(a) When a peace officer or social worker takes a minor into custody pursuant to this article, he or she shall take immediate steps to notify the minor’s parent, guardian, or a responsible relative that the minor is in custody and that the child has been placed in a facility authorized by law to care for the child, and shall provide a telephone number at which the minor may be contacted. The confidentiality of the address of any licensed foster family home in which the child has been placed shall be maintained until the dispositional hearing, at which time the judge may authorize, upon a finding of good cause, the disclosure of the address. However, the court may order the release of the address of the licensed foster family home to the minor’s parent, guardian, or responsible relative upon notification of the licensed foster family home in cases where a petition to challenge jurisdiction or other motion to delay the dispositional hearing beyond 60 days after the hearing at which the minor was ordered removed or detained, pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 352, is granted. Moreover, a foster parent may authorize the release of the address of the foster family home at any time during the placement. The county welfare department shall make a diligent and reasonable effort to ensure regular telephone contact between the parent and a child of any age, prior to the detention hearing, unless that contact would be detrimental to the child. The initial telephone contact shall take place as soon as practicable, but no later than five hours after the child is taken into custody.
(b) Immediately after being taken to a place of confinement pursuant to this article and, except where physically impossible, no later than one hour after he or she has been taken into custody, a minor 10 years of age or older shall be advised that he or she has the right to make at least two telephone calls from the place where he or she is being held, one call completed to his or her parent, guardian, or a responsible relative, and another call completed to an attorney. The calls shall be at public expense, if the calls are completed to telephone numbers within the local calling area, and in the presence of a public officer or employee. Any public officer or employee who willfully deprives a minor taken into custody of his or her right to make these telephone calls is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 275, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1997.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018