PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
Subject of Possible Rule Making: WAC 388-454-0006 The department makes background checks on adults who are acting in place of a parent without court-ordered custody, and related WAC, governing the requirement for background checks on adult caregivers applying for TANF (temporary assistance to needy families) on behalf of unrelated children in their care.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, and 74.15.030.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The In Loco Parentis background check WAC needs to be changed to achieve consistency with comparable WAC governing the working connections child care program (WAC 388-290-0143 and related WAC) and to promote the health and safety of children being cared for by nonrelative caregivers.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.
Process for Developing New Rule: DSHS welcomes the public to take part in developing the rules. Anyone interested should contact the staff identified below. At a later date, DSHS will file a proposal with the office of the code reviser with a notice of proposed rule making. A copy of the proposal will be sent to everyone on the mailing list and to anyone who requests a copy.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Tom Berry, Policy Analyst, Division of Employment and Assistance Programs, P.O. Box 45470, Olympia, WA 98504-5470, phone (360) 725-4617, fax (360) 493-3493, e-mail berrytj@dshs.wa.gov.
April 13, 2006
Andy Fernando, Manager
Rules and Policies Assistance Unit