Section 16164.

(a) The Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson shall do all of the following:

(1) Disseminate information on the rights of children and youth in foster care and the services provided by the office. The rights of children and youths in foster care are listed in Section 16001.9. The information shall include notification that conversations with the office may not be confidential.

(2) Investigate and attempt to resolve complaints made by or on behalf of children placed in foster care, related to their care, placement, or services.

(3) Decide, in its discretion, whether to investigate a complaint, or refer complaints to another agency for investigation.

(4) Upon rendering a decision to investigate a complaint from a complainant, notify the complainant of the intention to investigate. If the office declines to investigate a complaint or continue an investigation, the office shall notify the complainant of the reason for the action of the office.

(5) Update the complainant on the progress of the investigation and notify the complainant of the final outcome.

(6) Document the number, source, origin, location, and nature of complaints.

(7) (A) Compile and make available to the Legislature all data collected over the course of the year including, but not limited to, the number of contacts to the toll-free telephone number, the number of complaints made, including the type and source of those complaints, the number of investigations performed by the office, the trends and issues that arose in the course of investigating complaints, the number of referrals made, and the number of pending complaints.

(B) Present this compiled data, on an annual basis, at appropriate child welfare conferences, forums, and other events, as determined by the department, that may include presentations to, but are not limited to, representatives of the Legislature, the County Welfare Directors Association, child welfare organizations, children's advocacy groups, consumer and service provider organizations, and other interested parties.

(C) It is the intent of the Legislature that representatives of the organizations described in subparagraph (B) consider this data in the development of any recommendations offered toward improving the child welfare system.

(D) The compiled data shall be posted so that it is available to the public on the existing Web site of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson.

(8) Have access to any record of a state or local agency that is necessary to carry out his or her responsibilities, and may meet or communicate with any foster child in his or her placement or elsewhere.

(b) The office may establish, in consultation with a committee of interested individuals, regional or local foster care ombudsperson offices for the purposes of expediting investigations and resolving complaints, subject to appropriations in the annual Budget Act.

(c) (1) The office, in consultation with the California Welfare Directors Association, Chief Probation Officers of California, foster youth advocate and support groups, groups representing children, families, foster parents, children's facilities, and other interested parties, shall develop, no later than July 1, 2002, standardized information explaining the rights specified in Section 16001.9. The information shall be developed in an age-appropriate manner, and shall reflect any relevant licensing requirements with respect to foster care providers' responsibilities to adequately supervise children in care.

(2) The office, counties, foster care providers, and others may use the information developed in paragraph (1) in carrying out their responsibilities to inform foster children and youth of their rights pursuant to Section 1530.91 of the Health and Safety Code, Sections 27 and 16501.1, and this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 1160, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2003.)