Transcript Highlights:

• They are in a DCYF case, but the parent won't take the child back because they feel endangered.
• Often these families have history with DCYF, and our statute actually looks back three years: a child
• They are in a DCYF case, but the parent won't take the child back because they feel endangered.
• They are in a DCYF case, but the parent won't take the child back because they feel endangered.
• They are in a DCYF case, but the parent won't take the child back because they feel endangered.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so in December of last year, DCYF And so in December of last year, DCYF clarified<02:42:51.400
• uh language changes that DCYF uh language changes that DCYF has<03:00:42.760> recommended
• DCYF, legislators, and providers. DCYF, legislators, and providers.
• :52.520> Wiklund appreciate DCYF and Senator Wiklund appreciate DCYF and Senator Wiklund incorporating
• um from a DCYF keeps putting forward. um from a DCYF keeps putting forward.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• there be an amendment to exclude DCYF there be an amendment to exclude DCYF from<01:50:42.560>
• Um, cases in New Hampshire with DCYF.
• , the uh parental alienation from DCYF, the uh parental alienation from DCYF, the<02:48:11.279>
• Then I where you referenced the abuse in the or the DCYF.
• Then I where you referenced the abuse in the or the DCYF.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• we're told by DCYF to fix that<01:18:36.800> situation.
• with DCYF to say, "What can we do?" with DCYF to say, "What can we do?"
• I'm the legislative director at DCYF covering early childhood.
• that, and DCYF approves they tell DCYF that, and DCYF approves them<01:34:26.360> to<01:34:26.480
• 35.240> receive DCYF didn't, you know, receive DCYF didn't, you know, receive investigative<01

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And some of those children that DCYF And some of those children that DCYF places<01:05:29.200>
• It's into<01:06:13.280> um<01:06:13.839> the<01:06:14.400> DCYF<01:06:15.359>
• and DOE language not um into um the DCYF and DOE language not um not<01:06:18.559> speaking<01
• regarding sort of three with um DHS DCYF regarding sort of three different<01:06:46.319> areas
• in trying to the department and and DCYF in trying to make<01:09:44.319> sure<01:09:44.400>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So what are we doing in DCYF?
• I'm excited: a few months ago we created the pre-licensing support team within DCYF.
• So what are we doing in DCYF?
• I'm excited a few months ago we created the pre-licensing support team within DCYF.
• So do you... ...find, so DCYF has its own safety standards and licensing standards.

