Resource Family Approval (RFA) Program is a new unified, family-friendly and child-centered caregiver approval process created to replace multiple processes for licensing foster homes, approving relatives and non-relative extended family members as foster care providers, and approving adoptive families. It is a streamlined set of standards for resource family approvals which allow for the safety, permanence, and well-being of the children who have been victims of child abuse and neglect and decreases the length of time for each child to obtain permanency, RFA was created as part of the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) which was authorized by Senate bill 1013 (Chapter 35, Statues of 2013). California Department of Social Services (CDSS) will provide legal consultation and psychosocial assessment support as related to the RFA Program which are necessary in order to expedite the delivery of services to children and non-minor dependents who reside or may reside in an approved resource family home.

Employment and Human Services would be unable to complete requirements for all current foster parents, relatives and non-relative extended family members to meet RFA standards by the state mandated date of December 31, 2019.

This contract supports all five of the community outcomes established in the Children's Report Card: 1) "Children Ready for and Succeeding in School"; 2) "Children and Youth Healthy and Preparing for Productive Adulthood"; 3) "Families that are Economically Self Sufficient"; 4) "Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing"; and, 5) "Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families" by providing a streamline process in expediting service delivery to children and non-minor dependents.