This policy guide was updated from the 02/25/16 version to provide additional clarification regarding referral investigations and home visit requirements.

POLICY

More than 50 percent of monthly visits with a child placed in a group home or a licensed, certified, or approved foster home must take place in the child’s home or placement. The CSW must inform the child that they can request a visit outside the home or group home. If a child requests to have a visit outside the home, that visit will not replace the visit in the home. Face-to-face contacts with either the child and/or parent outside of the home should be the exception, rather than the rule.

Visits held outside the home or group home require that the contact and the next scheduled court report state:

The reason the visit was held outside the home and the location of the visit.

No more than two (2) consecutive visits held outside the child’s residence are allowed.

Children in Out-of-Home Care

During visits with children placed in group homes or foster homes, including the homes of relatives and extended family members, CSWs are required to have a private discussion with the child outside the presence and immediate vicinity of the parent/caretaker. The contents of these discussions are not to be shared with the caretaker unless:

The CSW believes the child may be in danger of harming him/herself or others.

The CSW believes disclosure is necessary in order to meet the needs of the child.

The child consents to the disclosure.

The fact that this private discussion took place must be documented in the Contact Notebook.

It is the CSWs responsibility to monitor that the home continues to be free from safety hazards and meets the basic safety needs of the child.

If there are new individuals in the home or someone new is having significant contact with the child, the CSW must inform the RFA CSW/SCSW and conduct a Live-Scan and CLETS on the individual(s). RFA CSW/SCSW information may be obtained through CWS/CMS.

Youth over the age of 14 must also have a Juvenile Automated Index (JAI) clearance if there is reason to believe (s)he has a criminal record.

If the results of these clearances indicate a crime other than a minor traffic violation and the conviction(s) cannot be exempted, he/she must leave the residence or the child should be removed from the home.

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Children Residing Out of State

California is a participant in the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) and therefore has reciprocal relationships with states and territories governing the protection and support of children placed across state lines.

The California sending agency must document in CWS/CMS all reported visits made to a California child by caseworkers in a receiving state. No visits are required by the California-based agency if all of the following apply:

The child is residing out-of-state under provisions of the ICPC.

The child is receiving services from the receiving state.

The CSW is documenting the receipt of written or verbal reports from the receiving state at least every six months.

The child is not placed in a group home, in which case visits must be made every month.

Children are not to be placed in an out-of-state group home prior to approval and certification by the CDSS Out-of-State Placement Policy (OSPP) Unit.

Agencies receiving out-of-state children for placement in California are responsible for complying with the visit and reporting requirements specified in the ICPC.

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Nonminor Dependents (NMD)

Monthly visitation and service requirements apply to NMDs placed both in- and out-of-state. Counties may request courtesy supervision through the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) for nonminor dependents who are attending college or residing in an appropriate out-of-state placement.

However, not all states will accept an ICPC request or provide services/supervision for children in foster care beyond age 18. All efforts must be made to make arrangement for the supervision of NMDs, even if it requires contracting with a private agency in another state. Visits must be face to face; video conferencing and Skyping are not considered acceptable methods for conducting monthly visits.

CSWs must contact the ICPC unit at (213) 765-2680 prior to placing a NMD out-of-state or recommending that a foster youth be placed out-of-state as a NMD in order to verify how the monthly contacts can be completed.

Because placement options for NMDs may involve roommates, CSWs must remain flexible in scheduling visits so as to respect the NMD’s privacy while still meeting the federal requirement of visitation in the place of residence.

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Purpose of Required Contacts

Contact with the Child -- Referral Investigations

The purpose of social worker contact with the child during a referral investigation is to determine the following:

If child abuse/neglect occurred

If the child’s immediate safety is a concern and, if it is, the interventions that will ensure the child’s protection while keeping the child within the family or with family members(e.g., kinship care or subsidized guardianship), if at all possible

If there is a risk of future maltreatment and the level of that risk

If continuing DCFS services are needed to address any effects of child abuse/neglect and to reduce the risk of future maltreatment

Contact with the Child -- Continuing Services

The purpose of social worker contact with the child is to assess the safety and well-being of the child and to achieve the following:

Verify the location of the child.

