HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2857

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                 Children & Family Services

Title:  An act relating to parent and child assistance.

Brief Description:  Creating the parent and child assistance program.

Sponsors:  Representatives Cooke, Tokuda, Brown, Dyer, Lisk, Horn, Chopp, Linville, Patterson and Conway.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Children & Family Services:  2/1/96, 2/2/96 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Cooke, Chairman; Lambert, Vice Chairman; Stevens, Vice Chairman; Tokuda, Ranking Minority Member; Brown, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Boldt; Buck; Carrell; Dickerson; Patterson and Sterk.

Staff:  David Knutson (786-7146).

Background:  Women with chemical or alcohol addictions who are pregnant or parenting place their babies at high risk of serious health problems.  There are limited services available for these women to help them change their unhealthy behavior and to raise healthy babies.

Summary of Bill:  The Department of Social and Health Services will contract for case management and related services to new mothers.  These services will be designed to help new mothers modify unhealthy behaviors and raise healthy children. 

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 24, 1996.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This program is based on a successful project that treated addicted women who gave birth to drug addicted babies.  It should be funded and operated in three communities around the state.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  (Pro) Ken Stark, DASA; Therese Grant, Birth to Three project; Carryn D. Johnson, advocate for Birth to Three; Mary Gallagher, graduate of Birth to Three; Lonnie Johns-Brown, Washington Women's Health Care Coalition; and Ruth Kagi, Lauria Grace Committee.