Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7900. Section 7900.
The Interstate Compact on Placement of Children as set forth in Section 7901 is hereby adopted and entered into with all other jurisdictions joining therein.
PART 5. INTERSTATE COMPACT ON PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN [7900. - 7913.]
Cal. Family Code - FAM 5.
in effectCal. Family Code - FAM § 7901. Section 7901.
The provisions of the interstate compact referred to in Section 7900 are as follows:
INTERSTATE COMPACT ON THE PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN
Article 1.
Purpose and Policy
It is the purpose and policy of the party states to cooperate with each other in the interstate placement of children to the end that:
(a)
Each child requiring placement shall receive the maximum opportunity to be placed in a suitable environment and with persons
or institutions having appropriate qualifications and facilities to provide a necessary and desirable degree and type of care.
(b)
The appropriate authorities in a state where a child is to be placed may have full opportunity to ascertain the circumstances of the proposed placement, thereby promoting full compliance with applicable requirements for the protection of the child.
(c)
The proper authorities of the state from which the placement is made may obtain the most complete information on the basis on which to evaluate a projected placement before it is made.
(d)
Appropriate jurisdictional arrangements for the care of children will be promoted.
Article 2.
Definitions
As used in this compact:
(a)
“Child” means a person who, by reason of minority, is legally subject to parental, guardianship, or similar control.
(b)
“Sending agency” means a party state, or officer or employee thereof; subdivision of a party state, or officer or employee thereof; a court of a party state; a person, corporation, association, charitable agency, or other entity that sends, brings, or causes to be sent or brought any child to another party state.
(c)
“Receiving state” means the state to which a child is sent, brought, or caused to
be sent or brought, whether by public authorities or private persons or agencies, and whether for placement with state or local public authorities or for placement with private agencies or persons.
(d)
“Placement” means the arrangement for the care of a child in a family free or boarding home or in a child-caring agency or institution, but does not include any institution caring for persons with developmental disabilities or mental health disorders or any institution primarily educational in character, and any hospital or other medical facility.
Article 3.
Conditions for Placement
(a)
A sending agency shall not send, bring, or
cause to be sent or brought into any other party state any child for placement in foster care or as a preliminary to a possible adoption unless the sending agency complies with each and every requirement set forth in this article and with the applicable laws of the receiving state governing the placement of children therein.
(b)
Before sending, bringing, or causing any child to be sent or brought into a receiving state for placement in foster care or as a preliminary to a possible adoption, the sending agency shall furnish the appropriate public authorities in the receiving state written notice of the intention to send, bring, or place the child in the receiving state. The notice shall contain:
(1)
The name, date, and place of birth of the child.
(2)
The identity and address or addresses of the parents or legal guardian.
(3)
The name and address of the person, agency, or institution to or with which the sending agency proposes to send, bring, or place the child.
(4)
A full statement of the reasons for the proposed action and evidence of the authority pursuant to which the placement is proposed to be made.
(c)
Any public officer or agency in a receiving state that receives notice pursuant to paragraph (b) of this article may request of the sending agency, or any other appropriate officer or agency of or in the sending agency’s state, and shall be entitled to receive therefrom, supporting or
additional information it deems necessary under the circumstances to carry out the purpose and policy of this compact.
(d)
The child shall not be sent, brought, or caused to be sent or brought into the receiving state until the appropriate public authorities in the receiving state notify the sending agency, in writing, to the effect that the proposed placement does not appear to be contrary to the interest of the child.
Article 4.
Penalty for Illegal Placement
The sending, bringing, or causing to be sent or brought into any receiving state of a child in violation of the terms of this compact shall constitute a violation of the laws respecting the
placement of children of both the state in which the sending agency is located or from which it sends or brings the child and of the receiving state. A violation may be punished or subjected to penalty in either jurisdiction in accordance with its laws. In addition to liability for any punishment or penalty, any violation shall constitute full and sufficient grounds for the suspension or revocation of any license, permit, or other legal authorization held by the sending agency
that empowers or allows it to place or care for children.
Article 5.
Continuing Jurisdiction
(a)
The sending agency shall retain jurisdiction over the child sufficient to determine all matters in relation to the custody, supervision, care, treatment, and disposition of the child that it would have had if the child had remained in the sending agency’s state, until the child is adopted, reaches majority, becomes self-supporting, or is discharged with the concurrence of the appropriate authority in the receiving state. That jurisdiction shall also include the power to effect or cause the return of the child or the child’s transfer to another location and custody pursuant to law.
