| Passed by the House April 21, 2003 Yeas 97 FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 9, 2003 Yeas 45 BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Cynthia Zehnder, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1058 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. CYNTHIA ZEHNDER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
| Approved May 7, 2003. GARY LOCKE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | May 7, 2003 - 2:26 p.m. Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 58th Legislature | 2003 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/07/03.
AN ACT Relating to educational attainment of children in foster care; adding new sections to chapter 74.13 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that the educational
attainment of children in foster care is significantly lower than that
of children not in foster care. The legislature finds that many
factors influence educational outcomes for children in foster care,
including the disruption of the educational process because of
repeatedly changing schools.
The legislature recognizes the importance of educational stability
for foster children, and encourages the ongoing efforts of the
department of social and health services and the office of the
superintendent of public instruction to improve educational attainment
of children in foster care. It is the intent of the legislature that
efforts continue such as the recruitment of foster homes in school
districts with high rates of foster care placements, the development
and dissemination of informational materials regarding the challenges
faced by children in foster care, and the expansion to other school
districts of best practices identified in pilot projects.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW
to read as follows:
It is the policy of the state of Washington that, whenever
practical and in the best interest of the child, children placed into
foster care shall remain enrolled in the schools they were attending at
the time they entered foster care.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW
to read as follows:
The administrative regions of the department shall develop
protocols with the respective school districts in their regions
specifying specific strategies for communication, coordination, and
collaboration regarding the status and progress of foster children
placed in the region, in order to maximize the educational continuity
and achievement for foster children. The protocols shall include
methods to assure effective sharing of information consistent with RCW
28A.225.330.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The department shall establish an oversight committee composed
of staff from the children's administration of the department, the
office of the superintendent of public instruction, and advocacy
agencies to develop strategies for maintaining foster children in the
schools they were attending at the time they entered foster care.
(2) The duties of the oversight committee shall include, but are
not limited to:
(a) Developing strategies for school-based recruitment of foster
homes;
(b) Monitoring the progress of current pilot projects that assist
foster children to continue attending the schools they were attending
at the time they entered foster care;
(c) Overseeing the expansion of the number of pilot projects;
(d) Promoting the use of best practices, throughout the state,
demonstrated by the pilot projects and other programs relating to
maintaining foster children in the schools they were attending at the
time they entered foster care; and
(e) Informing the legislature of the status of efforts to maintain
foster children in the schools they were attending at the time they
entered foster care.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW
to read as follows:
The department shall work with the administrative office of the
courts to develop protocols to ensure that educational stability is
addressed during the shelter care hearing.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6 A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW
to read as follows:
The department shall perform the tasks provided in sections 2
through 5 of this act based on available resources.