Read first time 01/28/2005.   Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.

     AN ACT Relating to older children who are victims of abuse or neglect; and adding new sections to chapter 26.44 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 26.44 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Within existing resources, the department shall develop a curriculum designed to train staff of the department's children's administration who assess or provide services to adolescents on how to screen and respond to referrals to child protective services when those referrals may involve victims of abuse or neglect between the ages of eleven and eighteen. At a minimum, the curriculum developed pursuant to this section shall include:
     (a) Review of relevant laws and regulations, including the requirement that the department investigate complaints if a parent's or caretaker's actions result in serious physical or emotional harm or present an imminent risk of serious harm to any person under eighteen;
     (b) Review of policies of the department's children's administration that require assessment and screening of abuse and neglect referrals on the basis of risk and not age;
     (c) Explanation of safety assessment and risk assessment models;
     (d) Case studies of situations in which the department has received reports of alleged abuse or neglect of older children and adolescents;
     (e) Discussion of best practices in screening and responding to referrals involving older children and adolescents; and
     (f) Discussion of how abuse and neglect referrals related to adolescents are investigated and when law enforcement must be notified.
     (2) As it develops its curriculum pursuant to this section, the department shall request that the office of the family and children's ombudsman review and comment on its proposed training materials. The department shall consider the comments and recommendations of the office of the family and children's ombudsman as it develops the curriculum required by this section.
     (3) The department shall complete the curriculum materials required by this section no later than December 31, 2005.
     (4) Within existing resources, the department shall incorporate training on the curriculum developed pursuant to this section into existing training for child protective services workers who screen intake calls, children's administration staff responsible for assessing or providing services to older children and adolescents, and all new employees of the children's administration responsible for assessing or providing services to older children and adolescents.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 26.44 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department shall review a sampling of the screening decisions by child protective services related to children between the ages of eleven and eighteen on a quarterly basis through June 30, 2007. The sampling shall consist of not less than the proportionate share of the two and one-half percent of all screening decisions regularly reviewed by the department that are related to children between the ages of eleven and eighteen. The sampling shall be representative of the diversity of screening decisions related to children between the ages of eleven and eighteen.
     (2) The department shall use the results of the quarterly reviews required by this section to improve practice and to improve the curriculum required by section 1 of this act. The department shall also report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature on the quarterly reviews required by this section on August 1, 2006, and August 1, 2007.