The sending agency shall continue to have financial responsibility for support and maintenance of the child during the period of the placement. Nothing contained herein shall defeat a claim of jurisdiction by a receiving state sufficient to deal with an act of delinquency or crime committed therein.
(b)
When the sending agency is a public agency, it may enter into an agreement with an authorized public or private agency in the receiving state providing for the performance of one or more services in respect of that case by the latter as agent for the sending agency.
(c)
This compact shall not be construed to prevent a private charitable agency authorized to place children in the receiving state from performing services or acting as agent in that state for a private charitable agency
of the sending state or to prevent the agency in the receiving state from discharging financial responsibility for the support and maintenance of a child who has been placed on behalf of the sending agency without relieving the responsibility set forth in paragraph (a) of this article.
Article 6.
Institutional Care of Delinquent Children
A child adjudicated delinquent may be placed in an institution in another party jurisdiction pursuant to this compact but that placement shall not be made unless the child is given a court hearing on notice to the parent or guardian with opportunity to be heard, before being sent to the other party jurisdiction for institutional care and the court finds that both of the following exist:
(a)
Equivalent facilities for the child are not available in the sending agency’s jurisdiction.
(b)
Institutional care in the other jurisdiction is in the best interest of the child and will not produce undue hardship.
Article 7.
Compact Administrator
The executive head of each jurisdiction party to this compact shall designate an officer who shall be general coordinator of activities under this compact in that jurisdiction and who, acting jointly with like officers of other party jurisdictions, shall have power to promulgate rules and regulations to carry out more effectively the terms
and provisions of this compact.
Article 8.
Limitations
This compact shall not apply to:
(a)
The sending or bringing of a child into a receiving state by the child’s parent, stepparent, grandparent, adult brother or sister, adult uncle or aunt, or the child’s guardian and leaving the child with any such relative or nonagency guardian in the receiving state.
(b)
Any placement, sending, or bringing of a child into a receiving state pursuant to any other interstate compact to which both the state from which the child is sent or brought and the receiving state are party, or to any other agreement
between those states that has the force of law.
Article 9.
Enactment and Withdrawal
This compact shall be open to joinder by any state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and, with the consent of Congress, the government of Canada or any province thereof. It shall become effective with respect to any of these jurisdictions when that jurisdiction has enacted the same into law. Withdrawal from this compact shall be by the enactment of a statute repealing the same, but shall not take effect until two years after the effective date of the statute and until written notice of the withdrawal has been given by the withdrawing state to the Governor
of each other party jurisdiction. Withdrawal of a party state shall not affect the rights, duties, and obligations under this compact of any sending agency therein with respect to a placement made before the effective date of withdrawal.
Article 10.
Construction and Severability
The provisions of this compact shall be liberally construed to effectuate the purposes thereof. The provisions of this compact shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of this compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any party state or of the United States or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this
compact and the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this compact shall be held contrary to the constitution of any state party thereto, the compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining states and in full force and effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7901.1. Section 7901.1.
(a)
Within 60 days of receipt of a request from another state to conduct a study of a home environment for purposes of assessing the safety and suitability of placing a child in the home, a county child welfare agency shall, directly or by contract, do both of the following:
(1)
Conduct and complete the study.
(2)
Return a report to the requesting state on the results of the study. The report shall address the extent
to which placement in the home would meet the needs of the child.
(b)
Except as provided in subdivision (c), in the case of a home study commenced on or before September 30, 2008, if the agency fails to comply with subdivision (a) within the 60-day period as a result of circumstances beyond the control of the agency, the agency shall have 75 days to comply with subdivision (a). The agency shall document the circumstances involved and certify that completing the home study is in the best interests of the child. For purposes of this subdivision, “circumstances beyond the control of the agency” include, but are not limited to, the failure of a federal agency to provide the results of a background check or the failure of any entity to provide completed medical forms, if the background check or records were requested by the agency at least 45 days before the end of the 60-day period.
(c)
Subdivision (b) shall not be construed to require the agency to have completed, within the applicable period, the parts of the home study involving the education and training of the prospective foster or adoptive parents.
