S-3813.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6709

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington   57th Legislature        2002 Regular Session

By Senators Eide, Costa, Rasmussen, Thibaudeau, Prentice, Fraser, Kohl‑Welles, McAuliffe, Haugen and Keiser

Read first time 01/28/2002.  Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.

Addressing service and education planning for children in out-of-home care.

    AN ACT Relating to coordinated service and education planning for children in out-of-home care; adding a new section to chapter 74.13 RCW; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The department, in cooperation with the office of superintendent of public instruction, shall prepare a proposal for consideration by the legislature to address the issue of educational stability and continuity for children who are in short‑term out‑of‑home placement.  For the purposes of this proposal, "short-term out-of-home  placement" means a placement of fewer than seventy-five days.  The department shall also consult with representatives of school districts and entities that regularly advocate on behalf of persons who are foster children and foster parents.

    (2) The proposal shall address the best interests of children in short‑term out‑of‑home care and recommend options for reducing adverse impacts on learning stability and educational continuity of those children.  The proposal shall consider:  (a) When, and under what circumstances, efforts should be made to maintain children in short‑term out‑of‑home care as enrolled students in the district in which they were enrolled prior to placement in out‑of‑home care; (b) upon whom any costs associated with transportation from their out‑of‑home care residence to the school should be placed; (c) what arrangements should be made regarding children who had been in private school or receiving home-based instruction; (d) appropriate coordination of departmental and judicial scheduling and decision making to reduce the adverse impacts on the educational status of children in short‑term out‑of‑home care; (e) any needed regulatory and statutory changes needed to implement the proposal; and (f) the circumstances under which it would be appropriate to transfer the child's enrolled status to a district other than that in which she or he had been enrolled.

    (3) The proposal shall be submitted to the governor and the legislature not later than October 1, 2002.

    (4) This section expires January 1, 2003.

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