I need to file a complaint against a state agency. Statewide. The California Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson is dedicated to serving foster youth in California by investigating and resolving complaints about foster youth rights, care, placement, and services. We provide trainings on the services provided by our office, the Foster Youth Bill of Rights, and the reasonable and prudent parent standards. Contact the social workers supervisor and the program manager. If your complaint pertains to special education, please contact: If your complaint pertains to Federal or State civil rights violations, please contact: If your complaint pertains to categorical programs that are mandated by statute, such as No Child Left Behind or Limited English Proficiency, please contact: Other types of complaints against a school, district, principal, teacher, or school personnel may not be within the jurisdiction of the California Department of Education or any other state agency, and should be addressed at the local level. Under Government Code section 12519, the Attorney General's Office has statutory authority to prepare an opinion only for designated public officials on questions of law relating to their respective offices. Do you need help navigating the Medi-Cal system? If a youth calls to file a complaint, we will process it within. Find out how a physician can enroll you in Medi-Cal, how to receive free health screenings, and family planning services. Your correspondence must include specific information about misconduct that violates state law, the details of your efforts to resolve the complaint with the local authorities, copies of your complaint(s) to the local authorities and copies of their response(s). You may wish to share your concerns with your representatives in the California Legislature. You should first direct your complaint to the local law enforcement agency. The California Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson is dedicated to serving foster youth in California by investigating and resolving complaints about foster youth rights, care, placement, and services. For a referral, visit. We suggest that you send a written request for assistance to your representatives in the U.S. Senate. (Government Code section 54959.) (Government Code section 54960.5. Do you have complaints about your family law case? Who should I contact? The Attorney General's Office is unable to assist you, because we are required by law to provide legal representation to state agencies in disputes rising out of their actions. Do you need a, Are you a current or former foster youth? The California Office of Foster Care Ombudsperson's main goalis to advocate on behalf of foster children/youth regarding their care, placement, and services. If you cannot afford a private attorney, you may consider contacting your local legal aid office. Housing. Law Enforcement Complaint Form. WebThe Office of Foster Care Ombudsman, within the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), handles complaints against county Child Welfare Services (CWS) programs. Ombudsman is a Swedish word that means "representative" or "agent." The Office of Foster Care Ombudsman, within the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), handles complaints against county Child Welfare Services (CWS) programs. For assistance in resolving a problem with a state agency, we suggest that you contact the director of the agency, your representatives in the. You may contact this agency as follows: The state agency with authority to investigate complaints of discrimination in the areas of public accommodation, employment, housing, and hate violence is the Department of Fair Employment and Housing. birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees)? 510-834-4766 East Bay Respite Program Direct Line. File a complaint with your countys Civil Rights Coordinator. If this happens, we will discuss this with you. An ombudsperson (also called ombudsman) is an impartial, independent person with the authority and responsibility to receive, investigate, and/or informally address and resolve complaints about government actions, and when appropriate, make systemic recommendations based on findings. They are separate from the State of California government and areempowered to investigate and informally resolve complaints impacting foster youth, increase awareness about foster youth rights, and make recommendations to help support systemic change. You can contact us at the California Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson (OFCO)! You may obtain a referral to a certified lawyer referral service by contacting the State Bar at (866)442-2529 (toll-free in California) or (415)538-2250 (from outside California), or via their website at: My employer is discriminating against me. Court records are kept in the court clerk's office. The decision whether or not to file charges calls for consideration of the prospects of obtaining a conviction against a particular defendant. FosterClub is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization: National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council. The Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson shall be established as an autonomous entity within the department for the purpose of providing children who are placed in foster care, either voluntarily or pursuant Polinsky Children's Center You have the right to: You have health rights. Our office does not handle constituent complaints against federal government agencies. 