(d)
The agency shall treat any report described in subdivision (a) that is received from another state, an Indian tribe, or a private agency under contract with another state, as meeting any requirements imposed by the state for the completion of a home study before placing a child in the home, unless, within 14 days after receipt of the report, the agency determines, based on grounds that are specific to the content of the report, that making a decision in reliance on the report would be contrary to the welfare of the child.
(e)
A county is not restricted from contracting with a private agency for the conduct of a home study described in
subdivision (a).
(f)
The department shall work with counties to identify barriers to meeting the timeframes specified in this section and to develop recommendations to reduce or eliminate those barriers.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7902. Section 7902.
Financial responsibility for a child placed pursuant to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children shall be determined in accordance with Article 5 of the compact in the first instance. However, in the event of partial or complete default of performance thereunder, the provisions of other state laws also may be invoked.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7903. Section 7903.
The phrase “appropriate public authorities” as used in Article 3 of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children means, with reference to this state, the State Department of Social Services, and that department shall receive and act with reference to notices required by Article 3 of the compact.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7904. Section 7904.
The phrase “appropriate authority in receiving state” as used in paragraph (a) of Article 5 of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, with reference to this state, means the State Department of Social Services.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7905. Section 7905.
The officers and agencies of this state and its subdivisions having authority to place children are hereby empowered to enter into agreements with appropriate officers or agencies of or in other party states pursuant to paragraph (b) of Article 5 of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. Any such agreement which contains a financial commitment or imposes a financial obligation on this state or subdivision or agency thereof is not binding unless it has the approval in writing of the Controller in the case of the state and of the chief local fiscal
officer in the case of a subdivision of the state.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7906. Section 7906.
Any requirements for visitation, inspection, or supervision of children, homes, institutions, or other agencies in another party state which may apply under the law of this state shall be deemed to be met if performed pursuant to an agreement entered into by appropriate officers or agencies of this state or a subdivision thereof as contemplated by paragraph (b) of Article 5 of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7906.5. Section 7906.5.
(a)
Within 60 days after an officer or agency of this state, or its political subdivision, receives a request from another state to conduct a study of a home environment for purposes of assessing the safety and suitability of placing a child, who is in the custody of the requesting state, in the home, the county child welfare agency shall, directly or indirectly, do both of the following:
(1)
Conduct and complete the home study.
(2)
Return to the requesting state a report on the results of the home study, which shall address the extent to which placement in the home would meet the needs of the child.
(b)
A licensed private adoption agency may agree to provide the services listed in subdivision (a), and upon that agreement, shall comply with the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a).
(c)
Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in the case of a home study commenced on or before September 30, 2008, if the county fails to comply with subdivision (a) within the 60-day period as a result of circumstances beyond the control of the state, including, but not limited to, failure by a federal agency to provide the results of a background check or failure of any entity to provide completed medical forms requested by the state at least 45 days before the end of the 60-day period, the county
shall have 75 days to comply with subdivision (a) if the county documents the circumstances involved and certifies that completing the home study is in the best interest of the child.
(d)
Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the county to have completed, within the applicable period, those portions of the home study concerning the education and training of the prospective foster parent or adoptive parent.
(e)
The county shall treat any report described in subdivision (a) that is received from another state, an Indian tribe, or a private agency under contract with another state, as meeting any requirements imposed by the state for the completion of a home study before placing a child in the home, unless, within 14 days after receipt of the report, the county determines, based on grounds that are specific to the content of the report, that making a decision in
reliance on the report would be contrary to the welfare of the child.
(f)
A county is not restricted from contracting with a private agency for the conduct of a home study described in subdivision (a).
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7907. Section 7907.
No provision of law restricting out-of-state placement of children for adoption shall apply to placements made pursuant to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7907.3. Section 7907.3.
The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children shall not apply to any placement, sending, or bringing of an Indian child into another state pursuant to a transfer of jurisdiction to a tribal court under Section 1911 of the Indian Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 1901 et seq.).
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7907.5. Section 7907.5.
(a)
A child who is born in this state and placed for adoption in this state with a resident of this state is not subject to the provisions of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.
(b)
A child who is born in this state and placed for adoption with a person who is not a resident of this state is subject to the provisions of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, regardless of whether the adoption petition is filed in this state. In interstate placements,
this state shall be deemed the sending state for any child born in the state.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7908. Section 7908.