Monitor the child’s physical, emotional, social and educational development.

To the extent possible, engage and involve the child and caregiver in the development of the case plan.

Gather information about the child to identify needed services to be included in the case plan and monitor the effectiveness of those services in meeting the child’s needs.

Ensure the child is able to maintain a relationship with siblings, relatives, and adults who are important to the child.

Assist the child in preserving and maintaining a religious and ethnic identity.

Establish and maintain a helping relationship between social worker and child to provide continuity and a stability point for the child.

Solicit the child’s input on his/her future and discuss current and future placement plans and progress with the child.

Evaluate and assess the child’s educational needs and progress and the potential need for educational services such as an Individual Education Plan.

Monitor the health of the child.

Contact with the Parent/Legal Guardian

The purpose of the social worker contact with the parent/guardian is to:

Verify the location of the parent.

Assess the functioning of the parent/guardian as it pertains to meeting the child’s needs and the safe maintenance of the child in the home.

Gather information to assess the effectiveness of services provided to meet the needs of the parent, and to monitor the progress of the parent in meeting identified goals.

Establish and maintain a helping relationship between the social worker and the parent.

Counsel the parent as to the child’s current placement and case progress.

Contacts with the Out-of-Home Care Provider

The purpose of the social worker contact with the out-of-home care provider is to:

Monitor and assess the quality of care provided, the location and safety of the child, and the ability of the provider to meet the child’s needs.

Gather information to assess the effectiveness of services provided to meet the identified case plan goals for the child, and to maintain a case plan that is responsive to current and future needs.

Verify and synthesize data and information for court reports.

Establish and maintain a helping relationship between the social worker and the care provider.

Counsel the out-of-home care provider as to case progress.

Contact with Service Providers

CSWs are to have ongoing contact with any other professional working with the child, parents/guardians, and out-of-home care provider who can provide insight on the needs or progress of the family.

The purpose of this contact is to:

Provide continuous monitoring of risk level within the family
Collaborate towards the most effective and efficient identification and meeting of the child’s or parent’s needs.

Monitor the safety and well-being of the child.

Determine whether the parent is following through with commitments.

Document reasonable efforts to serve the family.

Collateral Contacts

CSWs are to make necessary collateral contacts with persons having knowledge of the condition of the children that will help in understanding the nature and extent of the alleged child abuse/neglect, and in the ongoing assessment of the risk to, and safety of, the child. Residents within the family home should be interviewed, (but are not to be solely considered as collaterals) in the disposition of a referral or to assess for safety as part of ongoing case management.

Examples of pertinent collateral contacts include:

Child aged 0-59 months	If applicable, at least one professional service provider (licensed day care provider or pediatrician)
School Age Child	Educational professionals
Referrals with open cases or history of open cases or referrals	Current or previous CSW(s)
Other examples	Neighbors, Teachers, Physicians, Therapists, Parole Officers, etc.

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Contact Requirements

Emergency Response

Contact With

Contact Requirement

Child

At least one (1) in-person contact with each child/youth is required, regardless of allegation conclusion, if the referral is going to be closed.*

If the referral remains open for longer than thirty (30) days from the initial contact, a minimum of one (1) additional in-person contact is required every thirty (30) days thereafter. More frequent contact may be necessary to ensure child safety and well-being. These visits should always include a private interview with the child.

If the referral will be promoted to a case, the following requirements apply:

A minimum of two (2) contacts (including the initial in-person response) with the child(ren)/youth are required when the case plan has been completed within the first 21 calendar days of the initial in-person contact with the child/youth.

