FINAL BILL REPORT
HB 1991
C 179 L 93
Synopsis as Enacted
Brief Description: Authorizing the home health visitor program to address child abuse and neglect.
By Representatives Flemming, Leonard, Karahalios, Kessler, Eide, J. Kohl, Riley, Dunshee, G. Cole, Veloria, Roland, Patterson, Wolfe, Wang, Johanson, H. Myers, Carlson, Dyer, L. Johnson, Jones, Quall, Rayburn, Springer, Holm and Ogden.
House Committee on Human Services
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
Background: The Department of Health, the Department of Social and Health Services, the Department of Community Development, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Employment Security Department function cooperatively with the Legislature as the Family Policy Council. These agencies provide a number of community-based programs that serve families considered at high risk of child abuse or neglect.
Summary: The five agencies who comprise the Family Policy Council will develop a program plan for the Home Health Visitor Program. The primary purpose of this program is to prevent child abuse and neglect through the provision of selected educational and supportive services to "high risk" parents of newborns.
Requirements for the program are that: it be community-based; it include early, hospital-based screening; it include an in-home outreach and support program; and it demonstrate effective coordination between the existing community-based service programs that also serve this population.
The program plan will include: an estimate and description of the groups to be served; a detailed screening process; a description of the services to be provided; staffing parameters, evaluation methods and expected outcomes; cost estimates for both a statewide program and selected site; and phased-in pilot programs. The plan is to be developed and presented to the appropriate legislative committees no later than December 1, 1993.
Votes on Final Passage:
House 89 9
Senate 38 5
Effective: April 30, 1993