A court having jurisdiction to place children adjudged wards of the court may place a ward in an out-of-state facility, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 7910, pursuant to
Section 727.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and Article 6 of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children and shall retain jurisdiction as provided in Article 5 of the compact.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7908.5. Section 7908.5.
For the purposes of an interstate adoption placement, the term “jurisdiction” as used in Article 5 of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children means “jurisdiction over or legal responsibility for the child.” It is the intent of the Legislature that this section make a technical clarification to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children and not a substantive change.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7909. Section 7909.
“Executive head” as used in Article 7 of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children means the Governor. The Governor shall appoint a compact administrator in accordance with the terms of Article 7 of the compact.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7910. Section 7910.
(a)
Approval of an interstate placement of a child for adoption shall not be granted by the Compact Administrator if the placement is in violation of either Section 8801 of this code or Section 273 of the Penal Code.
(b)
(1)
The Compact Administrator shall not submit to a receiving state a request to
place a dependent or ward for whom a county child welfare agency or county probation department has placement and care responsibility in an out-of-state residential facility, unless the requirements of Section 7911.1 of this code and Section 361.21 of, or subdivision (b) of Section 727.1 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code are met.
(2)
For the purpose of this section, an “out-of-state residential facility” is a facility that is located in a state outside of California, is licensed or otherwise approved by the applicable state or tribal authority, and provides an integrated program of specialized and intensive care and supervision, services and supports, treatment, and short-term, 24-hour, trauma-informed care and supervision to children. An out-of-state residential facility may be called another name, including a group home, a
residential treatment facility, or a residential care treatment facility.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7911. Section 7911.
(a)
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1)
The health and safety of California children placed by a county child welfare agency or probation department out of state pursuant to the provisions of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children are a matter of statewide concern.
(2)
The State Department of Social Services has full authority to require any placement of a child in an out-of-state residential facility by a county child welfare agency or county probation department be approved on a child-specific basis after the county has exhausted in-state placement and services options that meet the needs of the child and participated in the department’s
technical assistance program. Before the juvenile court approves the placement pursuant to Section 361.21 of, or subdivision (b) of Section 727.1 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code, the State Department of Social Services shall certify the out-of-state residential facility pursuant to Section 7911.1. Before processing an application for out-of-state placement in a residential facility pursuant to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, the Compact Administrator shall verify that the placement was approved by the juvenile court and that it has been certified by the department.
(3)
The Legislature further finds and declares that certification of facilities licensed under a separate state’s licensing standards has not been sufficient to ensure that the stringent California short-term residential therapeutic programs requirements are maintained to safeguard the health, safety, and well-being of California’s foster children and
youth. Further research demonstrates that dependents and wards in foster care placements are generally better served when they are able to maintain and develop local community supports closer to their families and communities.
(b)
(1)
On and after July 1, 2021, foster care placements by county child welfare agencies or probation departments into out-of-state residential facilities shall not be made, except in the limited circumstances authorized by Section 361.21 of, or subdivision (b) of Section 727.1 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code, as applicable. Unless placement of a child in an out-of-state residential facility does not require certification pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 7911.1, the Compact Administrator shall not seek approval of placement in an out-of-state residential facility from the receiving state unless all of the following criteria are met:
(A)
The Compact Administrator has received from the county placing agency documentation that it has complied with the requirements of Section 16010.9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(B)
The Compact Administrator has received documentation that the out-of-state residential facility has been certified by the State Department of Social Services, including documentation that the director of the State Department of Social Services has approved the certification.
(C)
The Compact Administrator has received a copy of the juvenile court order authorizing placement of the child in the out-of-state residential facility pursuant to Section 361.21 or 727.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(2)
On and after July 1, 2022, county child welfare agencies or probation departments shall not make new placements in
out-of-state residential facilities, except for placements described in subdivision (h) of Section 7911.1.
(c)
Notwithstanding any other law, on and after July 1, 2022, the State Department of Social Services shall not certify any new out-of-state residential facilities for placement by county child welfare agencies or probation departments. On and after July 1, 2022, the Compact Administrator shall not seek approval of any new placements by county child welfare agencies or probation departments in out-of-state residential facilities.