A minimum of three (3) face-to-face contacts (including the initial in-person response) are required when the case plan is completed between 22 and 29 calendar days from the date of the initial in-person contact with the child/youth.

Parent/ Guardian/

Caregiver

At least one (1) face-to-face contact is required in the first thirty (30) days.*

If the referral remains open for longer than thirty (30) days from the initial contact, a minimum of one (1) additional in-person contact is required every thirty (30) days thereafter. More frequent contact may be necessary to ensure child safety and well-being. These visits should always include a private interview with the child.

* Child abuse investigations must be completed within thirty (30) calendar days of the initial face-to-face contact.

When a referral is going to be closed after only one (1) in-person contact, the CSW and SCSW must have a case conference within three (3) business days to discuss the investigative work plan and next steps. SCSWs must document the details of the case conference, work plan, and rationale for closure with one (1) visit in the CWS/CMS Contact Notebook (i.e., select "Consult with Staff Person" as the Contact Purpose, select "Staff Person/Staff Person" as the Contact Party Type, click the + sign to add Participants and change the Select Participants/Participant Type drop-down menu to "Staff Persons," and select the specific staff members involved).

If any barriers to timely closure of a referral arise during the investigation, they should be immediately discussed with the SCSW and documented by the Supervising Children's Social Worker (SCSW) in CWS/CMS.

If a referral has not been closed within the required thirty (30) day period, additional follow-up actions (including, but not limited to, additional contacts, interviews, phone calls, documentation gathering to justify the disposition, etc.) should be discussed in a case conference with a SCSW. (This case conference must be docmented in CWS/CMSby the SCSW.) Since not all referrals will require the same investigative steps, in light of the flexibility allowed by the Individualized Investigation Narrative, CSWs and SCSWs should use sound social work practice and critical thinking skills in determining any remaining actions needed to conclude the investigative process. A work plan should be updated a minimum of every thirty (30) days, or more if the initial work plan requires modifications.

Contact requirements are the minimum and visits should be completed as frequently as necessary to ensure the parent, child and caregiver's safety and well-being.

Attempted Contacts on Referrals

Prior to closing a referral where attempts to locate the family have been unsuccessful, CSWs must clearly document that all reasonable efforts have been made to locate the family. All viable leads must be followed-up on and attempts to locate the family should be made as indicated below at different times of the day and night.

Referral Response Time	Second Attempt	Additional Attempts
Immediate*	Within twenty four (24)** hours of the first attempt	Until face-to-face contact is made or until all possible resources have been exhausted.
Five (5) Day*	Within three (3) business days of the first attempt	At least once a week until face-to-face contact is made or until all possible resources have been exhausted.

*If a reliable source states that the child will not be available for a period of time (e.g., child is on vacation) an attempt to see the child must be made within one (1) business day following the child’s anticipated return.

**When additional attempts cannot be made because the following day is a weekend or holiday, the SCSW must obtain approval from the ARA to forward the referral to ERCP or obtain approval to “downgrade” the next attempt to the next business day.

Court Family Maintenance

Contact With	Time Frame	Contact Requirement
Child	First 3 Months	At least two (2)face-to-face contacts every 30 days
Child	After first 3 months	At least one (1) face-to-face contact a month
Parent/ Guardian	First 3 Months	At least two (2) face-to-face contacts a month
Parent/ Guardian	After first 3 months	One (1) face-to-face contact each month

Exceptions:

Following the initial three (3) months, contacts with Parent/Guardian can occur once every two (2) months if all of the following apply:

Parent/Guardian has no severe physical or emotional problems that affect his/her ability to parent the child

Parent/Guardian is visited at least once a week by a non-departmental social worker or public health nurse and has agreed in writing to provide the CSW with reports

The CSW ensures that all verbal or written reports are received and filed in the case record and documented in CWS/CMS

Written supervisory approval has been obtained

Only one face-to-face contact is required up to every six (6) months in either of the following cases:

Case is court-supervised and the visitation plan has been approved by the court on the case plan form or the court report form

Case is voluntary and visitation plan has been approved by the ARA, RA and Bureau Chief on the Case Plan.

