H-0510.1

HOUSE BILL 1761

State of Washington
66th Legislature
2019 Regular Session
ByRepresentatives Young, Shea, Walsh, Van Werven, Kraft, and Graham
Read first time 01/30/19.Referred to Committee on Human Services & Early Learning.
AN ACT Relating to homeschooling foster youth; adding a new section to chapter 74.15 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. In August 2016, the department of social and health services proposed changes to foster parent licensing forbidding the provision of home-based instruction to all children in the care and custody of the department. This rule was made effective September 19, 2016, as WAC 388-148-1525. It was then recodified as WAC 110-148-1525 with the department of children, youth, and families, effective July 1, 2018.
As home-based instruction can be an appropriate and effective educational model for foster youth, the legislature intends to reverse WAC 110-148-1525(1)(b) and allow foster parents to provide home-based instruction to foster youth.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 74.15 RCW to read as follows:
Foster youth are able to receive home-based instruction as described by RCW 28A.225.010(4), including a home-based instruction offered by a foster parent, unless expressly prohibited by court order after a court finds that it would not be in the child's best interest to receive home-based instruction.
--- END ---