Public social services: foster care benefits.

Assembly Member Ahrens proposes new requirements for California counties administering foster care benefits, establishing strict timelines for benefit determinations and expanding eligibility review procedures. The legislation requires counties to determine foster care benefit amounts within 30 days of a juvenile court's initial detention order and conduct reviews both annually and whenever new information indicates potential changes in eligibility or benefit levels.

Under the proposed changes, counties must ensure continuous benefits when recipients transition between different foster care programs. The bill mandates that benefits continue at existing levels during administrative transitions and requires counties to provide detailed notices to caregivers or nonminor dependents explaining program changes, new benefit structures, and appeal rights. When reviews determine complete ineligibility for benefits, counties must document which programs were assessed and specify reasons for ineligibility.

The legislation encompasses benefits under multiple programs, including state and federal Kinship Guardianship Assistance, Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care, the Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Program, and the Adoption Assistance Program. While imposing new administrative duties on counties, the bill stipulates that state reimbursement for increased local costs applies only when annual funding is provided through the state budget process.