SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5252
BYSenators 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
Senate Hearing Date(s):January 22, 1987; January 26, 1987
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5252 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and refer to Committee on Ways & Means.
Signed by Senators Gaspard, Chairman; Bauer, Vice Chairman; Rinehart, Vice Chairman; Bailey, Bender, Benitz, Craswell, Patterson, Saling, Smitherman, Warnke.
Senate Staff:Larry Davis (786-7422)
February 24, 1987
Senate Committee on Ways & Means
Senate Hearing Date(s):February 10, 1987; February 11, 1987
Majority Report: That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5252 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators McDermott, Chairman; Gaspard, Vice Chairman; Bauer, Lee, McDonald, Moore, Owen, Rasmussen, Saling, Talmadge, Williams, Wojahn.
Senate Staff:Suzanne Petersen (786-7715)
February 12, 1987
AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS, FEBRUARY 11, 1987
BACKGROUND:
Child abuse and neglect is becoming more widely 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 a coordinated child abuse and neglect prevention program can help respond to this important issue.
SUMMARY:
Legislative intent is declared to make education and training on child abuse and neglect issues available to parents and children from age preschool through high school, and to make such education and training available at least three times during a student's school career.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) is directed to implement and administer a primary prevention program for child abuse and neglect, in cooperation with the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and the Department of Community Development (DCD). The DSHS is directed to consult in the development of the program as it relates to licensed day care providers. The DCD shall provide assistance in the development of the primary prevention program as it relates to the state early childhood education and assistance program.
The primary prevention program shall include a number of provisions, including: parent, teacher and children's workshops on child abuse and neglect issues; training for licensed day care providers; and child safety training and age-appropriate self-defense techniques.
Training methods under the primary prevention program may include, but are not limited to, printed materials, telecommunications, orientations, and workshops. Parents must be notified of the primary prevention program and may refuse their children's participation in the program.
Appropriation: $225,000 for the Superintendent of Public Instruction; $125,000 for the Department of Social and Health Services.
Fiscal Note: available
EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:
Legislative intent is declared to make available to children, parents, school employees, and licensed day care providers education and training on child abuse and neglect prevention.
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is made the lead agency among OSPI, the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), and the Department of Community Development (DCD) for selecting, implementing, and administering a coordinated primary prevention program for child abuse and neglect.
Under the coordinated program, primary responsibility for the provision of child abuse and neglect education for preschool age children and their parents is granted to DSHS, for children served by state licensed day care providers, and to DCD, for children participating in the state early childhood education and assistance program. The OSPI shall be responsible for the provision of child abuse and neglect education and training within the common school system (K-12).
The OSPI, the DSHS, and the DCD are directed, prior to selection of the primary prevention program, to consider a number of possible elements for inclusion in the program, including but not limited to: workshops on child abuse and neglect issues for children, parents and teachers; training for licensed day care providers, and child safety training.
School districts are encouraged to provide child abuse and neglect education and training to students at least three times during a student's school career. The primary prevention program shall not be part of the basic program of education the state must fund.
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 directed to give priority consideration to participating in the state primary prevention program, or developing and implementing their own program, or continuing with an existing local child abuse and neglect education and prevention program.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction is required to share with the DSHS and the DCD information about child abuse and neglect curriculum, which must be collected and disseminated by SPI through the state clearinghouse for education information, and the DSHS and the DCD are required to share relevant information with the OSPI.
An appropriation of $25,000 is included for the Department of Community Development, in addition to $225,000 for the SPI and $125,000 for the Department of Social and Health Services.
Language is retained which permits training methods under the state primary prevention program to include: printed materials, telecommunications, orientations, and workshops. Language is also retained which requires parents to be notified of the primary prevention program and which authorizes parents to refuse to allow their child or children to participate in the program.
A severability clause is added.
EFFECT OF PROPOSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE:
The Department of Community Development (DCD) will also be responsible for child abuse and neglect prevention education for preschool age children participating in the federal Head Start program.
Senate Committee - Testified: EDUCATION: Senator Cliff Bailey, sponsor; Seth Dawson, Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney; Bruce Agnew, Chairman, Snohomish County Council; Shirley Johnson, parent; Bill France, Open Door Theatre; Mary Frost, Department of Community Development; Judy Hartmann, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; Karen Tvedt, Department of Social and Health Services
Senate Committee - Testified: WAYS & MEANS: Senator Bailey, sponsor; Seth Dawson, Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney; Bruce Agnew, Snohomish County Council; Kit Tokuda, Executive Director, Washington Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect; Alice Ray-Keil, Executive Director, Committee for Children