BILL REQ. #:  H-4622.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/03/04.   

     AN ACT Relating to visitation for children in foster care; adding a new section to chapter 13.34 RCW; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that contact between children in foster care and their biological families is an important component of the well-being and successful development of children. Visitation can help to alleviate the fears and anxieties that many children in foster care experience, and thereby can improve relations and interactions between the children and both their foster and biological families. Visitation can also improve the likelihood of successful, lasting reunifications by providing the framework for the development of appropriate parent-child relationships.
     In all cases, the best interest of the child shall be the primary concern in planning visitation with families. When planning visitation with families, appropriate levels of visitation should be determined for each family, taking into consideration their individual circumstances, including parental follow-through and the parent-child bond, among other factors, and consistent with the health, safety, and welfare of the child. Under no circumstances should visitation be used as a sanction for a parent's failure to engage in other court-ordered services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 13.34 RCW to read as follows:
     The department of social and health services shall develop consistent policies and protocols, based on current relevant research, concerning visitation for children in foster care to be implemented consistently throughout the state. The department shall develop the policies and protocols in consultation with researchers in the field, community-based agencies, court-appointed special advocates, and court representatives. The policies and protocols shall include, but not be limited to: The structure and quality of visitations; and training for caseworkers, visitation supervisors, and foster parents related to visitation.
     The policies and protocols shall be consistent with the provisions of this chapter and implementation of the policies and protocols shall be consistent with relevant orders of the court.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The department of social and health services shall report on the policies and protocols required under section 2 of this act to the appropriate committees of the legislature by January 1, 2005.