McClintock bill to improve communication with the DCYF gets unanimous approval from the Senate
CONTACT: Kent Livingston, Public Information Officer 2 | 360-786-7031
McClintock bill to improve communication with the DCYF gets unanimous approval from the Senate
Communication between the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and individuals caring for kids in foster care, could see major improvement going forward, thanks to a bipartisan bill from Rep. Stephanie McClintock.
House Bill 1970, which the Washington State Senate unanimously approved on Friday, would require DCYF to establish a caregiver communication specialist position within the agency.
The newly created position would serve to improve communication between the DCYF and caregivers for children receiving child welfare services.
“This is an important policy because we need to make sure caregivers have timely access to the information they need from DCYF,” said McClintock, R-Vancouver. “Ultimately, it’s about the kids in foster care and ensuring they get the best care possible.”
The bill directs the DCYF to submit a report describing how to implement an automated notification system that would provide notification – either by phone or electronically – to caregivers of children receiving foster care services.
The DCYF would also provide recommendations to improve communications between the DCYF and caregivers. The caregiver communication specialist position would be responsible for:
- Assisting caseworkers in promptly communicating with caregivers of children receiving child welfare services.
- Developing policies for sharing appropriate and timely information with such caregivers.
- Supporting coordination between existing caregiver engagement teams, constituent relations, communications specialists, and child welfare field offices.
“The DCYF has to manage a lot of issues, and unfortunately, that means effective communication gets overlooked sometimes. That’s why creating this new position would help resolve this problem,” said McClintock. “Anything we can do to improve the working relationship between caregivers and the DCYF makes sense. I’m looking forward to seeing the positive impact this legislation will have if it becomes law.”
House Bill 1970 now heads to the governor’s desk to await his signature.
