AN ACT Relating to termination of the parent and child relationship; amending RCW 13.34.190; and reenacting and amending RCW 13.34.130 and 13.34.180.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 13.34.130 and 1995 c 313 s 2, 1995 c 311 s 19, and 1995 c 53 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

If, after a fact-finding hearing pursuant to RCW 13.34.110, it has been proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the child is dependent within the meaning of RCW 13.34.030; after consideration of the predisposition report prepared pursuant to RCW 13.34.110 and after a disposition hearing has been held pursuant to RCW 13.34.110, the court shall enter an order of disposition pursuant to this section.

(1) The court shall order one of the following dispositions of the case:

(a) Order a disposition other than removal of the child from his or her home, which shall provide a program designed to alleviate the immediate danger to the child, to mitigate or cure any damage the child has already suffered, and to aid the parents so that the child will not be endangered in the future. In selecting a program, the court should choose those services that least interfere with family autonomy, provided that the services are adequate to protect the child.

(b) Order that the child be removed from his or her home and ordered into the custody, control, and care of a relative or the department of social and health services or a licensed child placing agency for placement in a foster family home or group care facility licensed pursuant to chapter 74.15 RCW or in a home not required to be licensed pursuant to chapter 74.15 RCW. Unless there is reasonable cause to believe that the safety or welfare of the child would be jeopardized or that efforts to reunite the parent and child will be hindered, such child shall be placed with a person who is related to the child as defined in RCW 74.15.020(4)(a) and with whom the child has a relationship and is comfortable, and who is willing and available to care for the child. Placement of the child with a relative under this subsection shall be given preference by the court. An order for out-of-home placement may be made only if the court finds that reasonable efforts have been made to prevent or eliminate the need for removal of the child from the child's home and to make it possible for the child to return home, specifying the services that have been provided to the child and the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian, and that preventive services have been offered or provided and have failed to prevent the need for out-of-home placement, unless the health, safety, and welfare of the child cannot be protected adequately in the home, and that:

(i) There is no parent or guardian available to care for such child;

(ii) The parent, guardian, or legal custodian is not willing to take custody of the child;

(iii) The court finds, by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence, a manifest danger exists that the child will suffer serious abuse or neglect if the child is not removed from the home and an order under RCW 26.44.063 would not protect the child from danger; or

(iv) The extent of the child's disability is such that the parent, guardian, or legal custodian is unable to provide the necessary care for the child and the parent, guardian, or legal custodian has determined that the child would benefit from placement outside of the home.

(2) If the court has ordered a child removed from his or her home pursuant to subsection (1)(b) of this section, the court may order that a petition seeking termination of the parent and child relationship be filed if the court finds it is recommended by the supervising agency, that it is in the best interests of the child and that it is not reasonable to provide further services to reunify the family because the existence of aggravated circumstances make it unlikely that services will effectuate the return of the child to the child's parents in the near future. In determining whether aggravated circumstances exist, the court shall consider one or more of the following:

(a) Conviction of the parent of rape of the child in the first, second, or third degree as defined in RCW 9A.44.073, 9A.44.076, and 9A.44.079;

(b) Conviction of the parent of criminal mistreatment of the child in the first or second degree as defined in RCW 9A.42.020 and 9A.42.030;

(c) Conviction of the parent of one of the following assault crimes, when the child is the victim: Assault in the first or second degree as defined in RCW 9A.36.011 and 9A.36.021 or assault of a child in the first or second degree as defined in RCW 9A.36.120 or 9A.36.130;

(d) Conviction of the parent of murder, manslaughter, or homicide by abuse of the child's other parent, sibling, or another child;

(e) A finding by a court that a parent is a sexually violent predator as defined in RCW 71.09.020;

(f) Failure of the parent to complete available treatment ordered under this chapter or the equivalent laws of another state, where such failure has resulted in a prior termination of parental rights to another child and the parent has failed to effect significant change in the interim.

