Legislative Update – Supporting Foster Kids and Children’s Rights

http://www.SiritaLaw.com

February 26, 2008

ACTION ITEMS:

• Call your senators and ask them to vote NO on HB 3145 to “stealth amendment” to unionize foster families
• Call your senators and ask them to support HB 2822 to reform family court
• Call your senators and ask them to support HB 3205 to establish early permanency

This session is moving fast. Upcoming bill cutoff dates:

· Feb 29: Last day to read in committee reports from opposite house in policy committee

· March 3: Last day to read opposite house committee reports in fiscal committee

· March 7: Last day to consider opposite house bills

· March 13: Last day of the session

There is no time to waste. Call or e-mail your representatives now to support foster kids.

Don’t know who your representatives are? Click here: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder

All e-mail addresses: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/memberemail

Toll Free Legislative Hotline: 1.800.562.6000

Even if you don’t know your district, the operators will find it for you.

When they ask to which representative, say “All of them!”

HB 3145 – “Tiered licensing for Foster Parents” – with “Stealth” Foster Care Unionization Amendment

Status: Passed split by party in the House. Hearing in Senate Human Services Committee 8:00 AM Thursday, Feb. 28

ACTION NEEDED:

• Call your senators and ask them vote NO on 3145.
• Contact Human Services & Corrections Chair Senator Hargrove (360) 786-7646 hargrove.jim@leg.wa.gov – ask him to DO NOT PASS 3145.
• Contact Ways & Means Chair Senator Prentice (360) 786-7616 prentice.margarita@leg.wa.gov – ask her to DO NOT PASS 3145.

The Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee will hear testimony this Thursday, Feb. 28, at 8:00 AM, Cherberg Building Room 1, in Olympia.  HB 3145 is the latest attempt by FPAWS (Foster Parents Association of Washington State, member WFSE/AFL-CIO) to create a foster parent union.

Not all foster parents are in favor of this bill because:

• It classifies foster parents as state employees which limits our ability to intervene for the child
• It changes foster care payments into "compensation" which may be taxed
• It authorizes the collection of dues from foster care payments
• It takes our focus off children and puts it on ourselves

I realize that many of you may support labor unions in the workplace.  However, I do not believe the employment model itself is the right one in a family setting.  The goal should not be to fight for rights and benefits for ourselves, but to fight to improve the lives of our children.

Please e-mail or call the Human Services and Corrections Committee Members and your Senators.  Ask them to vote "no" on HB 3145.

My editorial on this issue is in Tuesday's P-I, currently live on the web, and reproduced below: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/352627_foster26.html.  I will testify on Thursday in the Senate.

Human Services and Corrections Committee Members:

James Hargrove - Chair (D)	(360) 786-7646	hargrove.jim@leg.wa.gov
Debbie Regala - Vice Chair (D)	(360) 786-7652	regala.debbie@leg.wa.gov
Val Stevens - Ranking Minority Member (R)	(360) 786-7676	stevens.val@leg.wa.gov
Dale Brandland (R)	(360) 786-7682	brandland.dale@leg.wa.gov
Mike Carrell (R)	(360) 786-7654	carrell.michael@leg.wa.gov
Chris Marr (D)	(360) 786-7610	marr.chris@leg.wa.gov
Rosemary McAuliffe (D)	(360) 786-7600	mcauliffe.rosemary@leg.wa.gov

HB 3205 Promoting the long-term well-being of children

Status: Passed unanimous in the House. Hearing in Senate Human Services Committee 8:00 AM Thursday, Feb. 28

ACTION NEEDED:

• Call your senators and ask them to support 3205.
• Contact Human Services & Corrections Chair Senator Hargrove (360) 786-7646 hargrove.jim@leg.wa.gov – thank him for his on-going support of foster kids and ask him to PASS 3205.
• Thank your representatives for supporting this in the House

This bill requires the department to file a termination of parental rights petition if a child has been in out-of-home care for 15 of the last 22 months. The Attorney General’s office has filed a $1.5 million fiscal note to this bill, which is interesting – this means the AG is saying this bill will cost them more money to follow what has already been federal law for nine years under the Adoption Safe Families Act (ASFA) ’97.

UPDATE: HB 3205 was amended by a House floor amendment with the contents of HB 2846: Establishing a process for entering voluntary out-of-home placement agreements for adoptive children in crisis. Some children adopted out of foster care have issues that do not surface for years, particularly in adolescence, and the treatment costs bankrupt the adoptive family. I support this amendment.

I think HB 3205 should also be amended with the language from SHB 2075 that makes it clear that willful no-contact is also grounds for TPR, but that didn’t happen in the House. Talk to your senators and representatives about how this affects your foster children.

HB 2822 – Concerning the family and juvenile court improvement program.

Status: Passed unanimous in the House. Waiting Executive Action in Senate Human Services Committee.

ACTION NEEDED:

• Call your senators and ask them to support 2822.
• Contact Human Services & Corrections Chair Senator Hargrove (360) 786-7646 hargrove.jim@leg.wa.gov – thank him for his on-going support of foster kids and ask him to take executive action on 2822.
• Thank your representatives for supporting this in the House

HB 2822 encourages reform of the family courts by creating a fund that is available to courts that:

• Have at least two year rotations
• Have the same assigned judge follow a case through dependency
• Have additional training for judges

Toll Free Legislative Hotline: 1.800.562.6000

Find out who are your legislators: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder

E-mail addresses for all lawmakers: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/memberemail