Summary: The committee held a work session on form-based codes, child care facility siting, and street standards/frontage improvements. On form-based codes, Commerce’s Dave Anderson explained that these codes emphasize building form, orientation, and the public realm more than traditional use and density tables, and that they are typically applied in specific districts rather than citywide or statewide. Lacey’s Vanessa Dolby described the city’s Woodland District code, developed through community charrettes, fiscal and market analysis, and subdistrict-specific standards to create a walkable downtown. She said the approach has helped produce a more desirable built environment and more flexibility in permitted uses, but also noted it can be less user-friendly for applicants and still requires some use restrictions; both presenters said a hybrid approach is often best. The committee then heard from DCYF and multiple providers about barriers to opening child care facilities. DCYF officials said Washington has more than 6,500 licensed providers and that a new pre-licensing support team is helping applicants navigate licensing, but local zoning, building, fire, parking, utility, and occupancy requirements still create delays and confusion. Testifiers described long permitting timelines, inconsistent local interpretations, costly upgrades, and utility hookup delays; one Yakima provider said county requirements, a floodplain-related elevation certificate, and a private well issue stopped her in-home child care proposal, while others described traffic impact fees, parking mandates, and zoning barriers that made projects infeasible. Enterprise Community Partners highlighted examples of successful local reforms, including fee waivers, expedited permitting, and zoning changes in several cities, and DCYF said it is working toward a 2026 action plan and a resource guide for providers. In the final section, planners and developers discussed how street standards and frontage improvement requirements can undermine infill and middle housing. Poulsbo’s planning manager said current standards were designed for greenfield subdivisions and often force costly curb, gutter, sidewalk, stormwater, and utility upgrades on small infill sites, sometimes adding tens of thousands of dollars and causing projects to be abandoned. A Seattle-based developer made similar points about small middle-housing projects being burdened by frontage work, curb ramps, buried standards, and EV-ready parking requirements that can trigger expensive undergrounding. Committee members asked about possible state-level changes, including whether child care should be treated as an essential public facility and whether parking requirements had already been reduced; one senator noted that minimum parking requirements for child care facilities were eliminated in prior legislation, with implementation phased in over the next few years.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have a state where parents can decline to have DCYF come in.
• Another perception is that DCYF or DHHS can walk in your house and take your kids.
• Another perception is that DCYF or DHHS can walk in your house and take your kids.
• Another perception is that DCYF or DHHS can walk in your house and take your kids.
• Another perception is that DCYF or DHHS can walk in your house and take your kids.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee continued work on HB 553, a bipartisan bill to update the child protection act’s definitions, especially around abuse, neglect, psychological maltreatment, and serious impairment. Supporters said the current law is outdated, vague, and too limited to address modern child welfare concerns, and argued the bill is intended to create clearer standards for DCF/DCYF, courts, and parents without adding criminal penalties or expanding authority to remove children. They also noted the bill had been developed over months of bipartisan work and that similar concepts exist in other states; a committee researcher had circulated a comparison of 17 states with prenatal and substance-use-related provisions. A major focus was whether the bill should include a more explicit definition of emotional abuse. Some members argued that the bill’s current language is not specific enough and could leave parents without fair notice, while others said the bill already addresses the issue through definitions of psychological maltreatment, emotional harm, and serious impairment. Office of Child Advocate staff explained that the drafting process intentionally avoided defining every emotional-abuse term separately and instead used a pattern-based psychological maltreatment standard with examples such as threatening, demeaning, humiliating, and belittling behavior. They said those provisions were drawn from other states and were meant to fill gaps seen in cases involving severe emotional harm and injured infants. The committee also discussed trauma-informed language related to substance use disorder and pregnancy. Members said the amendment was intended to avoid discouraging pregnant people with substance use disorder from seeking medical care, while still allowing intervention when a child is substance-exposed; they noted the proposal would include an exemption when a licensed health care provider is monitoring the pregnancy. Several members emphasized that the bill is meant to protect children while also giving parents clearer notice of prohibited conduct, and one member raised concerns about how the bill could affect other legislation dealing with criminal neglect. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• This proposal is shown in both DHS and DCYF because the initial appropriation was to DCYF.
• .<00:27:37.600> That's DCYF.
• That's DCYF.
• That is the end of the DCYF proposals.
• That is the end of the DCYF proposals.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And after their presentation, the DCYF will also be presenting on the same topic.
• Julie Watts, I am the deputy director for government affairs for DCYF.
• DCYF has seen, and I want to talk for a moment because Dr.
• So these are DCYF reviewable critical incidents.
• In terms of the work to have CPS and DCYF, In terms of the work to have CPS and DCYF be more involved

Summary: The committee heard a lengthy update on Washington child welfare from Casey Family Programs and DCYF. Dr. David Sanders said Washington has sharply reduced out-of-home care and increased kinship placements, but he flagged concerns about low screening-in rates, long stays in foster care for many children, and a recent rise in repeat maltreatment and child fatalities, especially among infants. He urged more focus on infants and young children, better coordination among child protection, health care, and law enforcement, and more proactive review and investigation practices. Members asked for disaggregated data on children lingering in care, fatalities, and causes such as fentanyl exposure. DCYF said it has increased relative placements and guardianships, but also reported a concerning rise in 2025 critical incidents, mostly near-fatalities involving children age three and under, many opioid-related. The department described responses including safe child consults for opioid cases, more training, hotspot analysis, and proposed investments in peer support, public health nurses, community referrals, and an updated safety framework. Members also discussed whether a broader commission on child abuse prevention would be useful, and DCYF said it was open to that idea. The committee then received a DSHS reorganization update from Secretary Angela Ramirez, who described the “Reimagined” plan to consolidate four administrations into three new ones, with the stated goals of reducing silos, improving customer experience, and making transitions between services smoother. She said the agency is seeking statutory changes and CMS approval to align the new structure, and members asked about preparing for federal HR1 impacts, especially SNAP. Ramirez said DSHS is monitoring those impacts closely and emphasized the need for accurate data and cross-agency coordination. Finally, DSHS’s Behavioral Health and Habilitation Administration updated the committee on residential habilitation centers and implementation of Substitute Senate Bill 5393, which phases out Rainier School by June 30, 2027 and limits new admissions. Officials reported current census and staffing levels at the state’s RHCs, said Rainier has had some residents transition to supported living or adult family homes, and explained that emergency and permanent rulemaking was needed to implement the law. They also said Rainier was recently cited by federal surveyors for not meeting the active treatment requirement for two residents, and that the facility has 90 days to return to compliance before possible payment penalties or further remedies. Members pressed for details on the citation, the meaning of active treatment, the assessment process for admissions, and whether Rainier could be repurposed for other services; DSHS said it is working on corrective action and will follow up in writing.

