2023 California Code › Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC › DIVISION 2 - CHILDREN › PART 1 - DELINQUENTS AND WARDS OF THE JUVENILE COURT › CHAPTER 2 - Juvenile Court Law › ARTICLE 17 - Wards Hearings › Section 706.6.

706.6. (a) Services to minors are best provided in a framework that integrates service planning and delivery among multiple service systems, including the mental health system, using a team-based approach, such as a child and family team. A child and family team brings together individuals that engage with the child or youth and family in assessing, planning, and delivering services. Use of a team approach increases efficiency, and thus reduces cost, by increasing coordination of formal services and integrating the natural and informal supports available to the child or youth and family.
(b) (1) For the purposes of this section, “child and family team” has the same meaning as in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 16501.
(2) In its development of the case plan, the probation agency shall consider and document any recommendations of the child and family team, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 16501. The agency shall document the rationale for any inconsistencies between the case plan and the child and family team recommendations.
(c) A case plan prepared as required by Section 706.5 shall be submitted to the court. It shall either be attached to the social study or incorporated as a separate section within the social study. The case plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:
(1) A description of the circumstances that resulted in the minor being placed under the supervision of the probation department and in foster care.
(2) Documentation of the preplacement assessment of the minor’s and family’s strengths and service needs showing that preventive services have been provided, and that reasonable efforts to prevent out-of-home placement have been made. The assessment shall include the type of placement best equipped to meet those needs.
(3) (A) A description of the type of home or institution in which the minor is to be placed, and the reasons for that placement decision, including a discussion of the safety and appropriateness of the placement, including the recommendations of the child and family team, if available.
(B) An appropriate placement is a placement in the least restrictive, most family-like environment that promotes normal childhood experiences, in closest proximity to the minor’s home, that meets the minor’s best interests and special needs.
(d) The following shall apply:
(1) The agency selecting a placement shall consider, in order of priority:
(A) Placement with relatives, nonrelated extended family members, and tribal members.
(B) Foster family homes and certified homes or resource families of foster family agencies.
(C) Treatment and intensive treatment certified homes or resource families of foster family agencies, or multidimensional treatment foster homes or therapeutic foster care homes.
(D) Group care placements in the following order:
(i) Short-term residential therapeutic programs.
(ii) Group homes vendored by a regional center.
(iii) Community treatment facilities.
(iv) Out-of-state residential facilities as authorized by subdivision (b) of Section 727.1.
(2) Although the placement options shall be considered in the preferential order specified in paragraph (1), the placement of a child may be with any of these placement settings in order to ensure the selection of a safe placement setting that is in the child’s best interests and meets the child’s special needs.
(3) (A) A minor may be placed into a community care facility licensed as a short-term residential therapeutic program, as defined in subdivision (ad) of Section 11400, provided the case plan indicates that the placement is for the purposes of providing short-term, specialized, intensive, and trauma-informed treatment for the minor, the case plan specifies the need for, nature of, and anticipated duration of this treatment, and the case plan includes transitioning the minor to a less restrictive environment and the projected timeline by which the minor will be transitioned to a less restrictive environment.
(B) On and after October 1, 2021, within 30 days of the minor’s placement in a short-term residential therapeutic program, and, on and after July 1, 2022, within 30 days of the minor’s placement in a community treatment facility, the case plan shall document all of the following:
(i) The reasonable and good faith effort by the probation officer to identify and include all required individuals in the child and family team.
(ii) All contact information for members of the child and family team, as well as contact information for other relatives and nonrelative extended family members who are not part of the child and family team.
(iii) Evidence that meetings of the child and family team, including the meetings related to the determination required under Section 4096, are held at a time and place convenient for the family.
(iv) If reunification is the goal, evidence that the parent from whom the minor or nonminor dependent was removed provided input on the members of the child and family team.
(v) Evidence that the determination required under Section 4096 was conducted in conjunction with the child and family team.
(vi) The placement preferences of the minor or nonminor dependent and the child and family team relative to the determination and, if the placement preferences of the minor or nonminor dependent or the child and family team are not the placement setting recommended by the qualified individual conducting the determination, the reasons why the preferences of the team or minor or nonminor dependent were not recommended.
(C) Following the court review required pursuant to Section 727.12, the case plan shall document the court’s approval or disapproval of the placement.
(D) When the minor or nonminor dependent has been placed in a short-term residential therapeutic program or a community treatment facility for more than 12 consecutive months or 18 nonconsecutive months, or, in the case of a minor who has not attained 13 years of age, for more than six consecutive or nonconsecutive months, the case plan shall include both of the following:
(i) Documentation of the information submitted to the court pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 706.5.
(ii) Documentation that the chief probation officer of the county probation department, or their designee, has approved the continued placement of the minor or nonminor dependent in the setting.
(E) (i) On and after October 1, 2021, prior to discharge from a short-term residential therapeutic program, and, on and after July 1, 2022, prior to discharge from a community treatment facility, the case plan shall include a description of the type of in-home or institution-based services to encourage the safety, stability, and appropriateness of the next placement, including the recommendations of the child and family team, if available.
(ii) A plan, developed in collaboration with the short-term residential therapeutic program or community treatment facility, as applicable, for the provision of discharge planning and family-based aftercare support pursuant to Section 4096.6.
