Title
Title
Access to Visitation Grant Program: Funding Allocation for Federal Grant Fiscal Years 2018-19 through 2020-21 (Action Required)
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Summary
Summary
The Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee recommends that the Judicial Council approve Access to Visitation Grant Program funding allocation and distribution of approximately $755,000 to $770,000 statewide for federal grant fiscal years 2018-19 through 2020-21. The Access to Visitation contract period for federal grant fiscal years 2018-19 through 2020-21 begins on April 1 and ends on March 31 (each fiscal year). The funding allocations will be directed to 11 superior courts representing 18 counties and involving 15 subcontractor agencies (i.e., local community nonprofit service providers) to support and facilitate noncustodial parents’ access to and visitation with their children through supervised visitation and exchange services, parent education, and group counseling services for family law cases. Family Code section 3204(b)(2) requires the Judicial Council to determine the final number and amount of grants to be awarded to the superior courts.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
The Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee recommends that the Judicial Council, effective November 17, 2017:
1. Approve the funding allocation and distribution of approximately $755,000 to $770,000 to the 11 superior courts for federal grant fiscal years 2018-19 through 2020-21 (each federal fiscal year), as set forth in Attachment A.
2. Delegate authority to the Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee to reallocate and distribute any excess grant funds to any of the 12 applicant courts based on need and justification within the scope of the grant program if any of the selected courts decline their grant award amount after the Judicial Council allocation approval but before execution of a funding contract with the Judicial Council.
3. Modify the current midyear reallocation process to delegate authority to the Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee to approve reallocation and distribution of any unspent funds to those eligible courts that spent the full grant award allocation and were approved for Access to Visitation funding based on the current midyear funding reallocation methodology approved by the council in 2014, or to any court that applied for funding but did not receive an award based on need and a justification that falls within the scope of the grant program.
4. Authorize Judicial Council staff to develop a plan to expend any remaining unspent grant funds to provide statewide services that will benefit all courts when unused funds exceed the requested funds from those eligible courts to receive additional funding through the midyear reallocation process and to report on the plan to the Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee.