Section 7911.1.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the State Department of Social Services or its designee shall investigate any threat to the health and safety of children placed by a California county social services agency or probation department in an out-of-state group home pursuant to the provisions of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. This authority shall include the authority to interview children or staff in private or review their file at the out-of-state facility or wherever the child or files may be at the time of the investigation. Notwithstanding any other law, the State Department of Social Services or its designee shall require certified out-of-state group homes to comply with the reporting requirements applicable to group homes licensed in California pursuant to Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations for each child in care regardless of whether he or she is a California placement, by submitting a copy of the required reports to the Compact Administrator within regulatory timeframes. The Compact Administrator within one business day of receiving a serious events report shall verbally notify the appropriate placement agencies and within five working days of receiving a written report from the out-of-state group home, forward a copy of the written report to the appropriate placement agencies.

(b) Any contract, memorandum of understanding, or agreement entered into pursuant to paragraph (b) of Article 5 of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children regarding the placement of a child out of state by a California county social services agency or probation department shall include the language set forth in subdivision (a).

(c) The State Department of Social Services or its designee shall perform initial and continuing inspection of out-of-state group homes in order to either certify that the out-of-state group home meets all licensure standards required of group homes operated in California or that the department has granted a waiver to a specific licensing standard upon a finding that there exists no adverse impact to health and safety. Any failure by an out-of-state group home facility to make children or staff available as required by subdivision (a) for a private interview or make files available for review shall be grounds to deny or discontinue the certification. The State Department of Social Services shall grant or deny an initial certification or a waiver under this subdivision to an out-of-state group home facility that has more than six California children placed by a county social services agency or probation department by August 19, 1999. The department shall grant or deny an initial certification or a waiver under this subdivision to an out-of-state group home facility that has six or fewer California children placed by a county social services agency or probation department by February 19, 2000. Certifications made pursuant to this subdivision shall be reviewed annually.

(d) Within six months of the effective date of this section, a county shall be required to obtain an assessment and placement recommendation by a county multidisciplinary team for each child in an out-of-state group home facility. On or after March 1, 1999, a county shall be required to obtain an assessment and placement recommendation by a county multidisciplinary team prior to placement of a child in an out-of-state group home facility.

(e) Any failure by an out-of-state group home to obtain or maintain its certification as required by subdivision (c) shall preclude the use of any public funds, whether county, state, or federal, in the payment for the placement of any child in that out-of-state group home, pursuant to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.

(f) (1) A multidisciplinary team shall consist of participating members from county social services, county mental health, county probation, county superintendents of schools, and other members as determined by the county.

(2) Participants shall have knowledge or experience in the prevention, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect cases, and shall be qualified to recommend a broad range of services related to child abuse or neglect.

(g) (1) The department may deny, suspend, or discontinue the certification of the out-of-state group home if the department makes a finding that the group home is not operating in compliance with the requirements of subdivision (c).

(2) Any judicial proceeding to contest the department's determination as to the status of the out-of-state group home certificate shall be held in California pursuant to Section 1085 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(h) The certification requirements of this section shall not impact placements of emotionally disturbed children made pursuant to an individualized education program developed pursuant to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq.) if the placement is not funded with federal or state foster care funds.

(i) Only an out-of-state group home authorized by the Compact Administrator to receive state funds for the placement by a county social services agency or probation department of any child in that out-of-state group home from the effective date of this section shall be eligible for public funds pending the department's certification under this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 43, Sec. 31. Effective June 30, 2011.)