(d)
The state shall decertify all out-of-state residential facilities for placement by county child welfare agencies or probation departments on January 1, 2023, and ensure that all children and youth placed in out of state residential facilities have been returned to California by that date.
(e)
This section is declaratory of existing law with respect to the Governor’s designation of the State Department of Social Services to act as the Compact Administrator and of that department to act as the single state agency charged with supervision of public social services under Section 10600 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7911.1. 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 child welfare agency or probation department in an out-of-state residential facility, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 7910, 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 residential 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 residential facilities to comply with the reporting requirements
applicable to short-term residential therapeutic programs licensed in California for each child in care, regardless of whether or not the child 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 incident report from a certified out-of-state residential facility, shall verbally notify any county child welfare agency or probation department with a child placed at the certified out-of-state residential facility of the serious incident report. The Compact Administrator, within five business days of receiving a written serious incident report from a certified out-of-state residential facility, shall forward a copy of the written serious incident report to any county child welfare agency or probation department with a child placed at the certified out-of-state residential facility.
(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)
Upon receipt of a request from a county child welfare agency or probation department for a child-specific certification of a placement in an out-of-state residential facility, the State Department of Social Services or its designee shall expedite the review of the request in order to determine any additional information needed, shall communicate with the requesting county agency regarding its review including regular status updates, and shall, in a timely manner, determine whether it will issue a child-specific certification to the out-of-state residential facility pursuant to this section.
(1)
The licensing standards applicable to an out-of-state residential facility certified by the department shall be those required of short-term residential therapeutic programs operated in this state.
(2)
Before issuing a child-specific certification to the out-of-state residential facility, the department shall do all of the following:
(A)
Review documentation provided by the county placing agency pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 16010.9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(B)
Perform an on-site inspection of the out-of-state residential facility’s physical site.
(C)
At a minimum, review all of the following sections of the out-of-state residential facility’s program statement:
(i)
Core Services and Supports.
(ii)
Trauma Informed Interventions and Treatment Practices.
(iii)
Personal Rights.
(iv)
House Rules.
(v)
Discipline Policies and Procedures.
(vi)
Emergency Intervention Plan (Including Runaway Plan).
(D)
Review the out-of-state residential facility’s serious incident reports.
(E)
Review the out-of-state residential facility’s current license. In order for the out-of-state residential facility to receive a certification, the out-of-state residential facility shall have a
current license, or an equivalent approval, in good standing issued by the appropriate authority or authorities of the state in which it is operating.
(F)
Review the out-of-state residential facility’s licensing history, including any substantiated complaints.
(G)
Review the documentation provided by the State Department of Health Care Services pursuant to subdivision (d).
(H)
Obtain approval from the director of the department of the child-specific certification for the out-of-state residential facility. Director approval may be given after all of the requirements of subparagraphs (A) to (G), inclusive, have been satisfied.
(3)
The department shall not issue a child-specific certification to the out-of-state residential facility if the out-of-state
residential facility fails to cooperate during the certification process, including failing to provide any of the documentation listed in paragraph (2).
(4)
If all the requirements of paragraph (2) have been satisfied, the department shall certify the out-of-state residential facility pursuant to this section. The department shall provide written documentation of this certification to the county placing agency.
(5)
The child-specific certification is discontinued, effective immediately, upon the child transitioning out of the out-of-state residential facility’s program.
(d)
The licensing standards applicable to out-of-state residential facilities certified by the department, as described in subdivision (c), shall include the licensing standards for mental health program approval described in Section 1562.01 of the
Health and Safety Code. These standards shall be satisfied if the State Department of Health Care Services determines that the out-of-state residential facility has an equivalent mental health program approval in the state in which it is operating. Upon receipt of a request for the State Department of Health Care Services to determine whether an out-of-state residential facility has an equivalent mental health program approval in the state in which it is operation, the State Department of Health Care Services shall expedite the review of the request in order to determine any additional information needed, shall communicate with the requesting county agency regarding its review including regular status updates, and shall, in a timely manner, make its determination. If an out-of-state residential facility cannot satisfy the licensing standards for an equivalent mental health program approval, the department shall not certify the facility.
(e)
Failure by an out-of-state residential 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.
