FINAL BILL REPORT

2SSB 5252

                                  C 489 L 87

BYSenate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Bailey, Saling, Gaspard, Lee, Kiskaddon, von Reichbauer, Zimmerman, Bender, Rinehart, Bauer, Smitherman, Vognild, Nelson, Johnson and Moore)

Establishing a primary prevention program for child abuse and neglect.

Senate Committee on Education and Committee on Ways & Means

House Committe on Human Services

Rereferred House Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Child abuse and neglect is recognized as a serious social problem.  Current law requires professional school personnel (including teachers, counselors, administrators, and school nurses), child care facility personnel, social workers, psychologists, registered or licensed nurses, pharmacists, and practitioners (including dentists, optometrists, and physicians) to report suspected incidents of child abuse within 48 hours to the proper law enforcement agency or to the Department of Social and Health Services.  It is suggested that establishing a coordinated primary prevention program for child abuse and neglect may help respond to this important issue.

SUMMARY:

Legislative intent is to make education and training on child abuse and neglect prevention available to children, parents, school employees, and licensed day care providers.

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is the lead agency and will assist the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), and the Department of Community Development (DCD) in establishing a coordinated primary prevention program for child abuse and neglect.

The Department of Community Development will have primary responsibility for providing child abuse and neglect prevention training to preschool age children participating in the federal Head Start program or the state Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program.

The Department of Social and Health Services will have primary responsibility for providing child abuse and neglect prevention training to parents and licensed child day care providers of preschool age children participating in state licensed day care programs.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction will have responsibility for providing child abuse and neglect prevention training within the common school system.

In developing the program, consideration will be given to a number of possible elements for inclusion in the program, including:  workshops on child abuse and neglect issues for children, parents and teachers; training for licensed day care providers, and child safety training.  Parents must be notified of the primary prevention program and may refuse their children's participation in the program.

The primary prevention program shall not be part of the basic program of education and shall be voluntary.

Each school district is required to develop a written policy regarding the district's role and responsibility relating to the prevention of child abuse and neglect.  Each district is required, within the resources available to it, to participate in the state primary prevention program, or develop and implement its own program, or continue with an existing local child abuse and neglect education and prevention program.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction, DSHS and DCD are required to share information about child abuse and neglect.  The SPI must collect and disseminate through the state clearinghouse for education information, information about child abuse and neglect.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      Senate    48     0

      House 98   0 (House amended)

      Senate    46     0 (Senate concurred)

EFFECTIVE:July 26, 1987