For Voluntary Family Maintenance contact requirements, please refer to the Court Family Maintenance and Voluntary Family Maintenance.

Family Reunification/Permanent Placement

While monthly face-to-face contact with parents may not be necessary if Family Reunification is terminated, contact with parents should continue to meet the current circumstances of the case (e.g., regular visitation, plan for contact in permanency, helping the child reach their permanency goal, etc.).

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Manual of Policies and Procedures allows visitation exceptions for children in out-of-home care. However, to ensure the safety of children, the Department has decided not to utilize and approve face-to-face exceptions for children receiving FR or PP services.

Contact with	Contact Requirement
Child or NonminorDependent (NMD) residing in out-of-home placement with relative, foster family or legal guardian.	At least one face-to-face contact each calendar month.
Nonminor Dependent (NMD) residing in a Supervised Independent Living Placement (SILP).	At least one face-to-face contact each calendar month.
Child or NMD residing in group home or Community Treatment Center.	At least one face-to-face contact each month with at least a two-week time frame between visits.
Child or NMD residing out-of-state.	Visitation requirements same as for in-state placements; however, ICPC may be utilized. Contacts by receiving agency to be documented in CWS/CMS.
Child residing in home of non-dependency legal guardian.	If child is receiving permanent placement services, is in placement with a legal guardian and dependency has been dismissed, or the child has never been a dependent, one face-to-face contact every 6 months is required. Cases may only need a private face-to-face visit every six (6) months, but may require a work plan to identify more frequent contact if the child has special or unique needs or the circumstances of the case change. The work plan must be documented in the CWS/CMS Contact Notebook. These visits should always include a private interview with the child and caregiver, regardless of when the case has been without jurisdiction. This visitation schedule is to be reflected in the case plan. A minimum of one (1) monthly telephone contact is required.
Child or NMD whose whereabouts are unknown.	No visits required if ALL of the following apply: Child has an approved case plan and is a dependent of the court. Court has been informed of the child’s absence. CSWs continue to document all efforts to locate the child and it is confirmed and documented in the case record every thirty (30) days that the child’s whereabouts remain unknown. The Contact Visitation Waivers field on the Case Management Services Page shows that the child’s whereabouts are unknown.
Parent/Legal Guardian	One (1) face-to-face contact every calendar month, including with incarcerated parent who is part of the case plan. Additionally, contact is to be maintained with the correctional counselor.
Parent/Legal Guardian who is unavailable for monthly visits.	CSW must complete the DCFS 670, an individually drafted letter or telephone the parent or guardian at least once a month.
Parent/Legal Guardian whose whereabouts are unknown.	No visits required if due diligence report is filed with the court.
Parent/Legal Guardian not part of the case plan.	No visits required.
Out-of-Home Caregiver	At least once every six (6) months with written or telephone contact at least once a month.

Exceptions:

Monthly written or telephone contacts with the parent/guardian are sufficient in lieu of face-to-face contacts if all of the following apply:

The case plan contains documentation justifying less frequent visits.

The parent/guardian is visited once a month according to the case plan by:

Another staff member of the county.

A staff member from another services agency.

A physician or other health professional.

Written reports from these services are documented in CWS/CMS.

Written supervisory approval has been obtained.

For court-supervised or voluntary cases, visitation with the parent/legal guardian can occur once every six months if the visitation schedule has been approved on the case plan or court report form by the court or by the ARA, RA and Bureau Chief.

Case Transfers

Face-to Face Contact With	Time Frame	Purpose of Contact
Parent/Caregiver	Maximum of 15 calendar days prior to electronic transfer of a case.	To verify the assigning address.
Child/NMD	Within 15 calendar days prior to electronic transfer of a case.	To assess safety and risk level of the child.

