Title IV-E prevention services may be provided to the following populations:
– Candidates for foster care, as described in section 475(13) of the federal Social Security Act and in the State Title IV-E Prevention Services Plan.
– Pregnant or parenting foster youth, including a child or nonminor dependent in foster care who is a parent, or expectant parent of an unborn child; and/or
– Their parents or kin caregivers.
For Title IV-E prevention services, section 475 of the federal Social Security Act defines “a child who is a candidate for foster care” as a child who is identified in a prevention plan as being at imminent risk of entering foster care but who can remain safely in the child’s home or home of a kinship caregiver as long as the necessary Title IV-E prevention services to prevent entry into care are provided.
California recognizes that while categories of children and families eligible for prevention services can be identified and referred to assess eligibility, “imminent risk” of foster care entry and candidacy can only be determined on a case-by-case basis, with thoughtful consideration for each child and family’s unique needs and circumstances, and with use of an unbiased process and/or tools to assess risk.