(e) Effective January 1, 2010, a case plan shall ensure the educational stability of the child while in foster care and shall include both of the following:
(1) Assurances that the placement takes into account the appropriateness of the current educational setting and the proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement.
(2) An assurance that the placement agency has coordinated with appropriate local educational agencies to ensure that the child remains in the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement, or, if remaining in that school is not in the best interests of the child, assurances by the placement agency and the local educational agency to provide immediate and appropriate enrollment in a new school and to provide all of the child’s educational records to the new school.
(f) Specific time-limited goals and related activities designed to enable the safe return of the minor to the minor’s home, or in the event that return to the minor’s home is not possible, activities designed to result in permanent placement or emancipation. Specific responsibility for carrying out the planned activities shall be assigned to one or more of the following:
(1) The probation department.
(2) The minor’s parent or parents or legal guardian or guardians, as applicable.
(3) The minor.
(4) The foster parents or licensed agency providing foster care.
(g) The projected date of completion of the case plan objectives and the date services will be terminated.
(h) (1) Scheduled visits between the minor and the minor’s family and an explanation if no visits are made.
(2) Whether the child has other siblings, and, if any siblings exist, all of the following:
(A) The nature of the relationship between the child and the child’s siblings.
(B) The appropriateness of developing or maintaining the sibling relationships pursuant to Section 16002.
(C) If the siblings are not placed together in the same home, why the siblings are not placed together and what efforts are being made to place the siblings together, or why those efforts are not appropriate.
(D) If the siblings are not placed together, all of the following:
(i) The frequency and nature of the visits between the siblings.
(ii) If there are visits between the siblings, whether the visits are supervised or unsupervised. If the visits are supervised, a discussion of the reasons why the visits are supervised, and what needs to be accomplished in order for the visits to be unsupervised.
(iii) If there are visits between the siblings, a description of the location and length of the visits.
(iv) Any plan to increase visitation between the siblings.
(E) The impact of the sibling relationships on the child’s placement and planning for legal permanence.
(F) The continuing need to suspend sibling interaction, if applicable, pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 16002.
(3) The factors the court may consider in making a determination regarding the nature of the child’s sibling relationships may include, but are not limited to, whether the siblings were raised together in the same home, whether the siblings have shared significant common experiences or have existing close and strong bonds, whether either sibling expresses a desire to visit or live with the child’s sibling, as applicable, and whether ongoing contact is in the child’s best emotional interests.
(i) (1) When placement is made in a resource family home, short-term residential therapeutic program, or other children’s residential facility that is either a substantial distance from the home of the minor’s parent or legal guardian or out of state, the case plan shall specify the reasons why the placement is the most appropriate and is in the best interest of the minor.
(2) When an out-of-state residential facility placement is recommended or made, the case plan shall comply with Section 727.1 of this code and Section 7911.1 of the Family Code. In addition, the case plan shall include documentation that the county placing agency has satisfied Section 16010.9. The case plan shall also address what in-state services or facilities were used or considered and why they were not recommended.
(j) If applicable, efforts to make it possible to place siblings together, unless it has been determined that placement together is not in the best interest of one or more siblings.
(k) A schedule of visits between the minor and the probation officer, including a monthly visitation schedule for those children placed in group short-term residential therapeutic programs or out-of-state residential facilities, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 7910 of the Family Code.
(l) Health and education information about the minor, school records, immunizations, known medical problems, and any known medications the minor may be taking, names and addresses of the minor’s health and educational providers; the minor’s grade level performance; assurances that the minor’s placement in foster care takes into account proximity to the school in which the minor was enrolled at the time of placement; and other relevant health and educational information.
(m) When out-of-home services are used and the goal is reunification, the case plan shall describe the services that were provided to prevent removal of the minor from the home, those services to be provided to assist in reunification and the services to be provided concurrently to achieve legal permanency if efforts to reunify fail.
(n) (1) The updated case plan prepared for a permanency planning hearing shall include a recommendation for a permanent plan for the minor. The identified permanent plan for a minor under 16 years of age shall be return home, adoption, legal guardianship, or placement with a fit and willing relative. The case plan shall identify any barriers to achieving legal permanence and the steps the agency will take to address those barriers.
(2) If, after considering reunification, adoptive placement, legal guardianship, or permanent placement with a fit and willing relative the probation officer recommends placement in a planned permanent living arrangement for a minor 16 years of age or older, the case plan shall include documentation of a compelling reason or reasons why termination of parental rights is not in the minor’s best interest. For purposes of this subdivision, a “compelling reason” shall have the same meaning as in subdivision (c) of Section 727.3. The case plan shall also identify the intensive and ongoing efforts to return the minor to the home of the parent, place the minor for adoption, establish a legal guardianship, or place the minor with a fit and willing relative, as appropriate. Efforts shall include the use of technology, including social media, to find biological family members of the minor.
(o) Each updated case plan shall include a description of the services that have been provided to the minor under the plan and an evaluation of the appropriateness and effectiveness of those services.
(p) A statement that the parent or legal guardian, and the minor have had an opportunity to participate in the development of the case plan, to review the case plan, to sign the case plan, and to receive a copy of the plan, or an explanation about why the parent, legal guardian, or minor was not able to participate or sign the case plan.
(q) For a minor in out-of-home care who is 16 years of age or older, a written description of the programs and services, which will help the minor prepare for the transition from foster care to successful adulthood.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 50, Sec. 25. (SB 187) Effective June 30, 2022.)