Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Early Learning & Human Services Committee

SB 6287

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.

Brief Description: Making technical changes regarding the department of children, youth, and families.

Sponsors: Senators Darneille, O'Ban, Carlyle, Zeiger and Saldaña; by request of Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Makes technical changes regarding the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).

  • Limits the extent to which the Oversight Board for the DCYF is subject to the Open Public Meetings Act when disclosure or information is otherwise confidential under state or federal law.

Hearing Date: 2/23/18

Staff: Luke Wickham (786-7146).

Background:

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

A new state agency, called the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), was created last summer.  The Secretary of the DCYF (Secretary) has the responsibility to work with the Governor's Office, the Office of Financial Management, the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), the Department of Early Learning (DEL), and other impacted agencies to plan for the implementation of the DCYF and oversee the Office of Innovation, Alignment, and Accountability (OIAA) until the early learning and child welfare functions are transferred to the DCYF on July 1, 2018; on that date, the Secretary will appoint a separate Director of the OIAA.

The stated intent of creating this new agency is to improve the delivery of services and the outcomes for children and families through delivery of these services by housing early learning, child welfare, and juvenile justice services in the same agency. The DCYF must establish outcome measure goals and report to the Legislature on these outcome measures and progress toward these goals no less than annually. The outcome measures include:

The DCYF must lead ongoing work to minimize or eliminate systemic barriers to effective, integrated services across state agencies serving children, youth, and families and help the state create a data-focused environment in which there are aligned outcomes and shared accountability for those outcomes. Performance data for the DCYF must be available to the public beginning December 30, 2018.  No funds may be expended by the DCYF on renewed or new contracted programs unless using performance-based contracts.  The DCYF must report on outcome measures, actions taken, progress toward these goals, and plans for the future year no less than annually. 

On July 1, 2018, the DEL is eliminated, and the functions performed by that agency are moved to the DCYF. On July 1, 2018, the child welfare functions of the DSHS move from the DSHS to the DCYF. On July 1, 2019, the juvenile justice functions of the DSHS Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) division move from the DSHS to the DCYF.

Office of Innovation, Alignment, and Accountability.

An OIAA is created within the DCYF with the primary duty of developing and presenting a plan for the establishment of the DCYF. The OIAA developed this plan in December 2017.

The OIAA also developed a report on how to incorporate the staff determining eligibility for the Working Connections Child Care program and other elements of that program into the DCYF.

Beginning July 1, 2018, the functions of the OIAA will include:

Oversight Board for the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

The OFCO must establish the Oversight Board for the DCYF (Oversight Board) for the purpose of monitoring and ensuring that the DCYF achieves its stated outcomes. The Oversight Board assumes the duties of the Legislative Children's Oversight Committee from July 1, 2018, to July 1, 2019, and assumes its full duties beginning July 1, 2019. The Oversight Board includes:

The nonlegislative members of the Oversight Board are nominated by the Governor, subject to approval of the appointed legislators by majority vote, and serve four-year terms. 

The Oversight Board has the following powers:

The Oversight Board must maintain a staff not to exceed one full-time employee and a board-selected executive director. The Legislative Children's Oversight Committee is eliminated on July 1, 2019.

The Oversight Board may review decisions made by the internal review process for reviewing child care facility licensing compliance agreements developed by the DCYF that do not involve violations of health and safety standards and overturn, change, or uphold those decisions.

Summary of Bill:

The bill makes technical corrections relating to the creation of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) including the following:

The extent to which the Oversight Board is subject to the Open Public Meetings Act is limited when disclosure of records or information is otherwise confidential under state or federal law.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect July 1, 2018.