BILL REQ. #: H-3772.1
State of Washington | 58th Legislature | 2004 Regular Session |
Prefiled 1/9/2004. Read first time 01/12/2004. Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services.
AN ACT Relating to visitation for children in foster care; adding a new section to chapter 13.34 RCW; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that contact between
children in foster care and their biological families is an important
component of the well-being and successful development of those
children. Visitation helps to alleviate the fears and anxieties that
many children in foster care experience, and thereby improves relations
and interactions between the children and both their foster and
biological families. Visitation can also improve the likelihood of
successful, lasting reunifications by providing the framework for the
development of appropriate parent-child relationships.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 13.34 RCW
to read as follows:
The department of social and health services shall develop
consistent policies and protocols, based on current relevant research,
concerning visitation for children in foster care to be implemented
consistently throughout the state. The department shall develop the
policies and protocols in consultation with researchers in the field
and community-based agencies who provide related services in the state.
The policies and protocols shall include, but not be limited to: The
structure, quality, and frequency of visitations; and training for
caseworkers, visitation supervisors, and foster parents related to
visitation.
The policies and protocols shall be consistent with the provisions
of this chapter and implementation of the policies and protocols shall
be consistent with relevant orders of the court.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 The department of social and health services
shall implement the policies and protocols required under section 2 of
this act across the state by January 1, 2005.