Temporary Shelter Care Facilities
The Temporary Shelter Care Facility (TSCF) Interim Licensing Standards (ILS) Version 2, replaced the Temporary Shelter Care Facility Interim Licensing Standards Version 1 (06/01/2017) effective January 8, 2026.
Pursuant to AB 403, AB 1997, and AB 404, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), in partnership with the county child welfare agencies and probation departments, were to implement the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR). One of the CCR provisions was the establishment of a TSCF licensed by the Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD). Formerly known as “children’s shelters”, a TSCF is “any residential facility” that 1) “is owned and operated by the county or on behalf of a county by a private, nonprofit agency” and 2) “is a 24-hour facility that provides no more than 10 calendar days of residential care and supervision for children who have been removed from their homes as a result of abuse or neglect, as defined in Section 300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC), and Health Safety Code (HSC), Section 1530.8, subdivision(c). A Transitional Shelter Care Facility (TrSCF) is also under the purview of this ILS, and is defined as a “24 hour facility that provides no more than 24-72 hours of residential care and supervision”, unless otherwise defined by its licensure type.
The CCR further led to the optional establishment of a Transitional Shelter Care Facility (TrSCF) as short-term, emergency placement setting overseen by the CDSS and CCLD that has a licensure type where the maximum duration of stay allowed is 72-hours, with exceptions documented and licensed by Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD). Similar to TSCFs, TrSCFs are utilized as a placement of last resort, when no other appropriate placement is available. The use of both facilities is restricted to minimize trauma and instability for children in foster care.
Version 2 of the TSCF ILS is applicable to both a TSCF and TrSCF (PIN 26-01 CRP).
The reporting requirements, as well as the Laws and Regulations for operating a TSCF or a TrSCF can be found on the Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) website.
Reports