Residentially Based Services (RBS) Reform Project

Assembly Bill (AB) 1453 (Soto; Statutes of 2007) authorized a five-year pilot demonstration project to transform the State's current system of long-term congregate group home care into a system of Residentially Based Services (RBS) programs. These RBS programs seek to reduce the length of time in group care and improve permanency outcomes for youth by combining short-term residential stabilization and treatment with follow-along community-based services to reconnect youth to their families and communities.

In order to achieve these goals, high-cost, intensive services would need to be provided to the youth and his/her family during the early months of placement in RBS. While this would result in higher up-front costs, it would produce off-setting savings as lengths of stay in foster care would be reduced. The law requires RBS to be cost neutral with respect to the State General Fund for payments under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care (AFDC-FC) program.

CDSS convened a stakeholder workgroup to develop a plan for statewide implementation of RBS. To inform this work, CDSS was authorized to approve voluntary agreements between counties and providers in order to test alternative RBS program designs and funding models, and to waive State regulations as necessary.

• RBS Numbered Letters
  In order to provide information and instructions related to the RBS Reform Project, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) issued RBS letters to participating counties in 2010.