ICPC State Pages

California ICPC Processing and Data Collection:

California conducts the following types of home studies:

• Relative Care
• Foster Care
• Relative-Foster Care
• Parent Care
• Adoption
• Other

ICPC Placement Checklists

* Electronic Transmission Accepted and/or Used as: S = Sending; R = Receiving; L = Locally;

Date of Receipt - Home Study

California determines the "Date of Receipt" for an interstate home study as:

• Other

California designates staff in each county/region to conduct home studies and/or process interstate placements:

• Other: Yes, California county ICPC liaisons facilitate home studies for parent/relative/foster family home with county identified workers in the county child welfare services agency. Public agency adoption home studies are completed by county adoption agencies or the CDSS Adoption District Offices Private agency adoption home studies are completed by full service California licensed adoption agencies. Independent adoptions are completed by the counties of Alameda, Los Angeles, and San Diego and the CDSS Adoption District Offices.

Private Contract Services - Home Study

As the Sending State, California will pay a contractor or private/independent agency in the Receiving State to conduct a home study:

• Other: Services that local sending agency may deem necessary. Decision to do so is made by the local California sending agency.

Criminal Records Checks

California requires criminal background checks for the following home studies:

• Foster Care
• Relative Care
• Relative-Foster Care
• Adoption
• Other, specified below

California does not currently have a joint foster care and adoption assessment/home study process although under concurrent planning the placement agency assists licensed/approved caregivers that commit to wanting to adopt a child to complete the adoption home study process.
To a complete a parent home study for a child under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court a criminal background and child abuse registry check may be made.

Type of Checks (Crim. & Abuse Neglect Registry)

California requires the following types of criminal background and perpetrator checks (Federal (F), State (S), Local (L), Abuse and Neglect Registry (ANR), Not Required (NR))

Mailing Process - Interstate Home Study

Method of requesting, sending, and/or reporting an interstate home study:

Wait/Processing Times

Wait Time (ICPC Interstate Home Study) - Public

Average length of time to process and complete a home study with criminal background checks for an interstate placement (Not including completion of educational training):

• Other: 60 days - Complete home study requests are, on average, processed within 60 days. This process may take longer based on delays resulting from criminal background checks that indicate a criminal history which requires obtaining and reviewing police and court records to process an exemption request, obtaining additional information from prospective caregiver, exceptions and waivers, need for corrections to foster family homes and/or additional information from sending state.

Wait time to complete Home Study, only (without criminal records check):

• Other: A criminal records check is required to complete a home study.

Wait Time for Criminal Records Checks

Wait times for fingerprint results are:

Live Scan or other technology

• State: 48-72 hours
• Local/County: 48-72 hours

Manually - Fingerprint Card

• State: Not Offered
• Local/County: Not Offered

Wait Time - (License/ Certification/ Approval - Education and Training)

Average Length of time it takes for a home to be licensed/approved/certified:

• Other

  3-6 Months : Complete applications for licensure and/or approval that do not have complications are processed within three to six months.  This process may take longer based on delays resulting from criminal background checks, exceptions and waivers, and need for corrections to foster family homes.

Length of time a license is valid before renewal required:

• OtherThe approval of a Resource Family remains valid unless the family surrenders their approval or it is rescinded by the county. There are several times or reasons an update can be done, but it should occur at least once every 12 months. All counties are required to adhere to the Resource Family Approval Written Directives, which have the same force as regulations.

California offers classes (education and training) for placement resources' homes to become licensed/certified/approved:

• Availability varies by locality.

Wait Time for ICPC Decision

Data Collection

California collects, tracks and reports interstate data via:

• Other: Manually (By hand) and State System (SACWS or Other Computer System/Database)

California collects, tracks and reports interstate home studies via:

• Other: Manually (By hand) and State System (SACWS or Other Computer System/Database)