(f)
Certifications made pursuant to this section shall be reviewed as often as necessary to ensure the health and safety of children in care. At a minimum, certifications made pursuant to this section shall be reviewed semiannually. The department shall complete a full review of the facility’s program statement semiannually.
(g)
(1)
The department may deny or discontinue the certification of the out-of-state residential facility if the department makes a finding that the out-of-state residential facility is not operating in compliance with the requirements of this section. The department shall engage with counties
that have one or more youth at a facility proposed for decertification to allow for a transition to occur, to the extent possible while ensuring the youths’ safety and well-being.
(2)
If the out-of-state residential facility disagrees with any decision by the department to deny or discontinue the certification, the out-of-state residential facility may appeal the decision immediately upon receipt of the notice of decertification. If the out-of-state residential facility decides to appeal the decision, the appeal shall be submitted to the department not later than 30 calendar days after the out-of-state residential facility receives the decision. The out-of-state residential facility’s appeal shall be in writing and include all information, including supporting documents, that forms the basis of the appeal. The department shall issue a final determination not later than 30 calendar days after receipt of the appeal. If the out-of-state
residential facility disagrees with the department’s determination, the out-of-state residential facility may file a writ pursuant to paragraph (3). If the out-of-state residential facility decides to file a writ, the writ shall be filed not later than 30 calendar days after the out-of-state residential facility receives the final determination.
(3)
Any judicial proceeding to contest the department’s determination as to the status of the out-of-state residential facility’s 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 any of the following:
(1)
Placement 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.
(2)
Placement of Indian children, as defined by the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. Sec. 1901 et. seq.) and Section 224.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(i)
Failure by an out-of-state residential facility to obtain or maintain its certification, as required by this section, 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 residential facility pursuant to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.
(j)
Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the
Government Code), the State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Health Care Services may implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of all-county letters, written directives, interim licensing standards, or similar written instructions from the department until regulations are adopted. These all-county letters, written directives, interim licensing standards, or similar written instructions shall have the same force and effect as regulations until the adoption of regulations.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7912. Section 7912.
(a)
The Legislature finds and declares that the health and safety of children placed in out-of-state residential facilities pursuant to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children is a matter of statewide concern. The Legislature therefore affirms its intention that children placed by a county child welfare
agency or probation department in out-of-state residential facilities be accorded the same personal rights and safeguards of a child placed in a California licensed short-term residential therapeutic program. This section is in clarification of existing law.
(b)
(1)
On or before September 1, 2021, and each month thereafter, the department shall report to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature the number of children placed by a county child welfare agency or probation
department in out-of-state residential facilities pursuant to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.
(2)
On or before January 1, 2022, and every six months thereafter until facilities are decertified and all children returned to California on or before January 1, 2023, the department, in consultation with the counties, shall report to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on the capacity for serving all child welfare and probation-supervised foster children within California or in home-based settings outside of the state. The report shall also include all of the following data, as applicable:
(A)
The number of children served by
out-of-state residential facilities, disaggregated by child welfare services agency and probation department supervision.
(B)
Data measures related to ongoing transition planning efforts, including child and family team meetings, child-specific recruitment and family finding activities, and multiagency care coordination efforts that occurred for each child before and during placement in the out-of-state residential facility.
(C)
The lengths of stay of each child placed in an out-of-state residential facility by a California child welfare agency or probation department.
(D)
The total number of all serious incident reports received regarding out-of-state residential facilities, and descriptions of the types of
incidents reported.
(E)
The total number of serious incident reports received regarding California children placed in out-of-state residential facilities, and descriptions of the types of incidents reported.
(3)
Reports made pursuant to this subdivision shall not include any demographic data that would permit identification of any child or nonminor dependent.
Cal. Family Code - FAM § 7913. Section 7913.
(a)
When a full service licensed private adoption agency has provided adoption-related services to a birth parent or prospective adoptive parent, that agency is delegated the authority to determine whether the placement shall or shall not be made pursuant to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, and to sign the compact forms documenting that determination and date of placement.
(b)
For
children entering California in independent adoptions, prior to making a determination regarding placement and as soon as feasible, the private adoption agency shall notify the appropriate district office or delegated county adoption agency of the matter and verify that the preplacement interview of the prospective adoptive parent or parents has been completed.
(c)
This section shall not apply to a child who is a dependent of the court or a child subject to a petition filed under Section 300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026