S-1882

AN ACT Relating to dependent children; amending RCW 13.34.020, 13.34.120, 13.34.145, and 13.34.190; and reenacting and amending RCW 13.34.130.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 13.34.020 and 1990 c 284 s 31 are each amended to read as follows:

The legislature declares that the family unit is a fundamental resource of American life which should be nurtured. Toward the continuance of this principle, the legislature declares that the family unit should remain intact unless a child's right to conditions of basic nurture, health, or safety is jeopardized. When the rights of basic nurture, physical and mental health, and safety of the child and the legal rights of the parents are in conflict, the rights and safety of the child should prevail. The right of a child to basic nurturing includes the right to a safe, stable, and permanent home and a speedy resolution of any proceeding under this chapter.

Permanent placement with the biological or adoptive family should be achieved as soon as possible for every child in foster care and no child should remain in foster care longer than one year from the date of disposition. It is the intent of the legislature that a child be reunited with the child's natural family whenever possible and, when not possible, that the child be permanently placed for adoption or, when neither option is achievable, that the child be prepared for alternative permanency goals or placements to include, but not limited to, long-term foster care, independent living, custody to a relative on a permanent basis with or without legal guardianship, or custody to a foster parent on a permanent basis with or without legal guardianship.

Sec. 2. RCW 13.34.120 and 1987 c 524 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) To aid the court in its decision on disposition, a social study, consisting of a written evaluation of matters relevant to the disposition of the case, shall be made by the person or agency filing the petition. The study shall include all social records and may also include facts relating to the child's cultural heritage, and shall be made available to the court. The court shall consider the social file and social study at the disposition hearing in addition to evidence produced at the fact-finding hearing. At least ten working days before the disposition hearing, the department shall mail to the parent and his or her attorney a copy of the agency's social study and proposed service plan, which shall be in writing or in a form understandable to the parents or custodians. In addition, the department shall provide an opportunity for parents to review and comment on the plan at the community service office. If possible, the department shall make a documented effort to have a face-to-face conference with the parties regarding the plan. If the parents disagree with the agency's plan or any part thereof, the parents shall submit to the court at least twenty-four hours before the hearing, in writing, or signed oral statement, an alternative plan to correct the problems which led to the finding of dependency. This section shall not interfere with the right of the parents or custodians to submit oral arguments regarding the disposition plan at the hearing.

(2) In addition to the requirements set forth in subsection (1) of this section, a predisposition study to the court in cases of dependency alleged pursuant to RCW 13.34.030(2) (b) or (c) shall contain the following information:

(a) A statement of the specific harm or harms to the child that intervention is designed to alleviate;

(b) A description of the specific programs, for both the parents and child, that are needed in order to prevent serious harm to the child; the reasons why such programs are likely to be useful; the availability of any proposed services; and the agency's overall plan for ensuring that the services will be delivered;

(c) If removal is recommended, a full description of the reasons why the child cannot be protected adequately in the home, including a description of any previous efforts to work with the parents and the child in the home; the in-home treatment programs which have been considered and rejected; and the parents' attitude toward placement of the child;

(d) A statement of the likely harms the child will suffer as a result of removal. This section should include an exploration of the nature of the parent-child attachment and the meaning of separation and loss to both the parents and the child;

(e) A description of the steps that will be taken to minimize harm to the child that may result if separation occurs; and

(f) Behavior that will be expected before determination that supervision of the family or placement is no longer necessary.

Sec. 3. RCW 13.34.130 and 1990 c 284 s 32 and 1990 c 246 s 5 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

If, after a fact-finding hearing pursuant to RCW 13.34.110, as now or hereafter amended, it has been proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the child is dependent within the meaning of RCW 13.34.030(2); after consideration of the predisposition report prepared pursuant to RCW 13.34.110 and after a disposition hearing has been held pursuant to RCW 13.34.110, the court shall enter an order of disposition pursuant to this section.

(1) The court shall order one of the following dispositions of the case:

(a) Order a disposition other than removal of the child from his or her home, which shall provide a program designed to alleviate the immediate danger to the child, to mitigate or cure any damage the child has already suffered, and to aid the parents so that the child will not be endangered in the future. In selecting a program, the court should choose those services that least interfere with family autonomy, provided that the services are adequate to protect the child.

