SB 5331 — Establishing an early childhood court program for young children and their families involved or at risk of becoming involved in Washington's child welfare system.

S-0910.2S-0541.1 SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5331 State of Washington 67th Legislature 2021 Regular Session By Senate Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation (originally sponsored by Senators Gildon, Darneille, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Nguyen, Nobles, Warnick, Wellman, and Wilson, C.)C. READ FIRST TIME 02/08/21.

ANRead ACTfirst Relatingtime to01/22/21. establishing an early childhood court program for young children and their families involved in Washington's child welfare system;

Referred to Committee on Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation.

AN ACT Relating to establishing an early childhood court program for young children and their families involved or at risk of becoming involved in Washington's child welfare system;

(1) The legislature finds that there is an urgent need to provide greater support to young children and their families involved or at risk of becoming involved in Washington state's child welfare system.

(2) The legislature further finds that early childhood court programs provideminimize timely,the research-based,impact andof trauma-informedpast interventions.trauma, improve well-being and p.

Early1 childhoodSB court5331 programscognitive reducedevelopment, maltreatmentand p.prevent future trauma for young children and their families in the child welfare system by providing timely, research-based, and trauma-informed interventions.

1Early SSBchildhood 5331court programs reduce maltreatment recurrence, number of placements, and the time it takes to achieve permanency, while increasing equitable access to services.

(4) The legislature further finds that the administrative office of the courts has secured funding for the first year of the early childhood court program to support their evaluation efforts.

While funding is not mandated through this act, the legislature acknowledges that the administrative office of the courts is not able to complete its required responsibilities as provided for in this act without dedicated funding.

The legislature finds and declares that in the future, the office may seek funding through public and/or private funding opportunities, and it may partner with local organizations to seek further funding, although it is not required to do so.

(1)(a)(1) A superior court may establish an early childhood court program to serve the needs of infants and toddlers whoin are under the agedependency ofsystem. three at the time the case enters the program and dependent pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW.

(b) Early childhood court programs means a therapeutic court as defined in this chapter that provides an intensive court process for families with a child under age three who has been found dependent pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW.

To be eligible for the early childhood court program, a parent must have a child under age three that is dependent pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW at the time the case enters the early childhood court program process.

The case may remain in the early childhood court program after the child is age three or older if the child is still dependent pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW.

(a) The court shall obtain a memorandum of understanding or other agreement with the department of children, youth, and families that outlines how the two entities will coordinate and collaborate to improve services, identify state and local partnerships, and implement the core components overall.

p.(b) The court shall employ a community coordinator who is dedicated to:

2Facilitating SSBreal-time 5331information (b)sharing Theand courtcollaboration shallamong employcross-sector aprofessionals; community coordinator who is dedicated to:

Facilitating real-time information sharing and collaboration among cross-sector professionals participating in the early childhood court program;

identifying community-based resources and supportingconnecting thefamilies family's connection to these resources;

identifying training needs of early childhood court professionals and facilitating the provision of training;

and supporting the convening of active community team meetings.

The community coordinator carries out the tasks outlined in the core componentscomponents. unless otherwise specified.

(c) The court shall establish aan active community team that aimsfosters to:a learning environment and encourages an interdisciplinary approach to meeting the needs of young children and families;

Fosteridentifies a learning environment and encourageresponds anto interdisciplinarychallenges approach to meetingaccessing theresources needsand ofneeded youngsystems childrenreforms; and families;

identifysupports andmultidisciplinary respondtrainings; to challenges to accessing resources and needed systems reforms;

supportand multidisciplinaryp. trainings;

and2 recommendSB local5331 courtinstitutes new policies and procedures tothat improveensure families receiptreceive of equitable and timely access to resources and remedial services.

The(d) communityRegarding teampostremoval areconferences stakeholders to the court that serve as an advisory body to the court and implementfamily theteam earlymeetings: childhood court program.

(d)(i) The judicial officer shall establish more frequent review hearings thanto requiredensure pursuantclose tojudicial RCWoversight 13.34.138(1).and set the expectations, which include interdisciplinary collaboration and problem solving, for frequent out of court family team meetings.

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(iii) The community coordinator shallcoordinates facilitateand connectingensures parentsneutral withfacilitation informalin andthe formalfamily socialteam supports,meetings includingand butserves notas limiteda toliaison peer,for community,identifying andcommunity-based culturalresources. supports.

(f)(e) TheParents communityare coordinatorviewed coordinatesas critical participants, with their voice and neutrallyinsight facilitatesvalued familythrough teamthe meetings.court process.

The familycourt teamshall mayfoster includean allenvironment partiesin towhich thesystems caseprofessionals andincrease othertheir peopleawareness orof otherdifferent serviceforms providersof identifiedbias, byas thewell parentas toholistically beengage partparents ofas thethey supportaddress systemtheir forhistories thewith parenttrauma involved.and adversity related to poverty, mental health, and substance use.

(f) The familycourt teamshall engagesfacilitate connecting parents inwith theirinformal case plan and expedientlyformal addressessocial familysupports, needsincluding andbut accessnot limited to servicespeer, community, and support.cultural supports.

(g) ParentsThe arecourt criticalshall participantsensure ina theplan earlyis childhoodcreated courtas program.soon as possible following removal that:

TheEstablishes courtwhen shallfamilies aimcan toexpect fosterthe anearliest environmentcontact inwith whichtheir p.child, establishes frequent contact, minimizes anxiety and stress, and prevents retraumatization for both children and parents to the greatest extent possible;

3ensures SSBvisitation 5331is all professionals involved in thea earlysafe, childhoodcomfortable, court program increase their awareness of different forms of bias and theunintimidating traumasetting; and adversity that often accompany poverty, mental health, and substance use.

(h)and Theprovides courtmentoring shalland strivemodeling to ensureparents that familiesstrengthen receivetheir early,sense consistent,of agency and frequentcapacity visitation that is developmentally appropriate for infantsnurturing and toddlers;protective caregiving.

that(h) minimizesThe stresscourt andshall anxietyensure forthat: both children and parents;