AN
ACT Relating to evaluating children within the foster care agency caseload; and
amending RCW 74.14A.050.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec.
1. RCW
74.14A.050 and 2000 c 232 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
The
secretary shall:
(1)(a)
Consult with relevant qualified professionals to develop a set of minimum
guidelines to be used for identifying all children who are in a state-assisted
support system, whether at-home or out-of-home, who are likely to need
long-term care or assistance, because they face physical, emotional, medical,
mental, or other long-term challenges;
(b)
The guidelines must, at a minimum, consider the following criteria for
identifying children in need of long-term care or assistance:
(i)
Placement within the foster care system for two years or more;
(ii)
Multiple foster care placements;
(iii)
Repeated unsuccessful efforts to be placed with a permanent adoptive family;
(iv)
Chronic behavioral or educational problems;
(v)
Repetitive criminal acts or offenses;
(vi)
Failure to comply with court-ordered disciplinary actions and other imposed
guidelines of behavior, including drug and alcohol rehabilitation; and
(vii)
Chronic physical, emotional, medical, mental, or other similar conditions
necessitating long-term care or assistance;
(2)
Develop programs that are necessary for the long-term care of children and
youth that are identified for the purposes of this section. Programs must:
(a) Effectively address the educational, physical, emotional, mental, and
medical needs of children and youth; and (b) incorporate an array of family
support options, to individual needs and choices of the child and family. The
programs must be ready for implementation by January 1, 1995;
(3)
Conduct an evaluation of all children currently within the foster care agency
caseload to identify those children who meet the criteria set forth in this
section. ((The evaluation shall be completed by January 1, 1994.)) All
children entering the foster care system ((after January 1, 1994,)) must
be evaluated for identification of long-term needs within thirty days of
placement;
(4)
As a result of the passage of chapter 232, Laws of 2000, the department is
conducting a pilot project to do a comparative analysis of a variety of
assessment instruments to determine the most effective tools and methods for
evaluation of children. The pilot project may extend through August 31, 2001.
The department shall report to the appropriate committees in the senate and
house of representatives by September 30, 2001, on the results of the pilot
project. The department shall select an assessment instrument that can be
implemented within available resources. The department shall complete
statewide implementation by December 31, 2001. The department shall report to
the appropriate committees in the senate and house of representatives on how
the use of the selected assessment instrument has affected department policies,
by no later than December 31, 2002, December 31, 2004, and December 31, 2006;
(5)
Use the assessment tool developed pursuant to subsection (4) of this section in
making out-of-home placement decisions for children;
(6)
By region, report to the legislature on the following using aggregate data
every six months beginning December 31, 2000:
(a)
The number of children evaluated during the first thirty days of placement as
required in subsection (3) of this section;
(b)
The tool or tools used to evaluate children, including the content of the tool
and the method by which the tool was validated;
(c)
The findings from the evaluation regarding the children's needs;
(d)
How the department used the results of the evaluation to provide services to
the foster child to meet his or her needs; and
(e)
Whether and how the evaluation results assisted the department in providing
appropriate services to the child, matching the child with an appropriate care
provider early on in the child's placement and achieving the child's permanency
plan in a timely fashion((.));
(((5)))
(7) Each region of the department shall make the appropriate number of
referrals to the foster care assessment program to ensure that the services
offered by the program are used to the extent funded pursuant to the
department's contract with the program. The department shall report to the
legislature by November 30, 2000, on the number of referrals, by region, to the
foster care assessment program. If the regions are not referring an adequate
number of cases to the program, the department shall include in its report an
explanation of what action it is or has taken to ensure that the referrals are
adequate((.));
(((6)))
(8) The department shall report to the legislature by December 15, 2000,
on how it will use the foster care assessment program model to assess children
as they enter out-of-home care((.));
(((7)))
(9) The department is to accomplish the tasks listed in subsections (4)
through (((6))) (8) of this section within existing resources((.));
(((8)))
(10) Study and develop a comprehensive plan for the evaluation and
identification of all children and youth in need of long-term care or
assistance, including, but not limited to, the mentally ill, developmentally
disabled, medically fragile, seriously emotionally or behaviorally disabled,
and physically impaired;
(((9)))
(11) Study and develop a plan for the children and youth in need of
long-term care or assistance to ensure the coordination of services between the
department's divisions and between other state agencies who are involved with
the child or youth;
(((10)))
(12) Study and develop guidelines for transitional services, between
long-term care programs, based on the person's age or mental, physical, emotional,
or medical condition; and
(((11)))
(13) Study and develop a statutory proposal for the emancipation of
minors.