(b) Order that the child be removed from his or her home and ordered into the custody, control, and care of a relative or the department of social and health services or a licensed child placing agency for placement in a foster family home or group care facility licensed pursuant to chapter 74.15 RCW or in a home not required to be licensed pursuant to chapter 74.15 RCW. Unless there is reasonable cause to believe that the safety or welfare of the child would be jeopardized or that efforts to reunite the parent and child will be hindered, such child shall be placed with a grandparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, uncle, aunt, or first cousin with whom the child has a relationship and is comfortable, and who is willing and available to care for the child. An order for out-of-home placement may be made only if the court finds that reasonable efforts have been made to prevent or eliminate the need for removal of the child from the child's home and to make it possible for the child to return home, specifying the services that have been provided to the child and the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian, and that:

(i) There is no parent or guardian available to care for such child;

(ii) The parent, guardian, or legal custodian is not willing to take custody of the child;

(iii) A manifest danger exists that the child will suffer serious abuse or neglect if the child is not removed from the home and an order under RCW 26.44.063 would not protect the child from danger; or

(iv) The extent of the child's disability is such that the parent, guardian, or legal custodian is unable to provide the necessary care for the child and the parent, guardian, or legal custodian has determined that the child would benefit from placement outside of the home.

(2) If the court has ordered a child removed from his or her home pursuant to RCW 13.34.130(1)(b), the court may order that a petition seeking termination of the parent and child relationship be filed if the court finds it is recommended by the supervising agency, that it is in the best interests of the child and that it is not reasonable to provide further services to reunify the family because the existence of aggravated circumstances make it unlikely that services will effectuate the return of the child to the child's parents in the near future. In determining whether aggravated circumstances exist, the court shall consider one or more of the following:

(a) Conviction of the parent of rape of the child in the first, second, or third degree as defined in RCW 9A.44.073, 9A.44.076, and 9A.44.079;

(b) Conviction of the parent of criminal mistreatment of the child in the first or second degree as defined in RCW 9A.42.020 and 9A.42.030;

(c) Conviction of the parent of assault of the child in the first or second degree as defined in RCW 9A.36.011 and 9A.36.021;

(d) Conviction of the parent of murder, manslaughter, or homicide by abuse of the child's other parent, sibling, or another child;

(e) A finding by a court that a parent is a sexually violent predator as defined in RCW ((~~9A.88.010~~)) 71.09.020;

(f) ((Failure of the parent to complete available treatment ordered under this chapter or the equivalent laws of another state, where such failure has resulted in a prior termination of parental rights to another child and the parent has failed to effect significant change in the interim)) Prior termination of parental rights to another child and failure of the parent to effect significant change in the interim;

(g) Use of intoxicating liquors or controlled substances so as to render the parent incapable of providing proper care for the child for extended periods of time and documented unwillingness of the parent to receive and complete treatment or documented multiple failed treatment attempts;

(h) Psychological incapacity or mental deficiency of the parent that is so severe and chronic as to render the parent incapable of providing proper care for the child for extended periods of time, and there are no reasonably available services that are capable of correcting the parental deficiencies in the near future; or

(i) Failure of the parent to participate regularly in any court-ordered treatment programs.

(3) Whenever a child is ordered removed from the child's home, the agency charged with his or her care shall provide the court with:

(a) A permanent plan of care that may include one of the following: Return of the child to the home of the child's parent, adoption, guardianship, or long-term placement with a relative or in foster care with a written agreement.

(b) Unless the court has ordered, pursuant to RCW 13.34.130(2), that a termination petition be filed, a specific plan as to where the child will be placed, what steps will be taken to return the child home, and what actions the agency will take to maintain parent-child ties. All aspects of the plan shall include the goal of achieving permanence for the child.

(i) The agency plan shall specify what services the parents will be offered in order to enable them to resume custody, what requirements the parents must meet in order to resume custody, and a time limit for each service plan and parental requirement.

(ii) The agency shall be required to encourage the maximum parent-child contact possible, including regular visitation and participation by the parents in the care of the child while the child is in placement. Visitation may be limited or denied only if the court determines that such limitation or denial is necessary to protect the child's health, safety, or welfare.

(iii) A child shall be placed as close to the child's home as possible, preferably in the child's own neighborhood, unless the court finds that placement at a greater distance is necessary to promote the child's or parents' well-being.

(iv) The agency charged with supervising a child in placement shall provide all reasonable services that are available within the agency, or within the community, or those services which the department of social and health services has existing contracts to purchase. It shall report to the court if it is unable to provide such services.

(c) If the court has ordered, pursuant to RCW 13.34.130(2), that a termination petition be filed, a specific plan as to where the child will be placed, what steps will be taken to achieve permanency for the child, services to be offered or provided to the child, and, if visitation would be in the best interests of the child, a recommendation to the court regarding visitation between parent and child pending a fact-finding hearing on the termination petition. The agency shall not be required to develop a plan of services for the parents or provide services to the parents.

(4) If there is insufficient information at the time of the disposition hearing upon which to base a determination regarding the suitability of a proposed placement with a relative, the child shall remain in foster care and the court shall direct the supervising agency to conduct necessary background investigations as provided in chapter 74.15 RCW and report the results of such investigation to the court within thirty days. However, if such relative appears otherwise suitable and competent to provide care and treatment, the criminal history background check need not be completed before placement, but as soon as possible after placement. Any placements with relatives, pursuant to this section, shall be contingent upon cooperation by the relative with the agency case plan and compliance with court orders related to the care and supervision of the child including, but not limited to, court orders regarding parent-child contacts and any other conditions imposed by the court. Noncompliance with the case plan or court order shall be grounds for removal of the child from the relative's home, subject to review by the court.

