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Children`s Residential Care Update December 2002
Season's Greetings to Everyone. This is our final Children's Residential Care Update for 2002. It also marks the ninth year of our efforts to keep the residential care community informed about licensing programs and services. The Updates continue to be an important method for sharing information. We appreciate your support in sharing these Updates with those in your organization and others interested in children's residential care issues.
REGULATIONS UPDATE
The following regulation changes for children's residential care categories are currently in process. If you have questions about any of the proposed changes, please contact Carole Jacobi, Chief of the Residential Policy Bureau, at (916) 322-5502. For copies of proposed regulations or more information about hearing schedules, please contact the Department's Office of Regulations Development at (916) 657-2586 or visit their website at: www.dss.cahwnet.gov/ord/default.htm.
Fire Safety Requirements for Facilities with Bedridden Clients
We reported in the last update that we were consulting with the Department of Developmental Services and the Office of the State Fire Marshal to coordinate regulation development for bedridden clients as required by Senate Bill 1896 (Statutes of 2000). Upon completion, these regulations will allow bedridden clients to be admitted to, and remain in, residential community care facilities that secure and maintain an appropriate fire clearance.
Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) staff are continuing to meet with the Department of Developmental Services and the State Fire Marshal to coordinate regulation development for both departments. The State Fire Marshal's regulations must precede CCLD regulations, as they will be referenced in the CCLD regulations. Interested provider groups are also participating in these meetings.
The statute also gives the Department of Social Services authority to determine a resident's bedridden status by considering whether there is adequate alternative staffing and, if necessary, adequate mechanical means to evacuate that resident in an emergency. For purposes of determining bedridden status, developmentally disabled community care residents must be evaluated by both the Department of Social Services and the Department of Developmental Services.
Personal Rights of Foster Children
In the last update, we reported on the status of Assembly Bill 899 (Chapter 683, Statutes of 2001) which reaffirms the personal rights of foster children. Among these personal rights are:
- the right to live in a safe, comfortable home, and have enough clothes and healthy food;
- the right to be treated with respect, freedom from abuse, corporal punishment, and being locked in a room or building;
- the right to go to court and talk to the judge; the right to see health care professionals,
- the right to attend school and appropriate after-school activities,
- the right to go to Independent Living Program classes,
- the right to contact family members, unless prohibited by the court
As mandated by AB 899, the Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsman designed an informational poster and brochure that were distributed to children's residential care facilities in mid-September 2002. The poster highlights foster children's healthcare, school and family rights. The poster and brochure were developed collaboratively by a CDSS work group and foster youth. The statute also requires that the personal rights information be displayed (posted) in every licensed facility that serves six or more foster youth, and the poster is a useful tool for this purpose.
The CCLD Policy Development Bureau and the Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsman's Office developed a policy clarification that accompanied the poster and brochures and was mailed to each licensing office on October 16, 2002 to assist CCLD staff with enforcing the new posting requirement. Please contact Karen Grace-Kaho, Statewide Foster Care Ombudsman, at the toll-free telephone number (877) 846-1602 if you would like to request additional posters or brochures.
Since the last Update, we have drafted changes to existing regulations to incorporate all personal right requirements included in statute. These regulations are in the regulatory process and will be scheduled for public hearing in early 2003. In the interim, CCLD field staff has been provided with a policy clarification to assist them in implementing the requirements of AB 899.
Minor Parent Regulations
Assembly Bill 2773 (Chapter 1056, Statutes of 1998) requires the Department to develop regulations specific to Group Homes providing minor parent programs. These regulations are intended to allow and encourage children whose infants are present with them in residential care to develop parenting skills. The Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) initially developed minor parent regulations in 1999. Based on concerns raised by care providers during the public hearing, the Department withdrew the regulations. CCLD staff met with care providers to discuss their concerns and offer alternative approaches. The regulations are in the regulatory process and will be scheduled for public hearing in 2003.
Waivers and Exceptions
We have identified certain CCLD regulations for which waivers and exceptions are issued as a matter of course whenever the appropriate criteria are met. To facilitate operations for care providers and for our field staff, the Policy Development Bureau is currently revising the regulations so that waivers or exceptions will not be required when the appropriate criteria are met. We will keep you informed as these changes are developed.
ADOLESCENT IMMUNIZATION RECOMMENDATIONS
The Department of Health Services recently issued a brief summary of the guidelines for adolescent immunization recommendations. The guidelines were developed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). They recommend adolescent preventive health care visits from 11 to 20 years of age. At these visits, medical care providers should screen for missing immunizations and administer vaccines as indicated. This information can be accessed through the Department of Health Services website, www.dhs.ca.gov, or you may call the Department of Health Services, Immunization Branch, Information and Education Section at (510) 540-2067.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOSTER FAMILY AGENCY CONFERENCE
The California Alliance of Child and Family Services and Community Care Licensing are cosponsoring a conference for Southern California Foster Family Agencies (FFA) on January 16-17, 2003. The conference will be held at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Monrovia, CA. This conference is an excellent opportunity for care providers and licensing staff to share information on FFA issues. Funds raised by the conference provide scholarships to foster care youth. Registration packets were sent out to care providers in late November and early December 2002. This conference is paid for entirely with provider registration fees. To register or find out more information about the Southern California FFA conference, please contact your local licensing office.
FIRST ANNUAL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GROUP HOME CONFERENCE
The California Alliance of Child and Family Services and Community Care Licensing will be co-hosting the first Group Home Conference on February 20-21, 2003. The conference will be held at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Monrovia, CA. The target audience for this conference are licensed Group Home providers in Southern California. The theme of this conference is "Our Children, Our Future" and will focus on emancipation. There will be opportunities for care providers and licensing staff to share general licensing information that affect Group Homes.
This conference is paid for entirely with provider registration fees. Funds raised by this conference will be donated to the California Youth Connection, a non-profit organization that provides services to current and former foster youth. Our goal is to make this an annual event for both our Northern and Southern California Group Home providers. To register or find out more information about this conference, please contact your local licensing office.
LICENSED CHILDREN'S RESIDENTIAL CARE STATISTICS
Enclosed are the most recent statistics on licensed children's residential care facilities and capacities. Further breakouts by category and location are available. Please direct your requests to Jeff Hiratsuka, Chief, Central Operations Branch, at (916) 322-4875.
SUMMARY
If you have questions about items included in this Update or suggestions for future topics, please contact Cathleen McCoy or me at (916) 657-2346. Also, please visit our website at http://ccld.ca.gov/ to obtain copies of Updates, office locations, provider letters, regulations, or to learn more about licensing services.
Sincerely,
DAVE DODDS
Deputy Director
Community Care Licensing Division