(3) Whenever a child is ordered removed from the child's home, the agency charged with his or her care shall provide the court with:

(a) A permanency plan of care that shall identify one of the following outcomes as a primary goal and may identify additional outcomes as alternative goals: Return of the child to the home of the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian; adoption; guardianship; or long-term relative or foster care, until the child is age eighteen, with a written agreement between the parties and the care provider; and independent living, if appropriate and if the child is age sixteen or older. Whenever a permanency plan identifies independent living as a goal, the plan shall also specifically identify the services that will be provided to assist the child to make a successful transition from foster care to independent living. Before the court approves independent living as a permanency plan of care, the court shall make a finding that the provision of services to assist the child in making a transition from foster care to independent living will allow the child to manage his or her financial affairs and to manage his or her personal, social, educational, and nonfinancial affairs. The department shall not discharge a child to an independent living situation before the child is eighteen years of age unless the child becomes emancipated pursuant to chapter 13.64 RCW.

(b) Unless the court has ordered, pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, that a termination petition be filed, a specific plan as to where the child will be placed, what steps will be taken to return the child home, and what actions the agency will take to maintain parent-child ties. All aspects of the plan shall include the goal of achieving permanence for the child.

(i) The agency plan shall specify what services the parents will be offered in order to enable them to resume custody, what requirements the parents must meet in order to resume custody, and a time limit for each service plan and parental requirement.

(ii) The agency shall be required to encourage the maximum parent-child contact possible, including regular visitation and participation by the parents in the care of the child while the child is in placement. Visitation may be limited or denied only if the court determines that such limitation or denial is necessary to protect the child's health, safety, or welfare.

(iii) A child shall be placed as close to the child's home as possible, preferably in the child's own neighborhood, unless the court finds that placement at a greater distance is necessary to promote the child's or parents' well-being.

(iv) The agency charged with supervising a child in placement shall provide all reasonable services that are available within the agency, or within the community, or those services which the department of social and health services has existing contracts to purchase. It shall report to the court if it is unable to provide such services.

(c) If the court has ordered, pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, that a termination petition be filed, a specific plan as to where the child will be placed, what steps will be taken to achieve permanency for the child, services to be offered or provided to the child, and, if visitation would be in the best interests of the child, a recommendation to the court regarding visitation between parent and child pending a fact-finding hearing on the termination petition. The agency shall not be required to develop a plan of services for the parents or provide services to the parents.

(4) If there is insufficient information at the time of the disposition hearing upon which to base a determination regarding the suitability of a proposed placement with a relative, the child shall remain in foster care and the court shall direct the supervising agency to conduct necessary background investigations as provided in chapter 74.15 RCW and report the results of such investigation to the court within thirty days. However, if such relative appears otherwise suitable and competent to provide care and treatment, the criminal history background check need not be completed before placement, but as soon as possible after placement. Any placements with relatives, pursuant to this section, shall be contingent upon cooperation by the relative with the agency case plan and compliance with court orders related to the care and supervision of the child including, but not limited to, court orders regarding parent-child contacts and any other conditions imposed by the court. Noncompliance with the case plan or court order shall be grounds for removal of the child from the relative's home, subject to review by the court.

(5) Except for children whose cases are reviewed by a citizen review board under chapter 13.70 RCW, the status of all children found to be dependent shall be reviewed by the court at least every six months from the beginning date of the placement episode or the date dependency is established, whichever is first, at a hearing in which it shall be determined whether court supervision should continue. The review shall include findings regarding the agency and parental completion of disposition plan requirements, and if necessary, revised permanency time limits.

(a) A child shall not be returned home at the review hearing unless the court finds that a reason for removal as set forth in this section no longer exists. The parents, guardian, or legal custodian shall report to the court the efforts they have made to correct the conditions which led to removal. If a child is returned, casework supervision shall continue for a period of six months, at which time there shall be a hearing on the need for continued intervention.

(b) If the child is not returned home, the court shall establish in writing:

(i) Whether reasonable services have been provided to or offered to the parties to facilitate reunion, specifying the services provided or offered;

(ii) Whether the child has been placed in the least-restrictive setting appropriate to the child's needs, including whether consideration and preference has been given to placement with the child's relatives;

(iii) Whether there is a continuing need for placement and whether the placement is appropriate;

(iv) Whether there has been compliance with the case plan by the child, the child's parents, and the agency supervising the placement;

(v) Whether progress has been made toward correcting the problems that necessitated the child's placement in out-of-home care;

(vi) Whether the parents have visited the child and any reasons why visitation has not occurred or has been infrequent;

(vii) Whether additional services are needed to facilitate the return of the child to the child's parents; if so, the court shall order that reasonable services be offered specifying such services; and

(viii) The projected date by which the child will be returned home or other permanent plan of care will be implemented.

