§ 16521.5

(a) A foster care provider, in consultation with the county case manager, shall be responsible for ensuring that adolescents, including nonminor dependents, as described in subdivision (v) of Section 11400, who remain in long-term foster care, as defined by the department, receive age-appropriate pregnancy prevention information to the extent state and county resources are provided.

(b) A foster care provider, in consultation with the county case manager, shall be responsible for ensuring that a foster youth or nonminor dependent is provided with appropriate referrals to health services when the foster youth either reaches 18 years of age or the nonminor dependent exits foster care, and to the extent county and state resources are provided.

(c) As part of the home study process, the prospective foster care provider shall notify the county if he or she objects to participating in adolescent pregnancy prevention training or the dissemination of information pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b). A licensed foster care provider shall notify the county if he or she objects to participation. If the provider objects, the county case manager shall assume this responsibility.

(d) Subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) shall not take effect until the department, in consultation with the workgroup, develops guidelines that describe the duties and responsibilities of foster care providers and county case managers in delivering pregnancy prevention services and information.

(e) (1) The department, in consultation with the State Department of Health Services, shall convene a working group for the purpose of developing a pregnancy prevention plan that will effectively address the needs of adolescent male and female foster youth. The workgroup shall meet not more than three times and thereafter shall provide consultation to the department upon request.

(2) The working group shall include representatives from the California Youth Connection, the Foster Parent’s Association, group home provider associations, the County Welfare Director’s Association, providers of teen pregnancy prevention programs, a foster care case worker, an expert in pregnancy prevention curricula, a representative of the Independent Living Program, and an adolescent health professional.

(f) The plan required pursuant to subdivision (e) shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) Effective strategies and programs for preteen and older teen foster youth and nonminor dependents.

(2) The role of foster care and group home care providers.

(3) The role of the assigned case management worker.

(4) How to involve foster youth and nonminor peers.

(5) Selecting and providing appropriate materials to educate foster youth and nonminors in family life education.

(6) The training of foster care and group home care providers and, when necessary, county case managers in adolescent pregnancy prevention.

(g) Counties currently mandating foster care provider training shall be encouraged to include the pregnancy prevention curricula guidelines and educational materials that may be developed by the workgroup pursuant to subdivision (f).

(h) In order to train case management workers and foster care providers, the department shall develop a curriculum that is consistent with, and in addition to, the pregnancy prevention plan and the curricula guidelines and educational materials developed by the workgroup pursuant to subdivisions (e) and (f).

(i) The curriculum created pursuant to subdivision (h) shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) The rights of youth and nonminor dependents in foster care to sexual and reproductive health care and information, to confidentiality of sensitive health information, and the reasonable and prudent parent standard.

(2) How to document sensitive health information, including, but not limited to, sexual and reproductive health issues, in a case plan.

(3) The duties and responsibilities of the assigned case management worker and the foster care provider in ensuring youth and nonminor dependents in foster care can obtain sexual and reproductive health services and information.

(4) Guidance about how to engage and talk with youth and nonminor dependents about healthy sexual development and reproductive and sexual health in a manner that is medically accurate, developmentally and age-appropriate, trauma-informed, and strengths-based.

(5) Information about current contraception methods and how to select and provide appropriate referral resources and materials for information and service delivery.

(j) The department shall adopt regulations to implement this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 24, Sec. 51. (SB 89) Effective June 27, 2017.)