6642-S.E AMH CFS HALL 052

ESSB 6642 - H COMM AMD

By Committee on Children & Family Services

   Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

   "Sec. 1. RCW 13.34.067 and 2001 c 332 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

   (1) Following shelter care and no later than ((twenty-five))thirty days prior to fact-finding, the department,(( upon the parent's request or counsel for the parent's request, ))shall facilitate a case conference as required in the shelter care order to develop and specify in a written service agreement the expectations of both the department and the parent regarding ((the care and placement of the child ))voluntary services for the parent.

   The department shall invite to the case conference the parent, counsel for the parent,(( the foster parent or other out-of-home care provider)), caseworker, counsel for the state, guardian ad litem, counsel for the child, ((counselor, or other relevant health care provider, ))and any other person ((connected to the development and well-being of the child))agreed upon by the parties. Once the shelter care order is entered, the department is not required to provide additional notice of the case conference to any participants in the case conference.

   The ((initial)) written service agreement expectations must correlate with the court's findings at the shelter care hearing. The written service agreement must set forth specific((criteria that enables the court to measure the performance of both the department and the parent, and must be updated throughout the dependency process to reflect changes in expectations. The service agreement must serve as the unifying document for all expectations established in the department's various case planning and case management documents and the findings and orders of the court during dependency proceedings)) services to be provided to the parent.

   ((The court shall review the written service agreement at each stage of the dependency proceedings and evaluate the performance of both the department and the parent for consistent, measurable progress in complying with the expectations identified in the agreement.))

   The case conference agreement must be agreed to and signed by the parties. The court shall not consider the content of the discussions at the case conference at the time of the fact-finding hearing for the purposes of establishing that the child is a dependent child, and the court shall not consider any documents or written materials presented at the case conference but not incorporated into the case conference agreement, unless the documents or written materials were prepared for purposes other than or as a result of the case conference and are otherwise admissible under the rules of evidence.

   (2) At any other stage in a dependency proceeding, the department, upon the parent's request, shall facilitate a case conference.

   Sec. 2. RCW 13.34.062 and 2001 c 332 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

   (1) The written notice of custody and rights required by RCW 13.34.060 shall be in substantially the following form:

                            "NOTICE

   Your child has been placed in temporary custody under the supervision of Child Protective Services (or other person or agency). You have important legal rights and you must take steps to protect your interests.

   1. A court hearing will be held before a judge within 72 hours of the time your child is taken into custody excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. You should call the court at    (insert appropriate phone number here)    for specific information about the date, time, and location of the court hearing.

   2. You have the right to have a lawyer represent you at the hearing. Your right to representation continues after the shelter care hearing. You have the right to records the department intends to rely upon. A lawyer can look at the files in your case, talk to child protective 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.

   4. If your hearing occurs before a court commissioner, you have the right to have the decision of the court commissioner reviewed by a superior court judge. To obtain that review, you must, within ten days after the entry of the decision of the court commissioner, file with the court a motion for revision of the decision, as provided in RCW 2.24.050.

   You should be present at any shelter care hearing. If you do not come, the judge will not hear what you have to say.

   You may call the Child Protective Services' caseworker for more information about your child. The caseworker's name and telephone number are:    (insert name and telephone number)   .

   5. You ((may request that the department facilitate)) have a right to a case conference facilitated by the department to develop a written service agreement following the shelter care hearing. The service agreement may not conflict with the court's order of shelter care. You may request that a multidisciplinary team, family group conference, or prognostic staffing((, or case conference)) be convened for your child's case. You may participate in these processes with your counsel present."

   Upon receipt of the written notice, the parent, guardian, or legal custodian shall acknowledge such notice by signing a receipt prepared by child protective services. If the parent, guardian, or legal custodian does not sign the receipt, the reason for lack of a signature shall be written on the receipt. The receipt shall be made a part of the court's file in the dependency action.

   If after making reasonable efforts to provide notification, child protective services is unable to determine the whereabouts of the parents, guardian, or legal custodian, the notice shall be delivered or sent to the last known address of the parent, guardian, or legal custodian.

   (2) If child protective services is not required to give notice under RCW 13.34.060(2) and subsection (1) of this section, the juvenile court counselor assigned to the matter shall make all reasonable efforts to advise the parents, guardian, or legal custodian of the time and place of any shelter care hearing, request that they be present, and inform them of their basic rights as provided in RCW 13.34.090.

   (3) Reasonable efforts to advise and to give notice, as required in RCW 13.34.060(2) and subsections (1) and (2) of this section, shall include, at a minimum, investigation of the whereabouts of the parent, guardian, or legal custodian. If such reasonable efforts are not successful, or the parent, guardian, or legal custodian does not appear at the shelter care hearing, the petitioner shall testify at the hearing or state in a declaration:

   (a) The efforts made to investigate the whereabouts of, and to advise, the parent, guardian, or legal custodian; and

   (b) Whether actual advice of rights was made, to whom it was made, and how it was made, including the substance of any oral communication or copies of written materials used.

   (4) The court shall hear evidence regarding notice given to, and efforts to notify, the parent, guardian, or legal custodian and shall examine the need for shelter care. The court shall hear evidence regarding the efforts made to place the child with a relative. The court shall make an express finding as to whether the notice required under RCW 13.34.060(2) and subsections (1) and (2) of this section was given to the parent, guardian, or legal custodian. All parties have the right to present testimony to the court regarding the need or lack of need for shelter care. Hearsay evidence before the court regarding the need or lack of need for shelter care must be supported by sworn testimony, affidavit, or declaration of the person offering such evidence.

   (5) A shelter care order issued pursuant to RCW 13.34.065 shall include the requirement for a case conference as provided in RCW 13.34.067. The order shall include notice to all parties and establish the date, time, and location of the case conference which shall be no later than 30 days prior to the fact-finding hearing.

   (6) A shelter care order issued pursuant to RCW 13.34.065 may be amended at any time with notice and hearing thereon. The shelter care decision of placement shall be modified only upon a showing of change in circumstances. No child may be placed in shelter care for longer than thirty days without an order, signed by the judge, authorizing continued shelter care.

   (((6) ))(7) Any parent, guardian, or legal custodian who for good cause is unable to attend the initial shelter care hearing may request that a subsequent shelter care hearing be scheduled. The request shall be made to the clerk of the court where the petition is filed prior to the initial shelter care hearing. Upon the request of the parent, the court shall schedule the hearing within seventy-two hours of the request, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. The clerk shall notify all other parties of the hearing by any reasonable means.

   Sec. 3. RCW 13.34.094 and 2001 c 332 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

   The department shall, within existing resources, provide to parents requesting or participating in a multidisciplinary team, family group conference, case conference, or prognostic staffing((, or case conference,)) information that describes these processes prior to the processes being undertaken."

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EFFECT:

•   Requires the shelter care order to include a provision establishing the case conference and provide notice to the parties of the date, time, and location of the conference.

•   Removes the requirement that the parties receive written notice beyond the notice in the shelter care order.

•   Requires the case conference to be held no later than 30 days prior to the fact-finding hearing.

•   Requires creation of a written service agreement establishing the voluntary services for the parent.

•   Changes the participants in the case conference to include only the parties, counsel, and other persons agreed upon by the parties.

•   Removes the requirement that the written service agreement be used as a formal measurement of the parent's progress throughout the dependency process.