Family

10 calendar days from electronic assignment of a transferred case.

New CSW to introduce self to family and provide services.

Child Care Facility

Complete a face-to-face contact with the child at the child care site within thirty (30) days of learning of the child care arrangement and once every six (6) months thereafter as one of the monthly contact requirements.

DCFS-supervised children (court and non-court) cannot remain in an unlicensed, non-license exempt child care facility. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Community Care Licensing (CCL) licenses child care facilities. If a CSW discovers a child under DCFS supervision is receiving regular child care (more than four (4) hours one day per week), a determination must be made that the child care provider has been licensed or is license-exempt. Health and Safety Code Section 1596.792 lists all license-exempt facilities.

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Documenting Contacts

All contacts, including attempted contacts (i.e., face-to-face, telephone, letter, e-mail, etc.) must be documented in CWS/CMS within three (3) business days of the date the contact took place (this includes the date of the contact). Document all observations, not opinions. In situations where a child’s health or safety is a concern the contact should be entered into CWS/CMS immediately.

The standards for documenting contacts provide CSWs with a framework for documenting observations, activities, actions taken, etc. to ensure child safety, reasonable efforts, timely permanency, and compliance with California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Manual of Policies and Procedures (MPP) Division 31 Sections 31-320 through 31-335. The standards are also designed to support CSWs with court reports and provide other DCFS staff with a clear picture of the case so that they can provide appropriate services. Standards are also helpful to Managers and SCSW’s as they ensure that CSWs have:

Taken all necessary steps to gather information during an investigation

Recorded the findings of their investigation

Evaluated and assessed the safety of the child and his or her environmental, physical, emotional, medical, and educational well-being on an ongoing basis.

The standards set forth in this guide are not meant to limit the level of documentation necessary to verify that the safety and/or quality of life of a child has been adequately assessed.

Family Engagement Efforts

In order to meet the Federal requirement of capturing data for Family Engagement Efforts (FEE), the State has issued a list of family engagement activities which should be captured in CWS/CMS as a Contact, under Associated Services. The list of FEE and activity definitions is available in ACIN 67-09.

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PROCEDURE

A Family is Not Seen at the Initial Contact on a Referral

ER CSW Responsibilities

Leave a written message and a business card at the location for the client to contact you.

Make additional attempts as required by policy. Document all attempts made to see the family, as required by policy. If attempts were not made, document the reason why.

Complete a search on the following databases to verify the address or to obtain other possible addresses of the family:

CWS/CMS-check for other addresses listed and names and phone numbers of other potential collateral contacts that may know the family’s current whereabouts.

CalSAWS

WCMIS

FCI-contact the Department(s) listed to obtain any information to ascertain the family’s current whereabouts.

Contact the following individuals if known or any other individual that may assist in locating the family:

Reporting Party

Current or Previous CSW

Family Members/Known Friends

Child’s School

Collateral Contacts listed on the referral

Neighbors

Apartment Manager/Landlord

Probation Officers

Contact/search additional community resources, such as:

Phone directories

Post Office

Law enforcement

Send a registered letter (e.g. DCFS 670) to the parents at their last known address.

Document all efforts made to locate the family in the Contact Notebook, including but not limited to the following:

Attempted face-to-face contacts

Telephone calls

Letters mailed to the family or other individuals

If new information is obtained regarding the whereabouts of the family, follow-up on all leads and document all actions completed.

If the family is not located, consult with the SCSW to discuss any further appropriate actions.

Close the referral as inconclusive when all reasonable efforts have been unsuccessful to contact the family.

ER SCSW Responsibilities

Review the referral to ensure that the above steps were completed. Close the referral if appropriate, if not, return to CSW for follow-up action.

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Obtaining a Parent/Guardian Contact Exception

CSW Responsibilities

After determining that a case meets the requirements for a modified visitation schedule, make a face-to-face contact with the parent/guardian to explain the waiver process.

