Juvenile court: visitation.

Assembly Members Gipson, Bryan, and Calderon have proposed comprehensive changes to California's juvenile dependency court procedures, introducing new requirements for visitation orders between dependent children and their parents or legal guardians. The legislation mandates courts to establish specific visitation schedules at initial petition hearings, including frequency and duration details, while creating a presumption favoring unsupervised visitation.

Under the proposed changes, courts must order parent-child contact to begin within 72 hours of relevant hearings when no visitation schedule exists. The bill requires courts to provide detailed factual basis when ordering supervised visitation and directs child welfare agencies to assess potential supervisors proposed by parents. If no qualified supervisor is identified, the agency must provide supervision during times when both parent and child are available.

The legislation enhances reporting requirements for social workers, who must document why returning a child to parental custody would be detrimental and explain any decisions not to liberalize visitation. These expanded duties create additional responsibilities for county social workers without requiring state reimbursement. For cases involving Indian children, the bill maintains existing requirements for tribal consultation and compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act.

The measure modifies permanency review hearing procedures, establishing clearer timelines and documentation requirements for evaluating a child's placement status. Courts retain discretion to liberalize visitation arrangements unless specific findings indicate such changes would compromise child safety. All visits must occur in settings that minimize restrictions while maximizing opportunities for meaningful family interaction.