510-834-2443 Main Phone. Our office was created to serve foster youth.Foster youthcalls are our first priority.Anyone who is concerned aboutthe care, placement, services or rights ofa child or youth in foster care cancontact our office. WebRetired Judge, Superior Court of California, Santa Clara County 16 Janay Eustace Deputy Director, California Youth Connection; Former Foster Youth 17 Larry Fluharty Ombudsman, Foster Care 18 Bob Friend Director, National Institute for Permanent Family Connectedness 19 Leticia Galyean Chief Executive Officer, Seneca Family of Agencies 20 There is a proverb that says, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.. As a young person in foster care, you have: The right to be treated with respect. To file a complaint, follow the link to a list ofoptions(linked) that will take you to the proper complaint form or information on who to contact. If you have information that an employer is committing tax evasion, please contact the appropriate state and/or federal tax enforcement agencies. 8-13-25 Sacramento, CA 95814 1-(877) 846-1602 fosteryouthhelp@dss.ca.gov. Consumer Protection and Economic Opportunity, California Justice Information Services (CJIS), http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes.xhtml, http://uscode.house.gov/search/criteria.shtml, http://www.publiclawlibrary.org/law-libraries/, http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/casework, https://www.senate.gov/senators/117thCongress/padilla-alex.htm, Summary of the California Public Records Act, The Brown Act, Open Meetings for Local Legislative Bodies, California District Attorneys Association, http://vcgcb.ca.gov/victims/localhelp.aspx, http://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-advisors.htm, https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Vital-Records.aspx, http://www.sos.ca.gov/notary/authentication/, https://travel.state.gov/content/childabduction/en.html, http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-discipline/public.html, Court Order Delayed Certificate of marriage, California Family Code Sections 2090-2093, http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/complaint-process/, http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/DistrictOffices.htm, http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/DistrictOffices.htm, https://www.ftb.ca.gov/online/Fraud_Referral/index.shtml, http://www.edd.ca.gov/payroll_taxes/Underground_Economy_Operations.htm, http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/How-Do-You-Report-Suspected-Tax-Fraud-Activity%3F, Signature of person in need of assistance (required by Federal law under the Privacy Act), Telephone: (213) 765-1000 (outside of CA) or (800) 843-9053 (toll free), Telephone: (800) 992-4647 (within California) or (916) 323-2827 (outside California), Telephone: (888) 407-4747 (toll free) or 202-501-4444, California Department of Child Support Services, Telephone: (916) 464-5050 or (866) 249-0773 (toll free), School and District Accountability Division, Department of Fair Employment and Housing, California Department of Industrial Relations, Discrimination Complaint Investigations Unit. Who should I contact? For complaints against city employees or agencies, address your complaint to the head of the city agency, the city attorney's office, the mayor's office, and your representative on the city council. Owners or heirs may claim their property directly from the state Controller's Office without any service charges or fees. We provide former foster youth in California with Dependency Letters (also called Verification Letters or Ward of the Court Letters). To qualify as a potential foster parent you must:Attend an orientation.Complete FREE foster parent educational resource hours.Have a child abuse and fingerprint-based, criminal background check.Participate in a home inspection.Participate in a home study to review your readiness for fostering in your home. WebThe California Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson is dedicated to serving foster youth in California by investigating and resolving complaints about foster youth rights, care, placement, and services. How do I obtain records of complaints against businesses? When the Legislature enacted the Public Records Act in 1968, it provided several judicial remedies for persons who believed that they had been wrongfully denied records to which they were entitled. Remember: You have the right to speak to our office confidentially, and you cannot be threatened, punishedor retaliated against for making complaints. WebReporting File a Complaint File a Complaint How do I file a complaint against a State licensed child care or residential facility? Participants will learn about the role and duties of the Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson, the Foster Youth Bill of Rights, and Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard. Are you under the age of 27 and enrolled in a post-secondary education program? &" 144 0 obj <>stream And the OFCO provides free Foster Youth Bill of Rights publications to foster youth, county child welfare and probation offices, foster family agencies, and congregate care facilities (shelters, group homes, STRTPs). 