Obtain hard-copy documentation of all contacts with the parent/guardian over the past six months from CWS/CMS.

Obtain the last status review court report and the last minute order report.

Submit the above to the SCSW, along with the DCFS 110.

Notify the parent/guardian of whether the visitation waiver is approved and if applicable, inform him/her of the new visitation frequency. Document this contact in the Contact Notebook.

If the visitation waiver was approved, update the case plan with the current requirements for face-to-face contacts.

SCSW Responsibilities

Evaluate the appropriateness of modified face-to-face contacts using the following to determine case suitability:

CWS/CMS Medical Profile

Case Contacts

Case Plan

Verify that the case is in compliance with state contact exception requirements.

Sign the last page of the DCFS 110.

If the contact exception is approved, return the case to the CSW with a reminder to update the case plan.

If the contact exception is denied, conduct a case review conference with the requesting CSW.

Document all cases with approved contact exceptions, as well as all cases for which approval is denied.

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A DCFS Supervised Child is Receiving Child Care from an Unlicensed Provider

CSW Responsibilities

As soon as possible, but no later than one business day after learning of the child care arrangement, report the situation to Community Care Licensing at (310) 337-4333.

Inform the parent/foster parent that the child cannot remain in the child care setting unless the provider applies for and receives a license.

Within fifteen (15) calendar days of learning of the child care situation, make a face-to-face contact with the child in the unlicensed child care facility to ensure (s)he is receiving adequate care.

Inform the child care provider that (s)he must apply for a license within fifteen (15) calendar days of the Community Care Licensing worker’s visit or the child cannot remain in his/her care.

Inform the parent/foster parent and child care provider that the child may remain in the facility for the fifteen (15) calendar days that the provider has to apply for a license.

If it is determined that the child is not safe in the child care facility, remove the child from the facility and contact the parent/foster parent to pick- up the child.

Notify the parent/foster parent that they must seek an alternative child care arrangement.

In the event there are other children in the child care setting immediately contact law enforcement to inform them of the endangering situation.

Within one business day contact Community Care Licensing and inform them of the situation.

In the event that the biological/adoptive children of the child care provider are the victims or at risk of abuse and/or neglect contact the Child Protection Hotline and make a referral regarding the child(ren).

Verify with Community Care Licensing that the child care provider has applied within the fifteen (15) day time frame.

If the provider fails to apply for a license within the time frame required or the application is denied, assist the parent/foster parent in obtaining alternate child care.

If eligible, refer the family to DCFS Subsidized Child Care by completing the DCFS 324.

Document all contacts in the Contact Notebook.

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Documenting Contacts

CSW Responsibilities

Complete all state mandatory fields (yellow) in CWS/CMS. Refer to: CWS/CMS Guide -- Creating a Contact for instruction.

Since all mandatory CWS/CMS fields may not be yellow, CSWs and SCSWs should use sound social work practice and critical thinking skills in determining necessary documentation in the investigative process.

Complete the Narrative Section of the Contact Page. The content of the Narrative will vary depending on the type of services being provided to the family: Emergency Response, Family Reunification, Family Maintenance or Permanent Placement. Below are baseline standards that must be documented in the Narrative Section:

Document the purpose of the contact. For example:

“To investigate allegations of child abuse…”

“Contacted by Dr. David Jones by telephone where he reported that…”

All contacts or attempted contacts including the person’s name and relationship to the child or family.

When referring to an individual or entering an individual’s statement, use their name. In the case of a reporting party or collateral contact, use the individuals name and their relationship to the family.

“Mary stated that…” rather than “the child stated that...”

“David Joes, the family therapist stated that…”

If the child is non-verbal and/or too young to make a statement, enter the child’s name followed by “The child is non-verbal” or “The child is too young to make a statement.” Descriptions of the child’s behavior, interactions with others and affect in relationship to their developmental or chronological age are the appropriate substitutes for a verbal statement.

