CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES

[Filed August 6, 2021, 4:40 p.m., effective August 8, 2021]

Effective Date of Rule: August 8, 2021.

Purpose: Amend chapters 110-04 and 110-06 WAC to allow the department of children, youth, and families (DCYF) to issue background check clearance authorizations before completing fingerprint-based background checks. Amend WAC 110-06-120 [110-06-0120] to remove certain crimes that disqualify a subject individual from authorization.

Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 110-04-0040, 110-04-0080, 110-06-0040, 110-06-0046, and 110-06-120 [110-06-0120].

Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 43.216.065.

Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.

Reasons for this Finding: Proclamation of the Governor 20-05 declared a State of Emergency in all counties in the state of Washington as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19. As of March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization has classified COVID-19 as a pandemic. Proclamation of the Governor 20-31 amends Proclamation 20-05 and waives and suspends fingerprint-based background checks before a person may be approved to have unsupervised access to children during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the potential risk of exposure to COVID-19 resulting from face-to-face contact in submitting fingerprints, limited access to fingerprinting as entities that receive and process fingerprints limit or suspend operations in order to limit exposure to COVID-19, and the unavailability of law enforcement agencies to process fingerprints during the pandemic. The ability to issue background check clearance authorizations before completing fingerprint-based background checks better enables DCYF to ensure the availability of child welfare service providers as well as stable and quality child care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The amendment to WAC 110-06-120 [110-06-0120] temporarily removes crimes that account for 33 percent of family, friends, and neighbors being disqualified from participation in working connections child care. The amendment is in accord with the federal disqualifying crimes list, significantly increases the number of individuals who may provide care, and will not pose a safety risk for children in care.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, Amended 5, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Date Adopted: August 6, 2021.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 20-05-024, filed 2/7/20, effective 3/9/20)

WAC 110-04-0040Who must have background checks?

(1) Under RCW 74.15.030, ((prior to authorizing unsupervised access to children,)) the department requires background checks on all providers who may have unsupervised access to children. This includes licensed, certified, or contracted providers, their current or prospective employees and prospective adoptive parents as defined in RCW 26.33.020.

(2) Under RCW 74.15.030, ((prior to authorizing unsupervised access to children,)) the department also requires background checks on other individuals who may have unsupervised access to children in department licensed or contracted homes, or facilities that provide care. The department requires background checks on all of the following people:

(a) A volunteer or intern with regular or unsupervised access to children.

(b) Any person who regularly has unsupervised access to a child. However, a background check is not required when a caregiver approves the unsupervised access for a normal childhood activity that lasts less than seventy-two hours, as stated in RCW 74.13.710.

(d) A person who is at least sixteen years old and resides in a foster, relative, or other suitable person's home and is not a foster child.

(e) A person who is younger than sixteen years old in situations where it may be warranted to ensure the safety of children in out-of-home care. The department may require a background check for persons younger than sixteen years old in situations where it may be warranted to ensure the safety of children in out-of-home care.

(3) Any person employed at a group care facility, including those not directly working with children.

(4) Under RCW 13.34.138, ((prior to returning a dependent child home,)) the department requires a background check on all adults residing in the home, including the parents.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 20-05-024, filed 2/7/20, effective 3/9/20)

WAC 110-04-0080What does the background check cover?

(1) The department must review criminal convictions and pending charges based on identifying information provided by you. The background check may include, but is not limited to, the following information sources:

(a) Washington state patrol.

(b) Washington courts.

(d) Department of health.

(e) Civil adjudication proceedings.

(f) Applicant's self-disclosure.

(g) Out-of-state law enforcement and court records.

(2) Background checks conducted for DCYF also includes:

(a) A review of child protective services case files information or other applicable information system.

(b) Administrative hearing decisions related to any DSHS or DCYF license that has been revoked, suspended, or denied.

(3) In addition to the requirements in subsections (1) and (2) of this section, background checks conducted by DCYF for placement of a child in out-of-home care, including foster homes, group care facilities, adoptive homes, relative placements, and placement with other suitable persons under chapter 13.34 RCW, include the following for each person over eighteen years of age residing in the home, all staff working in a group care facility, including those not directly working with children, and group care volunteers who provide direct care:

(a) Child abuse and neglect registries in each state a person has lived in, in the five years prior to conducting the background check.

(b) Washington state patrol (WSP) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fingerprint name-based background checks regardless of how long you have resided in Washington.

(4) Except as required in subsection (3)(b) of this section, DCYF will conduct a fingerprint-based background check on any individual who has resided in the state less than three consecutive years before application.

(5) Applicants may be approved before the fingerprint-based background check is conducted.

Reviser's note: RCW 34.05.395 requires the use of underlining and deletion marks to indicate amendments to existing rules. The rule published above varies from its predecessor in certain respects not indicated by the use of these markings.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 19-21-064, filed 10/11/19, effective 11/11/19)

WAC 110-06-0040Background clearance requirements.

This section applies to all subject individuals other than in-home/relative providers.