94 0 obj <>stream If you feel safe, try to resolve it on your own. They serve youth who have aged out of foster care, veterans, mentally & developmentally disabled persons, homeless persons, seniors, and addiction abusers. WebThe mission of the California Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson (OFCO) is to advocate on behalf of foster children and youth regarding their care, placement, WebRESPITE and CHILDCARE. You can contact us about issues related tofoster youth rights, care, placement, and services. You have the right to: You have mental health rights too. Webpassage of Senate Bill (SB) 933 to establish a California Foster Care Ombudsperson Program. The lawallows us to releasecertaininformationto certain peoplein the process ofconducting our duties; however, if we need to share this information we will tell you.. If a youth calls to file a complaint, we will process it withinonebusiness day.Any personcan file complaints on behalfofa child in foster care, as long asthe concern is about the rights, care, placement, or services of the foster child.We revieweach caseto determine if it needs further investigation. In addition, individuals who experience discrimination or other violations of law can often file a lawsuit in court. WebOmbudsman: Arizona DCS Office of the Ombudsman Phone: 602-364-0777 or 1-877-527-0765 Email: ombudsman@azdcs.gov https://dcs.az.gov/ombudsman-complaint Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens Aide 7878 N. 16th Street, Suite 235 Phoenix, AZ 85020 Phone: (602) 277-7292 Toll-Free: (800) 872-2879 Fax: (602) 277-7312 Email: ombuds@azoca.gov The California Attorney Generals office represents the state in criminal appellate cases. 1-877-846-1602 fosteryouthhelp@dss.ca.gov The California Office of the Foster Care Ombudsperson is dedicated to serving, send a request to CDSS or the adoption agency, Resource Family Approval Point of Contact, File a Complaint with the State Attorney General, File a Complaint with the Commission of Judicial Performance, Contact Your County's Family Law Facilitator, File a Complaint with the Child Support Ombudsperson, Medi-Cal Managed Care and Mental Health Office of the Ombudsman, Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) 16164. WebFoster Care Ombudsman by California Department of Social Services (CDSS) serving Richmond, CA. Do you feel like the judge is not being ethical or professional? Participation is encouraged! Who can help me? Who should I contact? The Commission on Judicial Performance is the independent state agency responsible for investigating complaints of judicial misconduct and judicial incapacity and for disciplining judges. Volunteers receive a thirty-six hour training, free background check, and continuing education. We have jurisdiction over foster youth rights, care, placement, and services. Examples of possible wage claims include the nonpayment of wages, overtime, or vacation. The California DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES OMBUDSMAN FO R FOSTER CARE (Not DHCS) Information on the rights of children and youth who are You may also file a written complaint with our Office. To report a workplace accident, or to file a complaint, please contact the Cal/OSHA enforcement unit district office closest to the workplace where the accident occurred or the complaint conditions exist. Or download and complete our Report of Suspected Elder and Dependent Abuse (SOC 341) and either fax it to; 209-932-2641, or mail to; San Joaquin County Human Services Agency, PO Box 201056, Stockton CA 95201. Do you need a, We provide former foster youth in California with Dependen, cy Letters (also called Verification Letters or Ward of the Court, care have rights! Explain the type of discrimination, what happened, when it happened, who was involved, and the resolution you want. Are you not getting the help and support you need? I need information about resources available to victims. WebCalifornia officials have named a longtime dependency attorney as the states next foster care ombudsperson, a watchdog for the nations largest child welfare system. Email: fosteryouthhelp@dss.ca.gov. If you are alleging that a law enforcement officer committed a crime and your complaint is not resolved by your complaint to the agency, you should next contact the county district attorney in the county where the law enforcement agency is located. (PDF) In-home de-escalation, stabilization, conflict resolution, and support services and resources. Unfortunately, there is no one-stop shop for checking out companies, and our office cannot give you personal legal advice or comment on the legitimacy of a particular business. Your concerns should be addressed directly to the district attorney. If you believe you have information indicating criminal conduct on the part of a public employee, you should immediately contact the appropriate, If you feel your complaint about improper governmental activities has not been addressed satisfactorily by the local government agency, consider submitting your complaint to the county grand jury. An attorney would directly represent your interests and is the one whose advice would be most helpful to you. Writing it down can help. I have a complaint against Child Protective Services (CPS). If your question doesnt get answered, please email. Please note that each training discusses the same topic. File a complaint with the State Bar of California. 1-833-99YOUTH (999-6884) Foster Care Ombudsman. 0 First, try resolving the situation with your countys chain of command. These decisions are made through Family Law Court. Life skills. Contact your countys Family Law Facilitator for help on how to request changes in any of these orders. All California youth who are in fostercare have rights! The Foster Youth Bill of Rights applies to you if you are in foster care, if you are on probation and in out-of-home care, and/or if you live in any licensedor certifiedchildrensfacility or home in California. Are you having issues with your managed care health plans? 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