(a) The department shall implement intensive treatment foster care programs for eligible children.

(b) (1) The department shall implement the program in any participating county that applies for and receives the department’s approval for an intensive treatment foster care program rate.

(2) Upon application to the department, the county shall do all of the following:

(A) Identify the population of children to be served, including, but not limited to, the rate classification levels from 9 to 14, inclusive, pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 18358, that the county has chosen to include.

(B) Certify that participating foster family agencies have the required personnel, administrative support, financial services, and resources to successfully participate in the program.

(C) Project savings or cost neutrality to the state General Fund.

(D) Provide a plan for monitoring the participating foster family agencies for compliance with this chapter.

(3) Each participating foster family agency may, with the approval of the host county, accept placements from counties other than the host county.

(c) No more than a total of 1,000 children who were in, or at imminent risk of being placed in, group homes with rate classification levels of 9 to 11, inclusive, pursuant to Section 11462, may be placed in intensive treatment foster care programs at the same time, from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2011, inclusive. This limitation does not include children in the Title IV-E waiver demonstration project Counties of Alameda and Los Angeles.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 486, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2009.)