Bill > SB5256

This bill makes permanent and expands the child welfare housing assistance program. The key provisions are: 1. The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) shall administer the child welfare housing assistance program, which provides housing vouchers, rental assistance, navigation, and other support services to eligible families. This program is intended to reduce the need for foster care placement and shorten the time children remain in out-of-home care when placement is necessary. 2. Eligible families include parents with a child who is dependent under RCW 13.34 and whose lack of appropriate housing is a remaining barrier to reunification, as well as parents of a child who is a candidate for foster care and whose housing instability is a barrier to the child remaining in the home. 3. DCYF shall contract with an outside entity or entities with demonstrated understanding of the importance of stable housing for families involved or at risk of being involved with the child welfare system to operate the program. If no outside entity is available, DCYF may operate the program. 4. The program must be available in at least one county west and one county east of the Cascade mountain range. 5. DCYF must report annually on the program's outcomes, including the distribution of support by race, geography, ethnicity, and gender, as well as any recommendations for legislative changes. 6. The program is subject to available funding and the bill declares an emergency, taking effect on June 30, 2023.