Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
Early Learning & Human Services Committee |
SSB 6329
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
Brief Description: Creating the parent to parent program for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Human Services, Mental Health & Housing (originally sponsored by Senators O'Ban, Conway, Becker, Fain, Cleveland, Dammeier, Keiser, Darneille, Rolfes, Hobbs, Litzow, Angel, McAuliffe, Habib and Jayapal).
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
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Hearing Date: 2/23/16
Staff: Luke Wickham (786-7146).
Background:
The Parent to Parent Program.
The Parent to Parent Program connects parents of children with certain disabilities and special needs with other volunteer parents who also have children with similar disabilities or special needs. The volunteer parents provide peer and emotional support. The program also offers educational trainings and workshops for parents.
There are Parent to Parent programs in 31 counties including Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, and Yakima.
Parent to Parent USA is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote access and quality in parent to parent support for all families who have children or adolescents with a special health need, mental health issue, or disability. In Washington, many of the Parent to Parent programs are hosted by The Arc of Washington State.
Summary of Bill:
Goals for the Parent to Parent Program for individuals are established and include:
providing early outreach, support, and education to parents of children with special needs;
matching a trained volunteer support parent with a new parent who has a child with similar needs; and
providing parents with tools and resources to be successful.
Activities of the Parent to Parent Program may include:
outreach and support to newly identified parents of children with special needs;
educational trainings for parents to support their children;
ongoing peer support from a trained volunteer support parent; and
regular communication with other local programs.
If funds are provided, the Parent to Parent Program must be funded through the Developmental Disability Administration to a Washington State lead organization that has extensive experience supporting and training support parents.
Through a contract with the lead organization, each local program must be administered by a host organization. A parent or grandparent of a child with developmental disabilities or special health care needs shall provide program coordination and local program information. The lead organization shall provide ongoing training to the host organizations and statewide program oversight.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.