SSB 5830

HOUSE BILL REPORT
SSB 5830

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As Reported by House Committee On:
Early Learning & Children's Services
Appropriations

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections (originally sponsored by Senators Kauffman, Brown, Rasmussen, Keiser, Kohl-Welles, McAuliffe and Shin).

Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 7 members: Representatives Kagi, Chair; Haler, Ranking Minority Member; Walsh, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Appleton, Hinkle, Pettigrew and Roberts.

Background:

Home visitation programs deliver services in the home to parents and children and aim to alleviate the effects various family risk factors have on child development. Home visitation programs share a focus on the importance of children's early years, the pivotal role parents play in shaping children's lives, and the belief that one of the best ways to reach families with young children is by bringing the services to them, rather than expecting those families to seek assistance in the community. Offering the services in the home eliminates barriers such as transportation and time and provides a more personalized experience by allowing families to interact in a comfortable and natural environment. Current research provides significant evidence of the effectiveness of home visitation programs as an early intervention strategy.

The Legislature created the Washington Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (WCPCAN) and the Children's Trust Fund in 1982. The WCPCAN is a 14-member, Governor appointed council legislated to promote prevention of child abuse and neglect, and to encourage and support effective community prevention efforts.

In 1993, the Legislature enacted HB 1991 authorizing the five agencies comprising the Family Policy Council (the Department of Health, the Department of Social and Health Services, the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Department of Employment Security) to develop a program plan for the Home Health Visitor Program for the purpose of preventing child abuse and neglect. Due to funding constraints and other limitations, however, no coordinated program of home visitation services was implemented.

Summary of Amended Bill:

Definitions for the terms evidence-based, home visitation, and research-based are created.

Within available funds, the Children's Trust of Washington is granted authority to fund evidence-based and research-based home visitation programs designed to improve parenting skills and outcomes for children. The home visitation programs must be voluntary and be directed to serve families at high risk. The Children's Trust of Washington shall develop a plan with the Department of Social and Health Services, the Department of Health, the Department of Early Learning, and the Family Policy Council to coordinate or consolidate home visitation services for children and families and report to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2007, with their recommendations for implementation of the plan.

The Home Visitor Program in the Department of Health statute is repealed.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:

The amended bill removes "no parent fluent in English" as a risk factor for having a greater chance of failure in school, adds improving school readiness as an outcome for parents and children involved in home visitation programs, and removes the child abuse or neglect language specifying the kind of families at-risk that home visitation services are intended to serve. The amended bill also adds a new definitions section to be applied to this act including terms for evidence-based, home visitation, and research-based. In addition the amended bill removes heterogeneous populations as a required component of random controlled trials in the definition of evidence-based, and authorizes the Children's Trust of Washington to fund evidence-based and research-based home visitation programs for improving parenting skills and outcomes for children. The amended bill directs the Children's Trust of Washington, the Department of Social and Health Services, the Department of Health, the Department of Early Learning, and the Family Policy Council to develop a plan to coordinate or consolidate home visitation services for children and families and report to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2007, with recommendations for implementation of the plan, and changes the name of the Washington Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect to the Children's Trust of Washington.

Effective Date of Amended Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) Having home visitation services available for families, particularly low-income families and families with limited English proficiency, is really important. The home visitation programs are voluntary.

Parents As Teachers has always paralleled their programs with First Steps serving high-risk women and children, prenatal up to age 3. Home visitors support parents and educate them about their child's developmental milestones. Thus far the program has been funded by grants but hopes to have more sustainable funding.

The WCPCAN has a 25-year history of investing in a variety of home visitation and parent education programs that are voluntary and support parents. Home visitations have a variety of target outcomes including preventing child abuse and neglect, parent-child bond, school readiness, child health, knowledge of child development, and early detection of developmental delays.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Senator Kauffman, prime sponsor; Laura Wells, Fight Crime: Invest in Youth; Chief Sam Granato, City of Yakima, Police Department; Linda Clark and Mary Brown, Providence Sound Home Care Maternal Child Health; Dr. Jill Sells, Docs for Tots; Kristen Rogers, Washington Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect; and Kathy Zeisel, Parents as Teachers and Parent Trust for Washington Children.

Majority Report: Do pass as amended by Committee on Early Learning & Children's Services. Signed by 29 members: Representatives Sommers, Chair; Dunshee, Vice Chair; Alexander, Ranking Minority Member; Bailey, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Haler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Buri, Chandler, Cody, Conway, Darneille, Ericks, Fromhold, Grant, Haigh, Hunt, Hunter, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, Kretz, Linville, McDonald, McIntire, Morrell, Pettigrew, Priest, Schual-Berke, Seaquist and P. Sullivan.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 2 members: Representatives Anderson and Dunn.

Summary of Recommendation of Committee On Appropriations Compared to Recommendation of Committee On Early Learning & Children's Services:

No new changes were recommended.

Effective Date of Amended Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This is a crime prevention bill. The research is extremely clear that evidence-based intensive home visitation programs for at-risk children and families increases the likelihood that children will enter kindergarten with the social and emotional skills needed to succeed in school. These services decrease the likelihood that children will engage in crime and violence later in their lives.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Laura Wells, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids; and Kristen Rogers, Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.