SACRAMENTO : State Sued on Foster Child Payment Rules

A lawsuit seeking to overturn a state policy that denies foster care payments to children placed in homes with relatives was filed in federal court by the city-county of San Francisco and the National Center for Youth Law. Deukmejian Administration officials estimate foster care support would cost an additional $50 million for 11,000 children who fall within this category. Meanwhile, the Senate Health Committee approved and sent to the Appropriations Committee a bill by Assemblyman Rusty Areias (D-Los Banos) to accomplish the same goal. Gov. George Deukmejian has vetoed such legislation in the past, but the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals last fall ruled in an Oregon case that denying foster care funding to children who live with close relatives was unconstitutional. “If we don’t do it in the Legislature, the courts are going to make us do it,” said Sen. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles), who chairs the Health Committee.