(a) Family reunification services shall be provided or arranged for by county welfare department staff in order to reunite the child separated from his or her parent because of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. These services shall not exceed 12 months except as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 361.5 and subdivision (c) of Section 366.3. Family reunification services pursuant to Section 361.6 may be provided to nonminor dependents as described in subdivision (v) of Section 11400. Family reunification services shall be available without regard to income to families whose child has been adjudicated or is in the process of being adjudicated a dependent child of the court under the provisions of Section 300. Family reunification services shall include a plan for visitation of the child by his or her grandparents, where the visitation is in the best interests of the child and will serve to maintain and strengthen the family relationships of the child.
(b) Family reunification services shall only be provided when a child has been placed in out-of-home care, or is in the care of a previously noncustodial parent under the supervision of the juvenile court.
(c) When a minor has been placed in foster care with a nonparent, family reunification services may be provided to one or both parents.
(d) When a county child welfare services agency is providing one parent with reunification services and the other parent is serving a prison term for the conviction of child abuse, pursuant to Section 273a, 273ab, or 273d of the Penal Code, any sex offense specified as being perpetrated against a minor, or an act of domestic violence, the county child welfare services agency may request that the Board of Prison Terms, with respect to inmates sentenced pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1168 of the Penal Code, or the Department of Corrections, with respect to inmates sentenced pursuant to Section 1170 of the Penal Code, provide the agency, during the time in which reunification services are being provided, with notification that the person is scheduled to be released on parole, or rereleased following a period of confinement pursuant to a parole revocation without a new commitment.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 846, Sec. 56. (AB 1712) Effective January 1, 2013.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018