Transcript Highlights:

• technical and conforming changes for programs and services that were legislatively transferred to DCYF
• It updates statutory cross-references, and it adds DCYF to certain state advisory councils that include
• during the 2023 and transferred to DCYF during the 2023 and 2024<00:17:22.839> sessions.
• statutory cross references and<00:17:44.080> it<00:17:44.400> adds<00:17:44.880> DCYF
• <00:17:45.600> to<00:17:45.840> certain<00:17:46.240> state and it adds DCYF

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The money that through DCYF follow to Winnisquam or does it?
• The money that through DCYF follow to Winnisquam or does it?
• The money that through DCYF follow to Winnisquam or does it?
• through DCYF money that through DCYF follow<00:45:18.720> to<00:45:19.600> Winnisquam<
• , custody of DCYF, custody of DCYF, when<00:47:48.560> DCYF when DCYF when DCYF contemplates

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission on the costing of special education met to review several documents and updates, including draft materials on residential placements, an LBA dispute resolution report, prior minutes, rate-setting rules, and a letter involving Senator Hassan. The minutes from March 16 were approved by motion, second, and one abstention. Members also received an update that the LBA special education performance audit is still pending; the report is expected to be very large, NHED and the Board of Education must review and comment before release, and it likely will not be available until late summer or early fall. The separate EFA audit was also noted as still unreleased, and members said they may return later to issues involving EFA costing and differentiated aid. A major focus was HB 1099, which would create a committee to study the cost and liability of providing educational services to students placed in residential facilities. The chair explained that the House version had passed unanimously and the bill was headed to a committee of conference. Members discussed a proposed amendment to add the phrase “including but not limited to” so the study would cover not only court-ordered or treatment-related placements but also other residential placements, including those tied to school district decisions. Some members said this was a substantial expansion, while others said it would simply give the committee broader latitude. Jason Stock of the Winnisquam Regional School Board described how the issue arose during budget work at Winnisquam, where the district was trying to determine who should pay for educational services for students living at Spaulding Youth Center in Northfield. He said the district had 10 students attending Winnisquam, including three foster students and seven students connected to Spaulding, and that Spaulding-specific invoicing for 2024-2025 totaled $141,417.05 for eight students. Members also discussed rising private placement tuition costs and the difficulty of determining residency and fiscal responsibility for students placed in residential settings. Department counsel explained that under RSA 193:27 and 193:28, children placed in a home for children may attend the local district school, and that special education cost responsibility depends on whether the student is identified as disabled and on the nature of the placement. Spaulding representatives had not yet presented by the end of the excerpt, and the committee was still working through the residency and funding questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• transferred to DCYF transferred to DCYF um, um, um, when<00:11:32.760> it<00:11:32.880>
• Now is the end of the governor's DCYF proposals.
• , Online 421 is, um, a series of DCYF, Online 421 is, um, a series of DCYF, um, um, um, technical
• Uh now is the end of the governor's DCYF Uh now is the end of the governor's DCYF proposals. proposals
• proposal for DCYF. proposal for DCYF.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:21:42.840> would<00:21:43.000> be Vision the hope is that dcyf would be Vision
• DCYF has decided to focus our approach using a whole family systems approach.
• This slide lists all the programs that have or will be transferred to DCYF.
• With the creation of DCYF, aspects of Part C shifted from the Department of Education to DCYF, making
• General frund Grant supported by dcyf General frund Grant supported by dcyf that<00:41:35.880>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a rate increase and also a slot increase for ECAP, so it's DCYF ECAP increases.
• And then on the savings side with DCYF, there are delays in the income expansion.
• There's a rate increase and also a slot increase for ECAP, so it's DCYF, e-cap increases.
• So it's DCYF, ECAP increases.
• And then on the saving side with DCYF, there are delays in the income expansion.

