Cal. WIC § 16501.25 — California Code / Code wic / Division 9 / Part 4 / Chapter 5 / Section 16501.25
Section 16501.25
Status: in_force

(a) For the purposes of this section, “teen parent” means a child who has been adjudged to be a dependent child or ward of the court on the grounds that he or she is a person described under Section 300 or 602, or a ward of a nonrelated legal guardian whose guardianship was established pursuant to Section 360 or 366.26, living in out-of-home placement in a whole family foster home, as defined in subdivision (u) of Section 11400, who is a parent. Commencing January 1, 2012, “teen parent” also means a nonminor dependent, as defined in subdivision (v) of Section 11400, who is living in a whole family foster home, as defined in subdivision (t) of Section 11400, and is eligible for AFDC-FC or Kin-GAP payments pursuant to Section 11403.

(b) (1) When the child of a teen parent is not subject to the jurisdiction of the dependency court but is in the full or partial physical custody of the teen parent, a written shared responsibility plan shall be developed. The plan shall be developed between the teen parent, caregiver, and a representative of the county child welfare agency or probation department, and in the case of a certified family home or resource family of a foster family agency, a representative of the agency providing direct and immediate supervision to the caregiver. Additional input may be provided by any individuals identified by the teen parent, the other parent of the child, if appropriate, and other extended family members. The plan shall be developed as soon as is practicably possible. However, if one or more of the above stakeholders are not available to participate in the creation of the plan within the first 30 days of the teen parent’s placement, the teen parent and caregiver may enter into a plan for the purposes of fulfilling the requirements of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 11465, which may be modified at a later time when the other individuals become available.

(2) The plan shall be designed to preserve and strengthen the teen parent family unit, as described in Section 16002.5, to assist the teen parent in meeting the goals outlined in Section 16002.5, to facilitate a supportive home environment for the teen parent and the child, and to ultimately enable the teen parent to independently provide a safe, stable, and permanent home for the child. The plan shall in no way limit the teen parent’s legal right to make decisions regarding the care, custody, and control of the child.

(3) The plan shall be written for the express purpose of aiding the teen parent and the caregiver to reach agreements aimed at reducing conflict and misunderstandings. The plan shall outline, with as much specificity as is practicable, the duties, rights, and responsibilities of both the teen parent and the caregiver with regard to the child, and identify supportive services to be offered to the teen parent by the caregiver or, in the case of a certified family home or resource family of a foster family agency, the agency providing direct and immediate supervision to the caregiver, or both. The plan shall be updated, as needed, to account for the changing needs of infants and toddlers, and in accordance with the teen parent’s changing school, employment, or other outside responsibilities. The plan shall not conflict with the teen parent’s case plan. Areas to be addressed by the plan include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(A) Feeding.

(B) Clothing.

(C) Hygiene.

(D) Purchase of necessary items, including, but not limited to, safety items, food, clothing, and developmentally appropriate toys and books. This includes both one-time purchases and items needed on an ongoing basis.

(E) Health care.

(F) Transportation to health care appointments, child care, and school, as appropriate.

(G) Provision of child care and babysitting.

(H) Discipline.

(I) Sleeping arrangements.

(J) Visits among the child, his or her noncustodial parent, and other appropriate family members, including the responsibilities of the teen parent, the caregiver, and the foster family agency, as appropriate, for facilitating the visitation. The shared responsibility plan shall not conflict with the teen parent’s case plan and any visitation orders made by the court.

(c) Upon completion of the shared responsibility plan and any subsequent updates to the plan, a copy shall be provided to the teen parent and his or her attorney, the caregiver, the county child welfare agency or probation department, and, in the case of a certified family home or resource family of a foster family agency, the agency providing direct and immediate supervision to the caregiver.

(d) The shared responsibility plan requirements shall no longer apply when the two hundred-dollar ($200) monthly payment is made under the Kin-GAP program pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 11360) or Article 4.7 (commencing with Section 11385) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 to a former whole family foster home pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 11465.