(a) Beginning January 1, 1994, the State Department of Social Services shall develop and implement an enhanced statewide basic foster parent training program. It is the intent of the Legislature to fund this program by allocating unexpended child welfare services funds from the 1992–93 fiscal year to support a two and one-half year training curricula development.
(b) During this two and one-half year period, the State Department of Social Services shall do all of the following, in cooperation with foster parents and representatives from county placement agencies and other foster care providers:
(1) Complete a comprehensive survey of existing foster parent training curricula and resources, evaluate the existing foster parent training delivery system and explore alternative delivery models, complete a needs assessment of foster parents, and develop and implement a statewide core curriculum.
(2) Develop and implement curricula for, teenage pregnancy prevention and other special needs topics, as identified in the needs assessment, to supplement the core curriculum. The teenage pregnancy prevention topics shall be based upon public health fact-based materials and programs. Curricula for teenage pregnancy prevention shall emphasize that abstinence from sexual intercourse is the only protection that is 100 percent effective against unwanted teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) when transmitted sexually, and that all other methods of contraception carry a risk of failure in preventing unwanted teenage pregnancy. The curricula shall:
(A) Include statistics based on the latest medical information citing the failure and success rates of condoms and other contraceptives in preventing pregnancy.
(B) Stress that sexually transmitted diseases are serious possible hazards of sexual intercourse, and shall include statistics based on the latest medical information citing the failure and success rates of condoms in preventing AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
(C) Include a discussion of the possible emotional and psychological consequences of preadolescent and adolescent sexual intercourse outside of marriage and the consequences of unwanted adolescent pregnancy.
(3) Evaluate the current foster parent training funding formula and explore funding alternatives to ensure that a permanent and adequate funding source is available.
(4) Evaluate current recruitment strategies and facilitate the expansion of recruitment activities, especially targeting minority families for the promotion of the placement of minority youth with trained and culturally competent families of the same ethnicity and cultural background.
(5) In its foster parent recruitment and training effort, place special emphasis on the recruitment of prospective foster parents willing to accept sibling placements and the training of foster parents to ensure they are able and ready to care for a sibling group.
(c) It is not the intent of the Legislature and nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring foster parents to participate in this training program in whole or in part.
(Amended by Stats. 1995, Ch. 281, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1996.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018