(a) The Department of Corrections shall provide pediatric care consistent with medical standards and, to the extent feasible, shall be guided by the need to provide the following:

(1) A stable, caregiving, stimulating environment for the children as developed and supervised by professional guidance in the area of child development.

(2) Programs geared to assure the stability of the parent-child relationship during and after participation in the program, to be developed and supervised by appropriate professional guidance. These programs shall, at a minimum, be geared to accomplish the following:

(A) The mother’s mental stability.

(B) The mother’s familiarity with good parenting and housekeeping skills.

(C) The mother’s ability to function in the community, upon parole or release, as a viable member.

(D) The securing of adequate housing arrangements after participation in the program.

(E) The securing of adequate child care arrangements after participation in the program.

(3) Utilization of the least restrictive alternative to incarceration and restraint possible to achieve the objectives of correction and of this chapter consistent with public safety and justice.

(b) (1) The Department of Corrections shall ensure that the children and mothers residing in a community treatment program have access to, and are permitted by the community treatment program to participate in, available local Head Start, Healthy Start, and programs for early childhood development pursuant to the California Children and Families Program (Division 108 (commencing with Section 130100) of the Health and Safety Code).

(2) The community treatment program shall provide each mother with written information about the available local programs, including the telephone numbers for enrolling a child in a program.

(3) The community treatment program shall also provide transportation to program services and otherwise assist and facilitate enrollment and participation for eligible children.

(4) Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as granting or requiring preferential access or enrollment for children of incarcerated mothers to any of the programs specified in this subdivision.

(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 297, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2005.)