(1) Subject individuals associated with early learning services applying for a first-time background check must complete the DCYF background check application process including, but not limited to:

(a) Submitting a completed background check application;

(b) Completing the required fingerprint process; and

(2) All subject individuals qualified by the department to have unsupervised access to children in care who are renewing their applications must:

(a) Submit the new background check application through DCYF;

(b) Submit payment of all required fees as provided in WAC 110-06-0044;

(c) Complete the required fingerprint process if the subject individual lives or has lived outside of Washington state since the previous background check was completed, or has not previously completed the fingerprint process required by this section.

(3) Each subject individual completing the DCYF background check process must disclose whether they have:

(a) Been convicted of any crime;

(b) Any pending criminal charges; and

(4) Subject individuals must not have unsupervised access to children in care unless they have obtained DCYF authorization under this chapter.

(5) Applicants may be approved to have unsupervised access to children before the fingerprint-based background check is conducted.

(6) A subject individual who has been disqualified by DCYF must not be present on the premises when early learning services are provided to children.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 19-01-111, filed 12/18/18, effective 1/18/19)

WAC 110-06-0046Requirements for license-exempt in-home/relative providers.

(1) The background check process must be completed for:

(a) All license-exempt in-home/relative providers who apply to care for a WCCC consumer's child; and

(b) Any individual sixteen years of age or older who is residing with a license-exempt in-home/relative provider when the provider cares for the child in the provider's own home where the child does not reside.

(2) Additional background checks must be completed for individuals listed in subsection (1)(a) and (b) of this section when an individual sixteen years of age or older is newly residing with a license-exempt in-home/relative provider when the provider cares for the child in the provider's own home where the child does not reside.

(3) The background check process for license-exempt in-home/relative providers requires:

(a) Submitting a completed background check application; and

(b) Completing the required fingerprint process.

(4) Each subject individual completing the DCYF background check process must disclose:

(a) Whether he or she has been convicted of any crime;

(b) Whether he or she has any pending criminal charges; and

(5) A subject individual must not have unsupervised access to children in care unless he or she has obtained DCYF background check clearance authorization under this chapter.

(6) Applicants may be approved to have unsupervised access to children before the fingerprint-based background check is conducted.

(7) A subject individual who has been disqualified by DCYF must not be present on the premises when early learning services are provided to children.

(((7)))(8) DCYF pays for the cost of the background check process. The fees include:

(a) Fingerprint process fees as defined by the Washington state patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the DCYF fingerprint contractor; and

(b) The DCYF administrative fee.

Reviser's note: The typographical error in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appears in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 19-01-111, filed 12/18/18, effective 1/18/19)

WAC 110-06-0120Secretary's list

(1) A subject individual's conviction for any crimes listed in column (a) in the table below will permanently disqualify ((him or her))the individual from authorization to care for or have unsupervised access to children receiving early learning services.

(2) A subject individual's conviction for any crime listed in column (b) in the table below will disqualify ((him or her))the individual from authorization to care for or have unsupervised access to children receiving early learning services for a period of five years from the date of conviction.

(a) Crimes that permanently disqualify a subject individual	(b) Crimes that disqualify a subject individual for five years from date of conviction
Abandonment of a child	Abandonment of a dependent person not against child
Arson	Assault 3 not domestic violence
Assault 1	Assault 4/simple assault
Assault 2	Burglary
Assault 3 domestic violence	Coercion
Assault of a child	Custodial assault
((Bail jumping))	Custodial sexual misconduct
	Extortion 2
Child buying or selling	((Forgery))
Child molestation	Harassment
Commercial sexual abuse of a minor
Communication with a minor for immoral purposes	((Identity theft))
Controlled substance homicide	Leading organized crime
Criminal mistreatment	((Malicious explosion 3))
Custodial interference	((Malicious mischief))
Dealing in depictions of minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct	Malicious placement of an explosive 2
Domestic violence (felonies only)	Malicious placement of an explosive 3
Drive-by shooting	Malicious placement of imitation device 1
Extortion 1	((Patronizing a prostitute))
Harassment domestic violence	Possess explosive device
Homicide by abuse	Promoting pornography
Homicide by watercraft	Promoting prostitution 1
Incendiary devices (possess, manufacture, dispose)	Promoting prostitution 2
Incest	Promoting suicide attempt
Indecent exposure/public indecency (felonies only)	((Prostitution))
Indecent liberties	Reckless endangerment
Kidnapping	Residential burglary
Luring	Stalking
Malicious explosion 1	((Theft))
Malicious explosion 2	((Theft-welfare))
Malicious harassment	Unlawful imprisonment
Malicious mischief domestic violence	Unlawful use of a building for drug purposes
Malicious placement of an explosive 1	Violation of the Imitation Controlled Substances Act (manufacture/deliver/intent)
Manslaughter	Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act (manufacture/deliver/intent)
Murder/aggravated murder	Violation of the Uniform Legend Drug Act (manufacture/deliver/intent)
	Violation of the Uniform Precursor Drug Act (manufacture/deliver/intent)
Possess depictions minor engaged in sexual conduct
Rape
Rape of child
Robbery
Selling or distributing erotic material to a minor
Sending or bringing into the state depictions of a minor
Sexual exploitation of minors
Sexual misconduct with a minor
Sexually violating human remains
Use of machine gun in felony
Vehicular assault
Vehicular homicide (negligent homicide)
Violation of child abuse restraining order
Violation of civil anti-harassment protection order
Violation of protection/contact/restraining order
Voyeurism