Juveniles: incarcerated parent: visitation.

Assembly Member Quirk-Silva's juvenile welfare legislation establishes new requirements for maintaining contact between incarcerated parents and their children in foster care. The bill mandates that county jails facilitate regular in-person visits between parents and dependent children unless such visits would be detrimental to the child's well-being or logistically unfeasible.

When in-person visits cannot occur, the legislation requires jails to enable video conferencing or phone communication. Children aged 12 and older may opt for remote visits, while younger children need caregiver consent to do so. Child welfare agencies must coordinate with jails to maintain visitation schedules and document all visits, cancellations, and delays for court review. The bill also allows licensed community organizations to facilitate these visits.

The measure includes provisions for sibling visitation and expanded definitions of family relationships. Courts must order sibling visits unless clear evidence shows they would harm either child's safety or well-being. The bill defines siblings as those related by blood, adoption, or through a common legal or biological parent. For teen parents with custody whose children are not court dependents, the legislation requires visitation with the child's noncustodial parent and family members unless deemed detrimental.

Local agencies will receive state reimbursement for increased costs associated with these new mandates, provided annual funding is allocated. However, any additional programs or higher service levels beyond provided funding will not require state subvention. The Commission on State Mandates will determine if other costs qualify for reimbursement under existing statutory procedures.