Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Human Services & Early Learning Committee

SSB 5955

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: Making necessary changes allowing the department of children, youth, and families to effectively manage a statewide system of care for children, youth, and families.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation (originally sponsored by Senators Lovelett, Zeiger, Darneille, Walsh, Randall, Nguyen and Wilson, C.; by request of Department of Children, Youth and Families).

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

  • Implements technical corrections and changes related to the establishment of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and duties of the DCYF.

  • Exempts personal information of substitute caregivers licensed or approved to provide overnight care of children by the DCYF from public records requirements.

  • Renames and modifies allowed expenditures for the Child Welfare System Improvement Account.

Hearing Date: 3/22/19

Staff: Dawn Eychaner (786-7135).

Background:

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) was created in 2017 with the stated intent of improving delivery of services and outcomes for children and families by housing early learning, child welfare, and juvenile justice services in the same agency. The administrative head of the DCYF is a Secretary who is appointed by the Governor. On July 1, 2018, the former Department of Early Learning was eliminated, and the functions performed by that agency were transferred to the DCYF. Also on July 1, 2018, child welfare duties and functions of the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) were transferred to the DCYF. On July 1, 2019, the juvenile justice functions of the juvenile rehabilitation division of the DSHS will move from the DSHS to the DCYF.

The Oversight Board for the DCYF is authorized to monitor and ensure the DCYF achieves its stated outcomes and complies with relevant statutes, administrative acts, rules, and policies.

The Passport to Careers Program is administered by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) to provide students who have been in foster care or who have been homeless with college scholarships, support services, and apprenticeship programs. The DCYF is responsible for developing and implementing procedures for identifying eligible students and for sharing information, with the consent of the applicant or the student, with the WSAC and other specified entities.

Summary of Bill:

Personal information of substitute caregivers who are licensed or approved to provide overnight care of children by the DCYF is exempted from public records requirements.

A fingerprint-based background check through the Washington State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is required for individuals who are 16 years or older residing in the home of an applicant or service provider who may have unsupervised access to children in care.

The Child Welfare System Improvement Account in the State Treasury is renamed as the DCYF Contracted Services Improvement Account. The uses of account funds are changed to remove allowed expenditures for foster home licensing, support, and assistance to foster parents and add allowed expenditures to improve contracted services provided to clients under the DCYF program areas, including child welfare, early learning, family support, and adolescents in order to achieve certain outcomes. Outcomes are changed to include additional, measurable DCYF outcome goals adopted by the DCYF.

The bill makes technical corrections and changes related to the establishment of the DCYF and duties of the DCYF, including changes to:

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on March 12, 2019.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.