AB 284

Under current law, a licensed foster home, group home, or shelter may provide

housing or services to a child runaway if both the child and his or her parent,

guardian, or legal custodian consent to the provision of housing or services. If the

parent, guardian, or legal custodian does not consent, the foster home, group home,

or shelter must notify the agency responsible for providing child welfare services of

the child's presence in the home or shelter within 12 hours of the child's arrival at

the home or shelter. After such notification, the agency must notify the parent,

guardian, and legal custodian as soon as possible of the child's presence in that home.

Under current law, a hearing is then held to determine whether the child must be

returned to the parent, guardian, or legal custodian or is permitted to stay at the

foster home, group home, or shelter for up to 20 days.

This bill extends from 12 to 72 hours the time after a child runaway's arrival

that a foster home, group home, or shelter must notify the agency responsible for

providing child welfare services of the child's presence in the home or shelter. Under

the bill, an intake worker must only notify the parent, guardian, or legal custodian

of the child if it is in the best interest of the child. The bill also specifies that, if it is

in the child's best interest, no later than six hours after the child arrives, the home

or shelter must notify the parent, guardian, and legal custodian of the child's

presence. If he or she cannot be reached for the purpose of this notification, the home

or shelter must attempt to reach him or her for that purpose at least every six hours

until successful.

Under current law, if the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian does not

consent to the temporary care and housing of the child at the home or shelter, a

hearing must be held on the issue within 24 hours of the time that the child entered

the home or shelter. This bill changes this deadline to within 24 hours of the time

the intake worker is notified that the child entered the home or shelter.