Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 11461.3

(a) The Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Option Program is hereby established for the purpose of making the amount paid to approved relative caregivers for the in-home care of children placed with them who are ineligible for AFDC-FC payments equal to the amount paid on behalf of children who are eligible for AFDC-FC payments. This is an optional program for counties choosing to participate, and in so doing, participating counties agree to the terms of this section as a condition of their participation. It is the intent of the Legislature that the funding described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) for the Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Option Program be appropriated, and available for use from January through December of each year, unless otherwise specified.

(b) Subject to subdivision (e), effective January 1, 2015, participating counties shall pay an approved relative caregiver a per child per month rate in return for the care and supervision, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 11460, of a child that is placed with the relative caregiver that is equal to the basic rate paid to foster care providers pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 11461, if both of the following conditions are met: (1) The county with payment responsibility has notified the department in writing by October 1 of the year before participation begins of its decision to participate in the Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Option Program. (2) The related child placed in the home meets all of the following requirements: (A) The child resides in California. (B) The child is described by subdivision (b), (c), or (e) of Section 11401 and the county welfare department or the county probation department is responsible for the placement and care of the child. (C) The child is not eligible for AFDC-FC while placed with the approved relative caregiver because the child is not eligible for federal financial participation in the AFDC-FC payment.

(c) Any income or benefits received by an eligible child or the approved relative caregiver on behalf of the eligible child that would be offset against the basic rate paid to a foster care provider pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 11461, shall be offset from any funds that are not CalWORKs funds paid to the approved relative caregiver pursuant to this section.

(d) Participating counties shall recoup an overpayment in the Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Option Program received by an approved relative caregiver using the standards and processes for overpayment recoupment that are applicable to overpayments to an approved home of a relative, as specified in Section 11466.24. Recouped overpayments shall not be subject to remittance to the federal government. Any overpaid funds that are collected by the participating counties shall be remitted to the state after subtracting both of the following: (1) An amount not to exceed the county share of the CalWORKs portion of the Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Option Program payment, if any. (2) Any other county funds that were included in the Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Option Program payment.

(i) To the extent permitted by federal law, payments received by the approved relative caregiver from the Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Option Program shall not be considered income for the purpose of determining other public benefits.

(j) Prior to referral of any individual or recipient, or that person’s case, to the local child support agency for child support services pursuant to Section 17415 of the Family Code, the county human services agency shall determine if an applicant or recipient has good cause for noncooperation, as set forth in Section 11477.04. If the applicant or recipient claims good cause exception at any subsequent time to the county human services agency or the local child support agency, the local child support agency shall suspend child support services until the county social services agency determines the good cause claim, as set forth in Section 11477.04. If good cause is determined to exist, the local child support agency shall suspend child support services until the applicant or recipient requests their resumption, and shall take other measures that are necessary to protect the applicant or recipient and the children. If the applicant or recipient is the parent of the child for whom aid is sought and the parent is found to have not cooperated without good cause as provided in Section 11477.04, the applicant’s or recipient’s family grant shall be reduced by 25 percent for the time the failure to cooperate lasts.

(k) Consistent with Section 17552 of the Family Code, if aid is paid under this chapter on behalf of a child who is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court and whose parent or guardian is receiving reunification services, the county human services agency shall determine, prior to referral of the case to the local child support agency for child support services, whether the referral is in the best interest of the child, taking into account both of the following: (1) Whether the payment of support by the parent will pose a barrier to the proposed reunification in that the payment of support will compromise the parent’s ability to meet the requirements of the parent’s reunification plan. (2) Whether the payment of support by the parent will pose a barrier to the proposed reunification in that the payment of support will compromise the parent’s current or future ability to meet the financial needs of the child.