increased access to services, reduced risk of child abuse and neglect, increased breastfeeding, increased school performance, and more.
(l) The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and other federal legislation have demonstrated the benefits of home visitation to the child and whole family.
(m) The State of California is utilizing federal funds to provide limited funding for home visitation. CaliforniaVolunteers, in particular, has invested in a home visitation program that utilizes AmeriCorps members recruited from the community in which they serve to provide home visitation to at-risk families. A recent quasi-experimental design evaluation of the program showed significant results. Children in families served by AmeriCorps home visitors were 173 percent less likely to enter the child welfare system than the comparison group.
(n) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to establish a home visitation pilot program with community-based home visitors to work with children and families in the community to prevent child abuse and neglect and strengthen families.
16519.76.
(a) The Community-Based Home Visitation Program is hereby established as a pilot program in no more than three counties representing a cross section of the state to provide child abuse and neglect prevention and intervention services to families through one family resource center in each county that would provide wrap-around child abuse and neglect prevention services for families.(b) (1) The sum of one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) six hundred fifty thousand dollars
($1,650,000) is hereby appropriated annually from the General Fund to the State Department of Social Services, to be allocated in the amount of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) to each of up to three family resource centers that apply for, and are selected to conduct, a pilot program under this article.
(2) Family resource centers shall be eligible for funding if evidence is submitted as part of an application that the proposed services are not duplicated in the community, are based on needs of children and families at risk, and are supported by a local public agency.
(3) A family resource center application for funding shall receive priority for implementing
the following:
(A) Implementing evidence-based programs to serve children and families to prevent child abuse and neglect.
(B) Demonstrating strong connections to the community being served.
(C) Providing and accessing an array of services for the target families, including crisis intervention, mental health services, and domestic violence services.
(D) Having strong community leadership and direction in the operation of the family resource center.
(c) The State Department of Social Services’ Office of Child Abuse Prevention shall administer the program and may contract out for management, training, and evaluation. Family resource centers that participate in the Community-Based Home Visitation Program shall be selected based on the following criteria:
(1) The county in which the family resource center resides has a high rate of child abuse and neglect cases reported as well as other factors known to impact child abuse and neglect, including poverty and substance abuse.
(2) The family resource
center is established within the community it serves and provides a range of services, including those designed to prevent child abuse and neglect.
(3) The family resource center provides services similar to wrap-around services and utilizes individuals from the community to provide those services by providing those individuals with rigorous and consistent training.
(d) The funds appropriated under this section shall not supplant or replace any existing funding for programs currently serving the needs of at-risk children and families, but may only supplement the expansion of existing programs or the collaboration of separate existing programs provided by the family resource center as part of
an evidence-based, community-staffed home visitation program.
16519.77.
(a) The State Department of Social Services shall allocate the pilot program funds according to the provisions of this article. The department may delegate the administration of the pilot program funds to the contractor chosen to administer the program. No more than(b) The administering agency of a county that applies to participate shall, with oversight and review from the department, include and
in which a pilot site is located may integrate the pilot program into its county system improvement plan, county self-assessments, and county plan for other federal and state child abuse prevention programs. To the extent applicable, the county shall provide similar assurances, data, and outcome assessments to the Office of Child Abuse Prevention with respect to the pilot program as are provided regarding other federal and state child abuse prevention programs.
(c) Upon implementation of the family resource center’s Community-Based Home Visitation Program, each participating family resource center shall agree to provide quarterly data collection to the State Department of Social Services and the program administration contractor, if one is chosen.
chosen, as part of a comprehensive evaluation. All of the following shall be included in the data collection on a continuous basis:
(1) Number of children and families receiving home visitation services.
(2) The types of services provided to the children and families being served by the home visitation programs.
(3) For each child and family receiving services under the pilot program, data regarding the history of contact with the local child welfare agency prior to services being provided, as available, and regarding contact made during the pilot program.
(4) Other data indicating improved health and well-being of children
and their families.
16519.78.
Each family resource center that participates in the pilot program shall do all of the following:(a) Commit to a community-based approach utilizing a concentration of individuals from within the community to serve as home visitors to provide home visitation services to children and families.
(b) Provide services that are respectful of all members of the community and reflect the diversity of the population culturally and linguistically.
(c) Commit to all of the following:
(1) (A) Using an evidence-based parenting curriculum that is a nurturing
parenting program, as guided by an initial assessment conducted evidence-based, community-based home visitation model, including a parenting curriculum and an assessment to determine a parent’s risk level for child abuse and neglect.
(B) Following the initial assessment described in subparagraph (A), requiring the home visitor and parents to develop a plan facilitating a plan, developed by the home visitor and parents, that prescribes the content and number of parent education lessons over the course of weekly
home visits as determined by the identified risk level.
(2) Using members from the community in which the family resource center is located to provide the home visitation services, deemed “home visitors” under the program. The family resource center may coordinate with CaliforniaVolunteers or one of its grantees to utilize AmeriCorps members to carry out this function.
(3) Participating in and providing consistent, intensive training to all home visitors. Training shall include, but is not limited to, the following key components for each home visitor:
(A) The service site or agency culture, the history, mission, and policies of the center, acceptable behavior, community characteristics, and available
resources.
(B) A code of conduct, performance measures, and the role of the home visitor services, including the role of supervisors and expectations for daily service.
(C) Mandated child abuse reporting requirements and guidelines, professional boundaries and confidentiality, and sensitivity training.
(D) Evidence-based parenting curriculum and the nurturing parenting program described in paragraph (1). curriculum.
(E) Protective factors.
(F) Child development.
(G) Domestic violence.
(H) Trauma informed care.
(4) Providing ongoing training, including regular coaching and consultation with the home visitation supervisor.
(5) Participating in and collaborating in an evaluation to be conducted by an independent evaluator three years after the family resource center instituted the program to assess the effectiveness of the program in keeping at-risk children and families out of the child welfare system.