(5) The status of all children found to be dependent shall be reviewed by the court at least every six months from the beginning date of the placement episode or the date dependency is established, whichever is first, at a hearing in which it shall be determined whether court supervision should continue. The review shall include findings regarding the agency and parental completion of disposition plan requirements, and if necessary, revised permanency time limits.

(a) A child shall not be returned home at the review hearing unless the court finds that a reason for removal as set forth in this section no longer exists. The parents, guardian, or legal custodian shall report to the court the efforts they have made to correct the conditions which led to removal. If a child is returned, casework supervision shall continue for a period of six months, at which time there shall be a hearing on the need for continued intervention.

(b) If the child is not returned home, the court shall establish in writing:

(i) Whether reasonable services have been provided to or offered to the parties to facilitate reunion, specifying the services provided or offered;

(ii) Whether the child has been placed in the least-restrictive setting appropriate to the child's needs, including whether consideration has been given to placement with the child's relatives;

(iii) Whether there is a continuing need for placement and whether the placement is appropriate;

(iv) Whether there has been compliance with the case plan by the child, the child's parents, and the agency supervising the placement;

(v) Whether progress has been made toward correcting the problems that necessitated the child's placement in out-of-home care;

(vi) Whether the parents have visited the child and any reasons why visitation has not occurred or has been infrequent;

(vii) Whether additional services are needed to facilitate the return of the child to the child's parents; if so, the court shall order that reasonable services be offered specifying such services; and

(viii) The projected date by which the child will be returned home or other permanent plan of care will be implemented.

(c) The court at the review hearing may order that a petition seeking termination of the parent and child relationship be filed.

Sec. 4. RCW 13.34.145 and 1989 1st ex.s. c 17 s 18 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) In all cases where a child has been placed in substitute care for at least fifteen months, a permanency planning hearing shall be held before the court no later than eighteen months following commencement of the placement episode.

(2) At the permanency planning hearing, the court shall enter findings as required by RCW ((~~13.34.130(4)~~)) 13.34.130(5). In addition the court shall: (a) Approve a permanent plan of care which can include one of the following: Adoption, guardianship, or placement of the child in the home of the child's parent; (b) require filing of a petition for termination of parental rights; or (c) dismiss the dependency, unless the court finds, based on clear, cogent, and convincing evidence, that it is in the best interest of the child to continue the dependency beyond eighteen months, based on a permanent plan of care. Extensions may only be granted in increments of twelve months or less.

(3) The failure of a parent to participate in the court-ordered services or caseplan, to demonstrate substantial improvements in the circumstances that led to the child's removal, or to participate on a regular basis in court-ordered visitation with the child shall give rise to a presumption that there is little likelihood that conditions will be remedied so that the child can be returned to the parent in the near future. Unless the presumption is rebutted by persuasive evidence, the court shall direct the supervising agency to pursue a permanency plan that includes filing a petition for termination of parental rights.

Sec. 5. RCW 13.34.190 and 1990 c 284 s 33 are each amended to read as follows:

After hearings pursuant to RCW 13.34.110, the court may enter an order terminating all parental rights to a child if the court finds that:

(1) The allegations contained in the petition as provided in RCW 13.34.180 (1) through (6) are established by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence; or

(2) RCW 13.34.180 (3) and (4) may be waived because the allegations under RCW 13.34.180 (1), (2), (5), and (6) are established beyond a reasonable doubt; or

((~~(c) [(3)]~~)) (3) The allegation under RCW 13.34.180(7) is established beyond a reasonable doubt. In determining whether RCW 13.34.180 (5) and (6) are established beyond a reasonable doubt, the court shall consider one or more of the following:

(a) Conviction of the parent of rape of the child in the first, second, or third degree as defined in RCW 9A.44.073, 9A.44.076, and 9A.44.079;

(b) Conviction of the parent of criminal mistreatment of the child in the first or second degree as defined in RCW 9A.42.020 or 9A.42.030;

(c) Conviction of the parent of assault of the child in the first or second degree as defined in RCW 9A.36.011 and 9A.36.021;

(d) Conviction of the parent of murder, manslaughter, or homicide by abuse of the child's other parent, sibling, or another child;

(e) A finding by a court that a parent is a sexually violent predator as defined in RCW ((~~9A.88.010~~)) 71.09.020;

(i) Failure of the parent to participate regularly in any court-ordered treatment programs; or

(j) Failure of the parent to maintain regular visitation or other contact with the child contained in a plan designed to reunite the child with the parent; and

((~~(3) [(4)]~~)) (4) Such an order is in the best interests of the child.