(a) A child or nonminor who has been voluntarily placed, adjudged a dependent child of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 300, or as to whom a petition has been filed under Section 325, may be housed in an emergency shelter or, pursuant to the procedures for placement set forth in this code, placed in a foster family home, a resource family home, or with a foster family agency for subsequent placement in a certified family home or with a resource family, with minors adjudged wards of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 601.
(b) A child who has been voluntarily placed, adjudged a dependent child of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 300, or adjudged a ward of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 601, shall not be housed in an emergency shelter with any minor adjudged a ward of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 602.
(c) (1) A child or nonminor who has been voluntarily placed, adjudged a dependent child of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 300, or as to whom a petition has been filed under Section 325, or a nonminor dependent, as described in subdivision (v) of Section 11400, shall not be placed or detained in a short-term residential therapeutic program, group home, licensed foster family home, resource family, or certified family home or resource family of a foster family agency, with any minor adjudged a ward of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 601 or 602, unless the social worker or probation officer with placement authority has determined that both of the following are true:
(A) The placement setting has a program that meets the specific needs of the child or nonminor dependent being placed or detained, or, in the case of placement when no program is required by law, the home meets the specific needs of the child or nonminor.
(B) There is a commonality of needs with the other children and nonminor dependents in the placement setting.
(2) Notwithstanding Section 206, a child who has been voluntarily placed, adjudged a dependent child of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 300, or as to whom a petition has been filed under Section 325, or a nonminor dependent, as described in subdivision (v) of Section 11400, may be placed with a child or nonminor who is a current dependent of the juvenile court and for whom a petition has been subsequently filed alleging he or she is a ward of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 601 or 602. That placement may be made only when the social worker or probation officer with placement authority has determined that both of the following are true:
(A) The placement setting meets the specific needs of the child or nonminor dependent being placed or detained.
(B) There is a commonality of needs with the other children and nonminor dependents in the placement setting.
(d) Nothing in this section shall transfer or eliminate the responsibility of the placing agency for the care, custody, or control of the child. Nothing in this section shall relieve a foster family agency of its responsibilities for or on behalf of a child placed with it.
(e) For purposes of this section, the placing of children or nonminor dependents by foster family agencies shall be referred to as “subsequent placement” to distinguish the activity from the placing by public agencies.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 732, Sec. 102. (AB 404) Effective January 1, 2018.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018