SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5515
BYSenators Wojahn, Vognild, Williams and Lee
Creating a department of children and family services.
Senate Committee on Children & Family Services
Senate Hearing Date(s):February 15, 1989
Senate Staff:Jennifer Strus (786-7472)
AS OF FEBRUARY 15, 1989
BACKGROUND:
The childrens' service delivery system suffers from a lack of comprehensive planning. Each year there has been an increasing amount of fragmentation and a lessening accountability regarding the effectiveness of services. Case planning and monitoring are considered inadequate.
In 1977, juvenile code revisions were enacted to develop services and avoid institutionalizing juveniles who are not offenders. Although runaways and children in conflict with their families are no longer treated as criminals, alternative residential and community programs have not been created to deal with these children. Many adolescents are on the streets or in temporary care, with little chance of permanency in their lives.
The Child Protective Services and Child Welfare Services divisions of the Department of Social and Health Services are extremely overloaded and emphasize crisis intervention instead of prevention and treatment. The result is an ever-increasing caseload and a correlative decrease in effectiveness.
The Legislature has made numerous revisions to achieve more efficiency in the provision of services to children, but these measures have not resulted in an improvement to the overall system.
SUMMARY:
A Department of Children and Family services is created. The new department will include the existing Division of Children and Family Services, the Division of Juvenile Rehabilitation, and the Divisions of Mental Health and Alcohol and Substance Abuse to the extent that they serve children.
The department shall develop and operate a comprehensive and integrated statewide program of services spanning the entire continuum of care to children, youth and their families.
A central case management system shall be developed to provide coordinated information on each child. A case plan must be written for each child. The individual plans must be designed to achieve any required out-of-home placement in the least restrictive setting possible and in close proximity to the child's home, and each plan must be reviewed every six months.
Each county is authorized to submit a biennial needs assessment and service plan that incorporates all services provided by the county consistent with state minimum standards. The department will provide grants to the counties based upon the plans. The counties will contract with and monitor local service providers with at least 95 percent of their state grant. Portions of the remaining 5 percent may be used for community pilot projects, including prevention and early intervention programs. The remainder is to be used for emergencies, technical assistance and staffing costs.
A Juvenile Disposition Standards Commission is created within the new department to propose disposition standards to the Legislature. The Governor's Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee is moved to the new department.
The Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect is moved from the executive office of the Governor and placed under the new department.
The Governor is to appoint a Secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services after consultation with the State Advisory Council. The secretary is to develop a biennial program plan that incorporates county needs assessments and service plans. The secretary is authorized to develop a six-year state children and family services long-range plan.
The children's defense fund is created in the state treasury along with a tax increase to fund it. Moneys in the fund may be appropriated by the Legislature to the new department, the Department of Community Development, the Superintendent of Public Instruction or any other state agency that provides services and support for children, youth and their families. The programs and purposes for which such funds may be used are specifically enumerated. A portion of the defense fund moneys shall be used to limit to 25 the caseloads for CPS workers.
The Legislature may make an appropriation from the defense fund only if the services or programs eligible to receive defense fund moneys receive the same funding in future biennia as they did in 1987-1989.
The 15 member Washington State Advisory Council on Children and Family Services is established to assist the Governor and the Legislature in determining which programs and purposes should be supported with appropriations from the defense fund or with any other state or federal funds. The council shall also determine whether all moneys allocated to children's programs are being spent in an efficient and effective manner that minimizes administrative costs.
A .5 percent increase in the sales and use tax is effective July 1, 1989. All money collected from the tax increase shall be deposited in the children's defense fund.
Appropriation: none
Revenue: yes
Fiscal Note: available
Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.