SENATE BILL REPORT

2SHB 2106

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As Reported by Senate Committee On:

Human Services & Corrections, March 26, 2009

Title: An act relating to improving child welfare outcomes through the phased implementation of strategic and proven reforms.

Brief Description: Improving child welfare outcomes through the phased implementation of strategic and proven reforms.

Sponsors: House Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Representatives Kagi, Roberts, Kenney and Morrell).

Brief History: Passed House: 3/09/09, 97-0.

Committee Activity: Human Services & Corrections: 3/26/09 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.

Signed by Senators Hargrove, Chair; Regala, Vice Chair; Stevens, Ranking Minority Member; Brandland, Carrell, Kauffman and McAuliffe.

Staff: Jennifer Strus (786-7316)

Background: The Children's Administration (CA) within the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) provides child welfare services (CWS) to children in out-of-home care and their families. CWS includes out-of-home care, case management, and adoption services. CWS also includes the legal case management of the case. Historically, about 30 percent of CWS has been provided by child-placing agencies with whom CA contracts. The contracts, however, are not performance-based.

CA contracts with many private agencies across the state to provide a host of services to its clients. There are currently about 1,800 contracts with different providers. The contracts are managed at both the regional and headquarters level.

Budgeting for the state's share of foster care costs includes use of information developed by the Caseload Forecast Council. State appropriations for foster care are increased or reduced depending on the forecasted caseload. When DSHS is successful in reducing foster care caseloads through implementation of prevention and intervention programs and policies, the savings from reduced caseloads are not available to be used for reinvestment into sustaining or expanding these programs to achieve long-term statewide reforms.

Summary of Bill (Recommended Amendments): Beginning on December 1, 2010, CA must begin converting its existing contracts with child-placing agencies into performance-based contracts to provide child welfare services (CWS). The Attorney General's Office must provide legal representation to the private agencies in the dependency cases. The provisions in the Civil Service Act regarding the specific requirements around state employees bidding to provide services do not apply.

Beginning on July 1, 2014, all CWS for 60 percent of the children for whom CA has legal custody must be provided by private agencies (referred to in the bill as supervising agencies) with whom CA has entered into performance-based contracts. The remaining 40 percent of cases are to be handled by state social workers. Supervising agencies are defined as agencies licensed by DSHS or an Indian tribe that has entered into a performance-based contract with DSHS to provide child welfare services. The provision of Child Protective Services remains the responsibility of CA. After July 1, 2014, for the 60 percent of children for whom supervising agencies are providing CWS, CA may not directly provide CWS except in an emergency or as a provider of last resort. In this situation, DSHS is also considered a supervising agency. CA is considered a "provider of last resort" when it is unable to contract with a private agency to provide CWS in a particular geographic area or the contract with the private agency is terminated by CA or the contractor. After July 1, 2014, for the 60 percent of children for whom supervising agencies are providing CWS, CA is responsible only for monitoring the quality of services for which it has contracted and ensuring that those services meet federal and state requirements, including the Indian Child Welfare Act. DSHS must give a preference to private nonprofit agencies when entering into performance-based contracts. This requirement does apply to Indian tribes. Children whose cases are managed by supervising agencies remain dependents of the state.

As child welfare and staff vacancies occur due to voluntary employee departures, if DSHS decides the vacant positions should be filled with existing staff because there are insufficient supervising agency resources available in that region, DSHS is to then determine if there are other services in the region where the work can be performed by supervising agencies.

The performance-based contracts used by CA must be structured to hold the private agencies accountable for achieving the following goals in order of importance: child safety; reunification of the child with the parents; and child permanency with a preference for reunification.

The Child Welfare Transformation Committee (Committee) is established. The members of the Committee are as follows:

The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives jointly appoint the four private agencies, the foster parent, the parent representative and the two nationally-recognized performance-based contracting experts.

The POC representatives convene the initial meeting no later than June 15, 2009. The chair or co-chairs of the Committee are selected from among the Committee's membership by majority vote of those present at the initial meeting of the Committee. The Committee may establish advisory committees as necessary. Staff support for the Committee will be provided jointly by POC and legislative staff. The Committee is subject to the Open Public Meetings Act and the Ethics in Public Service statutes. Administrative costs for the Committee will be paid from private funds.

The Committee is to develop a transition plan that contains recommendations to the Legislature for the provision of CWS by supervising agencies. The plan must include the following:

The Committee must also recommend how to implement its plan in stages across the state so that the 60 percent implementation is accomplished by July 1, 2014.

The Committee must report, in writing, to the Children's Oversight Committee on a quarterly basis starting on June 30, 2009. The Committee must report to the Children's Oversight Committee by June 1, 2010, its recommendation for staged implementation of the act across the state.

The Committee expires on June 30, 2014.

Within 18 months after DSHS has entered into performance-based contracts with supervising agencies, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) is to provide a preliminary report due June 30, 2012, in which it reviews the outcomes achieved by the supervising agencies and compare those outcomes with the existing services offered by DSHS. Among the outcomes to be compared are relative placements, placements with siblings, re-referrals for cases in which the children who were placed in out-of-home care were reunified and then returned to out-of-home care, and timelines to achieve permanency.

No later than July 1, 2013, WSIPP is to provide to the Governor and the Legislature with the final results of the outcome comparison.

If the report indicates improved outcomes through the use of performance-based contracts with supervising agencies, the Governor is encouraged to expand the use of supervising agencies statewide.

Sections 1 through 6 take effect July 1, 2010, and Section 7 takes effect immediately. The act is only in effect if funds are specifically appropriated for this purpose.

EFFECT OF CHANGES MADE BY HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS COMMITTEE (Recommended Amendments): E2SSB 5943 replaces this bill with the following changes:

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Sections 1 through 6 take effect July 1, 2010, and Section 7 takes effect immediately. The act is only in effect if funds are specifically appropriated for this purpose.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony (on Second Substitute House Bill): OTHER: Children's Home Society is supportive of the efforts by both the House and Senate to improve the lives of children and families in this state. CHS is very supportive of the reinvestment strategy contained in the bill. Children's already contracts out many of the services it provides to its clients. The reinvestment strategy is a good idea. Use of evidence based and promising practices is also important but there is a cost to providing this array of services.

Persons Testifying: OTHER: Laurie Lippold, Children's Home Society; Randy Hart, Children's Administration.