California RFA Written Directives: What They Are and Why They Matter

If you've spent any time researching California foster care, you've probably encountered the phrase "Written Directives" without a clear explanation of what it means or why it keeps coming up. Here's the plain-English version.

What the Written Directives Are

The Resource Family Approval Written Directives are the primary policy document governing California's foster care approval system. They are published by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and hold the same force and effect as law.

That last part matters. The Written Directives are not suggestions or best practices — all 58 county welfare departments and every licensed Foster Family Agency (FFA) in the state are legally required to follow them. When there's a conflict between what your county tells you and what the Written Directives say, the Written Directives govern.

They cover every aspect of the Resource Family Approval (RFA) process: eligibility, application forms, background check requirements, home inspection standards, pre-service training requirements, ongoing approval maintenance, placement rules, and appeals procedures.

Version History and Why It Matters

The Written Directives are updated periodically. As of 2025, the current version is Version 8.0, which was released in late 2022 and has received subsequent amendments through 2025.

This version history is not just administrative trivia. Each version has changed actual requirements that affect applicants. Version 5.0, for example, made major changes to TB screening requirements (no longer mandatory pre-approval for all applicants). More recent updates in Version 8.0 addressed:

• Video surveillance in resource family homes — All County Letter (ACL) 24-50 now strictly prohibits audio recording inside the home and requires video capture to be disclosed to placement workers and youth in care
• Kinship caregiver streamlined approval — AB 2830 (2024) required CDSS to implement a simplified process for relative caregivers by 2027, acknowledging the emergency nature of kinship placements
• CPR and First Aid timing — Updated language allows CPR certification to be completed within 90 days post-approval in some counties, rather than requiring it before initial approval

If you're relying on information from a blog post, forum thread, or even a county handout that predates Version 8.0, you may be working with outdated requirements.

How All County Letters (ACLs) Relate

Between full version updates to the Written Directives, CDSS issues All County Letters (ACLs) — official policy memos sent to all 58 counties. ACLs modify or clarify specific provisions and are immediately binding.

For example:

• ACL 24-50 addressed the video camera prohibition mentioned above
• ACL 25-45 updated foster care rate schedules effective July 1, 2025 (the 3.42% CNI increase that brought basic resource family rates to $1,301/month)

Keeping track of ACLs is how county workers stay current. As an applicant, you don't need to read every ACL — but knowing they exist explains why requirements can shift between when you read something online and when you start your application.

Where to Find the Written Directives

The CDSS publishes the Written Directives on its website at cdss.ca.gov, under the Resource Family Approval Program section. They are organized by version, and each version is a substantial document — Version 8.0 runs to over 150 pages.

Individual counties also publish their own RFA guides based on the Written Directives, often with county-specific implementation details. San Diego County and Los Angeles DCFS both publish detailed RFA guides that are worth reading alongside the state document.

What This Means for Your Application

The Written Directives determine:

1. What forms you must submit — RFA-01A, 01B, 07, and others are all defined in the Written Directives
2. What background checks are required — and what the timelines are for each check (3 days for DOJ, 5 days for FBI, up to 6 weeks for CACI)
3. What your home must meet — the physical safety standards in the RFA-03 checklist trace directly to Title 22 regulations and the Written Directives
4. What training you need — minimum 12 hours pre-approval, 8 hours annually post-approval
5. What your rights are — including the 25-calendar-day window to appeal a denial and the 14-day notice requirement before a child is removed from your placement

If a county worker tells you something that doesn't match what you've read in the Written Directives, you're within your rights to ask them to cite the specific section. In practice, worker-level knowledge of the Written Directives varies considerably, especially given high staff turnover and vacancy rates in many counties.

Why County Variation Still Exists

Even with statewide Written Directives, the 58-county structure means applicants in Los Angeles face different practical realities than applicants in Fresno or San Diego. The Written Directives set the floor; counties have discretion on process details like scheduling, how interviews are conducted, and local FFA relationships.

This is not a loophole — it's an acknowledged design feature. The state sets the standard; the county implements it. What it means for you is that reading the Written Directives tells you what must happen; talking to your specific county office tells you how and when it will happen in practice.

The Written Directives also govern what happens when things go wrong — including the formal appeals process when an application is denied and the grievance process when county workers don't follow procedure. Knowing the document exists, and that it has binding force, is itself a form of protection.

For a practical translation of the RFA Written Directives into step-by-step guidance — without reading 150 pages of policy language — the California Foster Care Licensing Guide covers the key provisions that affect applicants at every stage of the process.

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