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(a) For every child who is in foster care, or who enters foster care, on or after January 1, 1999, and has been in foster care for 15 of the most recent 22 months, the social worker shall submit to the court a recommendation that the court set a hearing pursuant to Section 366.26 for the purpose of terminating parental rights. The social worker shall concurrently initiate and describe a plan to identify, recruit, process and approve a qualified family for adoption of the child.
(b) The social worker is not required to submit the recommendation as described in subdivision (a) if any of the following applies:
(1) The case plan for the child has documented a compelling reason or reasons why it is unlikely that the child will be adopted, as determined by the department when it is acting as an adoption agency or by the licensed adoption agency, and therefore termination of parental rights would not be in the best interest of the child or that one of the conditions set forth in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 366.26 applies.
(2) A hearing under Section 366.26 is already set.
(3) The court has found at the previous hearing under Section 366.21 that there is a substantial probability that the child will be returned to the child’s home within the extended period of time permitted.
(4) The court has found at the previous hearing under Section 366.21 that reasonable reunification services have not been offered or provided.
(5) The court has found at each and every hearing at which the court was required to consider reasonable efforts or services that reasonable efforts were not made or that reasonable services were not offered or provided.
(6) The incarceration or institutionalization of the parent or parents, or the court-ordered participation of the parent or parents in a residential substance abuse treatment program, constitutes a significant factor in the child’s placement in foster care for a period of 15 of the most recent 22 months, and termination of parental rights is not in the child’s best interests, considering factors such as the age of the child, the degree of parent and child bonding, the length of the sentence, and the nature of the treatment and the nature of the crime or illness.
(7) Tribal customary adoption is recommended.
(c) A recommendation to the court pursuant to subdivision (a) shall not be made if the social worker documents in the case record a compelling reason why a hearing pursuant to Section 366.26 is not in the best interest of the child, or that reasonable efforts to safely return the child home are continuing consistent with the time period provided for in paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 366.21.
(d) Beginning January 1, 1999, the county welfare department shall implement a procedure for reviewing the application of this section to the case plans of all children who have been in foster care for 15 out of the most recent 22 months. The review shall proceed within the following timeframes:
(1) By July 1, 1999, one-third of the children shall have been reviewed, giving priority to children who have been in foster care the greatest length of time.
(2) By January 1, 2000, at least two-thirds of the children shall have been reviewed.
(3) By July 1, 2000, all children shall have been reviewed.
(e) For purposes of this section, a child shall be considered to have entered foster care on the earlier of the date of the jurisdictional hearing held pursuant to Section 356 or the date that is 60 days after the date on which the child was initially removed from the home of his or her parent or guardian.