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 in 2017 as part of the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) which was authorized by Senate bill 1013 (Chapter 35, Statutes of 2013). California Department of Social Services (CDSS) provides legal consultation and legal representation services in administrative action appeals associated with the RFA program. Pursuant to Government Code section 30029.7, subdivision (a)(3), the County and CDSS may enter into an agreement for CDSS to provide services or activities related to RFA. The agreement contains a mutual indemnification clause.  
  
After negotiation with CDSS on this agreement in December 2020, a finalized agreement was received from CDSS on July 21, 2021.

The department will not have additional legal representation capacity to address RFA appeals.

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.