_______________________________________________
ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 5252
_______________________________________________
AS AMENDED BY TH HOUSE
C 489 L 87
State of Washington 50th Legislature 1987 Regular Session
By Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Bailey, Saling, Gaspard, Lee, Kiskaddon, von Reichbauer, Zimmerman, Bender, Rinehart, Bauer, Smitherman, Vognild, Nelson, Johnson and Moore)
Read first time 2/13/87.
AN ACT Relating to child abuse education; adding new sections to chapter 28A.03 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.63A RCW; adding a new section to chapter 74.15 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.58 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. It is the intent of the legislature to make child abuse and neglect primary prevention education and training available to children, including preschool age children, parents, school employees, and licensed day care providers.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.03 RCW to read as follows:
The superintendent of public instruction shall collect and disseminate to school districts information on child abuse and neglect prevention curriculum through the state clearinghouse for education information. The superintendent of public instruction and the departments of social and health services and community development shall share relevant information.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.03 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall be the lead agency and shall assist the department of social and health services, the department of community development, and school districts in establishing a coordinated primary prevention program for child abuse and neglect.
(2) In developing the program, consideration shall be given to the following:
(a) Parent, teacher, and children's workshops whose information and training is:
(i) Provided in a clear, age-appropriate, nonthreatening manner, delineating the problem and the range of possible solutions;
(ii) Culturally and linguistically appropriate to the population served;
(iii) Appropriate to the geographic area served; and
(iv) Designed to help counteract common stereotypes about child abuse victims and offenders;
(b) Training for school age children's parents and school staff, which includes:
(i) Physical and behavioral indicators of abuse;
(ii) Crisis counseling techniques;
(iii) Community resources;
(iv) Rights and responsibilities regarding reporting;
(v) School district procedures to facilitate reporting and apprise supervisors and administrators of reports; and
(vi) Caring for a child's needs after a report is made;
(c) Training for licensed day care providers and parents that includes:
(i) Positive child guidance techniques;
(ii) Physical and behavioral indicators of abuse;
(iii) Recognizing and providing safe, quality day care;
(iv) Community resources;
(v) Rights and responsibilities regarding reporting; and
(vi) Caring for the abused or neglected child;
(d) Training for children that includes:
(i) The right of every child to live free of abuse;
(ii) How to disclose incidents of abuse and neglect;
(iii) The availability of support resources and how to obtain help;
(iv) Child safety training and age-appropriate self-defense techniques; and
(v) A period for crisis counseling and reporting immediately following the completion of each children's workshop in a school setting which maximizes the child's privacy and sense of safety.
(3) The primary prevention program established under this section shall be a voluntary program and shall not be part of the basic program of education.
(4) Parents shall be given notice of the primary prevention program and may refuse to have their children participate in the program.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 43.63A RCW to read as follows:
The department of community development shall have primary responsibility for providing child abuse and neglect prevention training to preschool age children participating in the federal head start program or the early childhood education and assistance program established under chapter 28A.34A RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 74.15 RCW to read as follows:
The department of social and health services shall have primary responsibility for providing child abuse and neglect prevention training to parents and licensed child day care providers of preschool age children participating in day care programs meeting the requirements of chapter 74.15 RCW. The department may limit training under this section to trainers' workshops and curriculum development using existing resources.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 28A.58 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Every school district board of directors shall develop a written policy regarding the district's role and responsibility relating to the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
(2) Every school district shall, within the resources available to it: (a) Participate in the primary prevention program established under section 3 of this act; (b) develop and implement its own child abuse and neglect education and prevention program; or (c) continue with an existing local child abuse and neglect education and prevention program.