Document if the visit occurred outside the residence. Explain the reason the visit occurred outside the residence and document the location of the visit (if applicable).

Document whether or not a private conversation took place with the child (if applicable).

If you entered the home:

Describe the home environment including the status of all individuals in the home and the appearance of the home.

Document how consent to enter the home was given in the Contact Notebook. Include whether any other people were present at the time that consent was given.

Describe and detail any prior child welfare history with the family including any child welfare history a parent had as a child (if applicable).

Document any health issues, mental health issues, substance abuse issues, etc. of all family members (if applicable).

Document your assessment of the allegations (if applicable).

Document services, referrals, or interventions offered to the parent, caregiver, or child (if applicable).

If the information needs to be edited or additional information needs to be entered after completing and saving a contact, enter the date of the update at the bottom of the narrative section and add the supplemental information. The original language of the contact must not be altered or modified.

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APPROVALS

SCSW Approval

DCFS 110, Application for Waiver of Face-to-Face Contact

Closing a referral as inconclusive when a family is not located

ARA Approval

Forwarding a referral to ERCP when contact has not been made with the family and the next day is a holiday or the weekend.

“Downgrading” the next required face-to-face attempt on a referral to the next business day.

HELPFUL LINKS

Attachments

CWS/CMS Guide - Creating a Contact

Forms

LA Kids

DCFS 110, Application for Waiver of Face-to-Face Contact

DCFS 324, Protective Services Subsidized Child Care Referral

DCFS 670, Parent Contact Letter

DCFS Investigation Narrative Template

Referenced Policy Guides

0070-548.10, Disposition of Allegations and Closure of Emergency Response Referrals

0070-559.10, Clearances

0070-548.24, Structured Decision Making (SDM)

0080-506.10, Identifying and Arranging Appropriate Services for Children and Families

0100-520.11, Home Approvals Not Meeting Title 22 Approval Standards

0100-520.70, Exemptions for Criminal History Records

0100-525.10, Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)

1000-504.10, Case Transfer Criteria and Procedures

Statutes

Health and Safety Code (HSC) Section 1596.792 – Provides a list of license-exempt facilities.

HSC Section 1536.1 – Defines a placement agency and states when a placement agency must report concerns to Community Care Licensing and the responsibilities of CCL to investigate.

Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Sections 16516.5 &16516.6 – Requires that foster children placed in group homes or any licensed, certified or approved foster home be visited regularly by a social worker or probation officer, away from the immediate vicinity of the caregiver(s), and that the contents of the discussion be kept in confidence by the social worker or probation officer, except under certain circumstances such as the child’s consent or the believe that the child may be in danger of harming oneself or others. Prohibits more than 2 consecutive monthly visits from being held outside the residence, if the visits does not occur in the place of residence, requires the social worker or probation officer to document in the case file and in the court report the location of the visit and the reason for the visit occurring outside the place of residence. The social worker or probation officer is required to advise the foster child that he or she has the right to request that the private discussion occur outside the group home or foster home.

California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Manual of Policies and Procedures (MPP) Division 31-002 – “Contact” means contact in person, in writing, or by telephone by a social worker or other person authorized by the Division 31 regulations to make case contacts with the child, parent(s)/guardian(s), out-of-home care providers, and/or other persons involved in the case plan.

CDSS MPP Division 31-125 – States requirements for making an in person child abuse investigation.

CDSS MPP Division 31-320 – States requirements for frequency, purpose and criteria for Social Worker/Probation Officer contacts with the child.

CDSS MPP Division 31-325 – States requirements for frequency, purpose and criteria for Social Workers Contacts with the Parent/Guardian.

CDSS MPP Division 31-330 – States requirements for frequency, purpose and criteria for Social Workers Contacts with the Out-of-Home Care Provider.

CDSS MPP Division 31-335 – States requirements for frequency, purpose and criteria for Social Workers Contacts with the Other Services Providers.

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