H-1763

AN ACT Relating to family support centers; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds and declares that families are experiencing tremendous social, economic, and other pressures that are contributing to a rapidly growing cycle of child abuse, crime, family violence, and other problems associated with family dysfunction. Children are the most tragic victims of this cycle of maltreatment and neglect. The deviance cycle and the long-term human and economic cost of not providing family support are becoming increasingly apparent, as more children are unable to learn, drop out of school, become involved with drugs and violence, become juvenile offenders, and finally become high-cost felons in our state prisons. The "after the fact" collective costs to the community for crime and violence are substantial. The costs include the systematic destruction of individuals and their families, lost lives, reduced productivity, and increased health care, criminal justice, and social service costs.

The legislature acknowledges that criminal justice agencies, charged with capture, adjudication, and postconviction management of criminal offenders, have little if any control over social patterns, early socialization, and relationships that are the breeding ground for dysfunctional and violent behavior. Therefore, an exclusive reliance on the jail and prison system to eliminate this type of behavior cannot effectively prevent its occurrence. In order to mitigate factors that may lead families to violence, families must look to family-oriented community institutions for support and assistance. Too often, however, that support is not available, or parents do not know how to find it.

The legislature further finds that community-based family support programs that effectively respond to the needs of families when they first have children prevent the development of serious problems later. Appropriate community-based family support and intervention with high-risk families is probably the most advantageous point of intervention for disrupting the cycles of violence and other criminal behaviors. There is a substantial need for the support and development of an effective family support network program that coordinates its efforts with the criminal justice system, mental health system, child abuse and neglect programs, community health system, and social services system. Family support programs for prevention and early intervention, before the earliest onset of criminal or other related dysfunctional behavior, are necessary to curtail the costly and contagious cycle of crime and delinquency.

The purpose of this act is to support the foundation and funding of early intervention strategies to interrupt the escalating cycle of crime and violence in Washington through community-based family support centers.

The legislature intends that one-half of one percent of the total operating budget for the department of corrections be provided to the department of social and health services solely for grants for the operation of community-based family support centers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The department of social and health services shall provide grants for the operation of community-based family support centers.

(1) Grantees must be part of a community interagency team that provides support to families, which may include, but is not limited to, parenting education and support groups for families experiencing or at risk of criminal oriented family dysfunction, services to children or other family members who are victims of criminal or family violence, specialized family intervention programs, child development assessments, community education, family support case management and referral, parent-infant bonding programs, and health screening.

(2) All services funded under these grants shall be culturally sensitive and relevant.

(3) Each grant awarded shall include provision for the evaluation of services provided through the program. Each program shall report the results of the program evaluation to the Washington council for the prevention of child abuse and neglect and the department of social and health services on or before October 1 of each year the program is awarded a grant.

(4) Each grantee shall provide a minimum of twenty-five percent local matching funds, receive explicit support from community groups, provide evidence of coordination of services with community groups, and provide research and or documented evidence that their model programs have been successful.

(5) Each grantee shall provide a complete statement of need with the application.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The Washington council for prevention of child abuse and neglect shall assist in the review and selection of programs, administer the grants, review program evaluations, and make recommendations regarding the implementation of family support projects and the need for additional programs or family intervention models. The commission shall evaluate the overall grants program effectiveness, including but not limited to cost analysis, measurable program outcomes, and performance standards established by the council in cooperation with the department of corrections and the department of social and health services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. On or before December 1, 1993, the department of social and health services shall report the results of the program evaluations to the appropriate committees of the house of representatives and the senate.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The sum of .......... dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the general fund to the department of social and health services for the purposes of this act.