Brief Description: Addressing child welfare.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections (originally sponsored by Senators Carrell, Regala, Stevens, Schoesler, Clements and Rasmussen).

Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections
Senate Committee on Ways & Means
House Committee on Early Learning & Children's Services
House Committee on Appropriations

Background: The Department of Social & Health Services (DSHS) is required to investigate
allegations of child abuse or neglect. Upon receipt of a report of child abuse or neglect, DSHS determines whether the report is credible. If the report is not credible, the report is "screened-out" and is not investigated.

If the report is credible, DSHS will conduct an investigation and make a determination as to whether the report is founded, unfounded, or inconclusive. A "founded" report of child abuse or neglect means that, based upon available information, it is more likely than not that child abuse or neglect did occur. Conversely, an "unfounded" report of child abuse or neglect means that, based on available information, it is more likely than not that child abuse or neglect did not occur. A report is determined to be "inconclusive" when DSHS has insufficient evidence to conclude that child abuse or neglect occurred.

Founded and inconclusive reports of child abuse and neglect may be considered by DSHS in licensing child care providers, considering employees by a licensed child care agency, or otherwise authorized by DSHS to care for children.

Current law requires DSHS to purge information related to unfounded referrals in files or reports of child abuse or neglect, over six years old, unless an additional report has been received in the intervening period. Unfounded reports may not be used in licensing and adoption decisions.

In 2006, the Legislature passed 2SHB 3115, which required DSHS to review its policies and make recommendations for improvements to its current practices including the terminology related to referrals and investigative findings, timelines for investigation of referrals and destruction of records related to those investigations, and the disclosure to foster parents of known behavioral issues of children placed in their care.

In response to this charge, DSHS has recommended definitions related to referrals and investigative findings, proposed changes to their practice to ensure information about a child's history is provided to a foster parent, and implementation of a discretionary review process for inconclusive findings of child abuse or neglect.

Summary: Screened-out, inconclusive, and founded reports of child abuse and neglect are defined, and the definition of an unfounded report is amended. A report of child abuse or neglect may no longer be designated as inconclusive. If there is insufficient evidence to determine that child abuse or neglect occurred, the report is unfounded. The definitions section is reorganized in alphabetical order.

DSHS must conduct an investigation of an alleged report of child abuse or neglect within 90 days. At the completion of an investigation, DSHS must make a finding that the report was founded or unfounded.

Time frames are established for the expungement of records, depending on the classification of the report. Records pertaining to an unfounded report of child abuse or neglect or a report designated as inconclusive prior to the effective date of this act must be destroyed within six years of completion of the investigation, unless a prior or subsequent founded report has been received regarding the child who is the subject of the report, a sibling or half-sibling of the child, or a parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the child. A screened-out report must be expunged within three years. An unfounded, screened-out, or inconclusive report of child abuse or neglect may not be disclosed to a child-placing agency, private adoption agency, or any other provider licensed by DSHS and may not be used to deny employment or a license to a foster parent.

A person who is the subject of a report of child abuse or neglect may seek relief from the court if the information is not expunged as required by law. If information is improperly disclosed, the court may award a penalty up to $1,000.

The court is authorized in dependency fact-finding hearings to consider the history of past involvement with child protective services or law enforcement agencies for the purpose of establishing a pattern of conduct, behavior, or inaction with regard to the health, safety, or welfare of the child, or for the purpose of establishing that reasonable efforts have been made to prevent or eliminate the need for removing the child from the home.

DSHS must disclose information about a child to a foster parent including whether the child is a sexually reactive child, has high-risk behaviors, or is physically assaultive or physically aggressive. The terms sexually reactive child, high-risk behavior, and physically assaultive or aggressive are defined.

A foster parent may not be found to have abused or neglected a child or be denied a foster care license if the child was not within the reasonable control of the foster parent at the time of the incident or if prior known conduct of the child was not disclosed to the foster parent and the allegations arise from the child's conduct that is substantially similar to prior conduct of the child.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      43   0
House      97   0   (House amended)
Senate      46   0   (Senate concurred)

Effective:   July 22, 2007
         October 1, 2008 (Sections 1-3)