(c) The court at the review hearing may order that a petition seeking termination of the parent and child relationship be filed.

Sec. 2. RCW 13.34.180 and 1993 c 412 s 2 and 1993 c 358 s 3 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

A petition seeking termination of a parent and child relationship may be filed in juvenile court by any party to the dependency proceedings concerning that child. Such petition shall conform to the requirements of RCW 13.34.040, shall be served upon the parties as provided in RCW 13.34.070(8), and shall allege:

(1) That the child has been found to be a dependent child under RCW 13.34.030((~~(2)~~)) (4); and

(2) That the court has entered a dispositional order pursuant to RCW 13.34.130; and

(3) That the child has been removed or will, at the time of the hearing, have been removed from the custody of the parent for a period of at least six months pursuant to a finding of dependency under RCW 13.34.030((~~(2)~~)) (4); and

(4) That the services ordered under RCW 13.34.130 have been offered or provided and all necessary services, reasonably available, capable of correcting the parental deficiencies within the foreseeable future have been offered or provided; and

(5) That there is little likelihood that conditions will be remedied so that the child can be returned to the parent in the near future. In determining whether the conditions will be remedied the court may consider, but is not limited to, the following factors:

(a) Use of intoxicating or controlled substances so as to render the parent incapable of providing proper care for the child for extended periods of time and documented unwillingness of the parent to receive and complete treatment or documented multiple failed treatment attempts; or

(b) Psychological incapacity or mental deficiency of the parent that is so severe and chronic as to render the parent incapable of providing proper care for the child for extended periods of time, and documented unwillingness of the parent to receive and complete treatment or documentation that there is no treatment that can render the parent capable of providing proper care for the child in the near future; ((~~and~~))

(6) That continuation of the parent and child relationship clearly diminishes the child's prospects for early integration into a stable and permanent home; and

(7) That the parent is currently unfit, notwithstanding any judicial findings entered in the dependency proceeding upon which this proceeding is based; or

((~~(7)~~)) (8) In lieu of the allegations in subsections (1) through ((~~(6)~~)) (7) of this section, the petition may allege that the child was found under such circumstances that the whereabouts of the child's parent are unknown and no person has acknowledged paternity or maternity and requested custody of the child within two months after the child was found.

A parent's failure to substantially improve parental deficiencies within twelve months following entry of the dispositional order shall give rise to a rebuttable presumption that there is little likelihood that conditions will be remedied so that the child can be returned to the parent in the near future. The presumption shall not arise unless the petitioner makes a showing that all necessary services reasonably capable of correcting the parental deficiencies within the foreseeable future have been offered or provided.

Notice of rights shall be served upon the parent, guardian, or legal custodian with the petition and shall be in substantially the following form:

"NOTICE

A petition for termination of parental rights has been filed against you. You have important legal rights and you must take steps to protect your interests. This petition could result in permanent loss of your parental rights.

1. You have the right to a fact-finding hearing before a judge.

2. You have the right to have a lawyer represent you at the hearing. A lawyer can look at the files in your case, talk to the department of social and health services and other agencies, tell you about the law, help you understand your rights, and help you at hearings. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the court will appoint one to represent you. To get a court-appointed lawyer you must contact: (explain local procedure) .

3. At the hearing, you have the right to speak on your own behalf, to introduce evidence, to examine witnesses, and to receive a decision based solely on the evidence presented to the judge.

You should be present at this hearing.

You may call (insert agency) for more information about your child. The agency's name and telephone number are (insert name and telephone number) ."

Sec. 3. RCW 13.34.190 and 1993 c 412 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

After hearings pursuant to RCW 13.34.110, the court may enter an order terminating all parental rights to a child if the court finds that:

(1) The allegations contained in the petition as provided in RCW 13.34.180 (1) through ((~~(6)~~)) (7) are established by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence; or

(2) RCW 13.34.180 (3) and (4) may be waived because the allegations under RCW 13.34.180 (1), (2), (5), ((~~and~~)) (6), and (7) are established beyond a reasonable doubt; or

(3) The allegation under RCW 13.34.180((~~(7)~~)) (8) is established beyond a reasonable doubt. In determining whether RCW 13.34.180 (5) and (6) are established beyond a reasonable doubt, the court shall consider whether one or more of the aggravated circumstances listed in RCW 13.34.130(2) exist; and

(4) Such an order is in the best interests of the child.