BILL REQ. #:  H-1756.2 

Read first time 02/10/09.   Referred to Committee on Early Learning & Children's Services.

     AN ACT Relating to improving child welfare outcomes through the phased implementation of strategic and proven reforms; adding a new section 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 extensive research conducted by the Washington state institute for public policy demonstrates the potential for appreciable savings in the state's child welfare budget by deploying a core set of evidence-based and promising programs designed to strengthen families and prevent children from entering the foster care system. The legislature further finds that achieving improved outcomes for child safety and long-term family strength and well-being requires renewed thinking and a greater emphasis on evidence-based and promising prevention services, earlier positive engagement with parents and children, and more effective partnerships with communities and private partners. The legislature also finds that the goal of achieving lasting change in the state's child welfare system requires building and sustaining the serving capacity of evidence-based and promising programs through the reinvestment of savings from reduced foster care caseloads. The legislature further finds that implementation of these reforms should be approached through collaborative analysis and planning that includes the relevant state agencies, community partners, and other stakeholders. The legislature intends to direct the development of a plan for the first phase of implementation to begin January 1, 2010.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 74.13 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The children's administration within the department of social and health services shall collaborate with community partners and stakeholders in one demonstration region to jointly develop a plan for implementation of a core set of performance-based contracts to provide an array of evidence-based and promising prevention and early intervention services to children and families who are at risk for an out-of-home placement or the filing of a dependency petition. The implementation plan must describe: (a) What services should be delivered under the contracts in order to assure providers have the flexibility to provide adequate, appropriate, and relevant evidence-based and promising services to individual families; (b) what outcome measures will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of performance under the contracts; (c) how families will be referred to contracted providers, including the protocols for continued communication or coordination between providers and the children's administration in order to assure child safety and well-being and to promote the family's engagement; and (d) the optimum balance of shared responsibility for child protection and child welfare between the state and community-based providers, including a description of the core functions to be performed by each. In selecting the first demonstration region, the children's administration shall consider the capacity for regionwide delivery of an array of evidence-based and promising prevention and early intervention services to children and families, paying particular attention to the research developed by the Washington state institute for public policy; the willingness and ability of the community and stakeholders to collaborate in development of a plan by the reporting date; and whether the region includes any existing multidisciplinary or multisystem work groups engaged in performance improvement or reform efforts. The children's administration shall report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by November 30, 2009, with a plan to begin implementation January 1, 2010. Not later than December 1, 2010, the children's administration shall provide the governor and the legislature with a status update and recommendations for continued progress.
     (2) One or more knowledgeable representatives from the agencies listed in this subsection, jointly, shall develop the procedures necessary for the reinvestment in the demonstration region of savings resulting from reduced foster care caseloads in the demonstration region into evidence-based early intervention and prevention programs designed to prevent the need for or reduce the duration of foster care placements by keeping children safely in their homes. The following agencies shall brief the governor and the legislature by November 30, 2009, regarding the accounting, budgeting, and allocation or other procedures developed to begin implementing the reinvestment strategy beginning January 1, 2010:
     (a) The caseload forecast council;
     (b) The department of social and health services; and
     (c) The office of financial management.