Summary: The conference committee met on Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5167, the state operating budget, and received a detailed staff briefing on the proposed conference report. Staff explained how to read the comparison documents, the four-year balanced-budget outlook, and the main resource assumptions, including use of the March 2025 revenue forecast, exclusion of the statutory 4.5% growth assumption, revenue legislation totaling about $8.7 billion, numerous fund transfers, and reversion assumptions. They also noted the proposal does not include a temporary salary reduction or furloughs. The briefing highlighted major policy areas and their net five-year impacts, including increases for state and higher education employee compensation, K-12 education, long-term care and developmental disabilities, corrections, information technology, and other policy items. It also described net reductions in behavioral health, children/youth/families, higher education, natural resources, other human services, and health care/public health, with many of the changes tied to delayed programs, rate adjustments, fund shifts, and savings options from Governor Ferguson. The committee then heard member comments, with supporters emphasizing K-12 funding and fiscal responsibility, and Senator Gildon opposing the process and the closed-door nature of the budget development. A motion was made and seconded to recommend adoption of the conference report and pass the bill. The roll call showed one member voting do not recommend, one member excused, and the remaining members recommending adoption. By vote of the committee, the conference report was adopted, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's extra protection from DCYF.
• There's extra protection from DCYF.
• There's extra protection from DCYF.
• There's extra protection from DCYF.
• investigation by their version of DCYF. investigation by their version of DCYF.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The standard for calling DCYF is a reasonable cause to suspect.
• <00:14:25.440> That<00:14:25.600> is is well beyond calling DCYF.
• That is is well beyond calling DCYF.
• The standard for calling DCYF them out."
• <01:38:37.600> was my problem is uh you know DCYF was my problem is uh you know DCYF was originally

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met in executive session on Senate Bill 72, a parental rights in education measure, and considered an amendment offered by Representative Raymond. Raymond explained that his changes were intended to narrow the bill so it would not force schools to act as “surveillance operatives” for parents, especially regarding older students, and to avoid requiring teachers to disclose private family matters such as a student’s sexual orientation or pronouns. He also struck the bill’s “clear and convincing” standard and replaced it with a lower “evidence” standard, arguing teachers should have some basis for concern but not a burden equivalent to terminating parental rights. He said the amendment was meant to preserve due process, avoid weaponizing the bill in civil disputes, and reduce the risk of lawsuits. Members then debated the scope of the bill and amendment. Supporters said schools should not withhold information about a child’s health, school environment, behavior, bullying, self-harm, or criminal conduct, and argued that parents have a right to know about serious issues such as mental health concerns, sexual assault, drug use, or other misconduct. Several members emphasized that teachers do not diagnose mental illness, but should report observable concerns and involve school administrators or counselors when necessary. Opponents argued the bill would chill communication between students and trusted adults at school, especially for children from dysfunctional or unsafe homes, and said it could force outing of gay or trans students and increase the risk of harm or self-harm. One member cited the Department of Education’s trusted-adult approach and said teachers are not covered by formal confidentiality rules in the same way as lawyers or doctors. The discussion included examples and hypotheticals about bullying, sexual assault, drug use, self-harm, gender dysphoria, and whether a teacher would have to tell parents if a student used different pronouns or a nickname. Raymond and supporters said the bill would require disclosure of serious safety concerns but not compel teachers to diagnose or pry into private matters. Opponents argued the bill’s language still sweeps too broadly and could force disclosure in situations where a student fears abuse or being kicked out at home. The transcript does not show a final vote on the amendment or bill in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're having presentations from the counties, from DHS, from DCYF, and some comments from MMB, and I'm
• So first from DCYF, welcome the commissioner.
• The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families—I'll refer to it as DCYF—is responsible for
• DCYF received $10 million to modernize the child welfare functions that are currently within the SSIS
• The backlog project included funding for staff at DCYF and DHS.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• , Marie Nunan, director of DCYF.
• liaison for DCYF. liaison for DCYF.
• Marie Nunan, DCYF >> Good morning again. Marie Nunan, DCYF director. director. director.
• I've talked to DCYF<01:49:53.040> lawyers.
• DCYF lawyers. U I've talked to causes. DCYF lawyers. U I've talked to causes.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For the record, Nick Dem with DCYF.
• Amy Wasserman with DCYF. Um, this will have a cost for the agency.
• Amy Wasserman with<00:58:06.440> DCYF.
• Um, so I have brought this concept to DCYF. They were not in favor of it.
• Um, so I have brought this concept to DCYF. They were not in favor of it.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, they have to alert DCYF, which will then bring about an investigation.
• And at that point, school personnel won't be doing the transporting, but DCYF will.
• Or do you think that this other statute would let the DCYF transport the student?
• statute would let the DCYF transport the student?
• And this will have no impact on DCYF or any schools, the education facility, not DCYF at all.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all