AB 143

This bill allows for the certification of qualified residential treatment programs

and establishes certain procedures that apply when a child is placed in one.

This bill allows the Department of Children and Families to certify a residential

care center for children and youth, group home, or shelter care facility to operate a

qualified residential treatment program (QRTP) if it determines that the program

meets the federal requirements for such a program to receive Title IV-E child welfare

funding and DCF's requirements for such a program. The bill allows DCF to monitor

compliance with certification requirements, including by inspection authority, and

to deny, suspend, restrict, refuse to renew, or otherwise withhold a certification for

failure to comply with those requirements. Under the bill, DCF may promulgate

rules for the establishment, certification, operation, and monitoring of, and the

placement of a child in, a QRTP.

Currently, when a child or juvenile (collectively referred to as “child”

) alleged

or adjudged to be in need of protection or services is removed from his or her home

in a proceeding under the Children's Code or Juvenile Justice Code, the agency

responsible for that child's removal is required to prepare a permanency plan,

designed to ensure that the child is reunified with his or her family whenever

appropriate, or that the child quickly attains a placement or home providing

long-term stability. Current law requires the juvenile court to periodically review

the plan and to periodically hold a hearing on the plan.

Under this bill, if a child is placed in a certified QRTP, the agency must assemble

a family permanency team to participate in permanency planning for the child, and

invite appropriate biological family members, relatives, like-kin, and professionals

who serve as a resource for the family to participate. The bill requires the agency to

include in the permanency plan information about the family permanency team and

its meetings and recommendations.

The bill requires that, in a review or hearing on a permanency plan for a child

who is placed in a certified QRTP, the agency that prepared the permanency plan

must present to the juvenile court certain information that the juvenile court must

consider when determining the continuing necessity for and the safety and

appropriateness of the placement, including 1) whether the placement is supported

by assessment of the child's needs, is the most effective and appropriate level of care

in the least restrictive environment, and meets the goals for the child in the

permanency plan; 2) the specific treatment or service needs that the placement will

meet and how long the child will need that treatment or service; and 3) the efforts

made by the agency to prepare the child to return home or to be placed with a relative,

guardian, or adoptive parent or in a foster home.

Under the bill, if a child is placed or proposed to be placed in a certified QRTP

in juvenile court proceedings for a temporary physical custody (TPC) hearing, a