Adult family homes are community-based facilities licensed to care for individuals who need long-term care.  These homes provide room, board, laundry, necessary supervision, and assistance with activities of daily living, personal care, and nursing services.
 
Adult family homes are licensed by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and must meet facility standards, as well as training requirements for resident managers and caregivers.  An adult family home must be inspected by DSHS at the time of licensure and subsequently every 18 months with an annual average of 15 months.  Adult family homes with a history of not receiving inspection citations or complaint investigation violations may operate without an inspection for two years.

Adult family homes may care for up to six persons but may increase their bed capacity to seven or eight beds if they meet additional licensing standards.  The number of residents that an adult family home is licensed to care for depends on several factors related to the structure of the house, the number and qualifications of the staff, and the mix of persons living in the home.

An adult family home applying for seven- or eight-bed capacity must further demonstrate financial solvency and management experience for the home and the ability to meet relevant safety, health, and operating standards.  An adult family home may only apply for seven- or eight-bed capacity if it has met several additional criteria, including having held a license for at least 24 months, having been licensed for six beds for at least 12 months, and having completed two full inspections resulting in no enforcement actions.

An expedited inspection timeframe is established for the requirement that an adult family home applying to increase its bed capacity to seven or eight beds that has completed two full inspections resulting in no enforcement actions.

For adult family homes that apply to increase bed capacity to seven or eight beds prior to January 1, 2026, and have met the other application requirements, the expedited timeframe allows DSHS to complete the first inspection upon receipt of an application and to complete a second inspection if at least six months have passed since the first inspection.

PRO: The Legislature created an expansion option for adult family homes' bed capacity in 2020 but the public health emergency caused delays in inspections for an extended period of time and has resulted in a backlog of adult family homes waiting for inspections. This bill temporarily allows for adult family homes that would otherwise be qualified for the expanded capacity to submit their application and for DSHS to respond with a prioritized inspection. This will help Washington's aging population as there are many adult homes that have invested in taking the necessary steps to meet all the requirements for an increased bed capacity but are still awaiting the final inspection. This bill will streamline the process and allow for timely inspections.