FINAL BILL REPORT

                  ESB 6555

                          C 232 L 00

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Ordering a study of evaluations of children needing long‑term care.

Sponsors:  Senators Long, Hargrove, Patterson, Costa, Eide, Winsley and Kohl‑Welles.

Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections

House Committee on Children & Family Services

Background:  Over the past ten years, the Legislature has passed a number of initiatives to improve foster care services.  One of those initiatives, passed in 1993, required the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to evaluate all children entering foster care within the first 30 days of placement to determine their need for long term care.  It is not clear whether this requirement is being followed.

Summary:  The department, by region, must report to the Legislature by December 31, 2000, and every six months thereafter on the number of children evaluated during the first 30 days of placement, the evaluation tool(s) used, the findings from the evaluation, how the department used the evaluation results to provide services to the foster child, and whether and how the evaluation results assisted the department in providing services.

The department must make the appropriate number of referrals to the foster care assessment program.  The department must report to the Legislature by November 30, 2000, on the number of referrals, by region, to the foster care assessment program.

The department must report to the Legislature by December 15, 2000, on how it will use the foster care assessment program model to assess children as they enter out-of-home care.

The department must accomplish the above within existing resources.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 470

House970(House amended)

Senate (Senate refused to concur)

House980(House receded)

Effective:June 8, 2000