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Hinkle cites progress of
Child Safety Task Force
Rep.
Bill Hinkle, co-chair of the Joint Task Force for Child Safety,
is pleased at the progress made in three meetings of the group. The task
force is well on its way to issuing an interim report to the legislature
and looking at recommendations.
“We have had three productive meetings,” said Hinkle, R-Cle Elum. “We’ve
spent some time studying how DSHS works and how the whole system helps
or hurts kids. We are now looking at recommendations of improvements
that can be made to the protection system in this state.”
The task force, created under SHB 2156 last session, includes
legislators, members from the Washington Council for the Prevention of
Child Abuse and Neglect, DSHS staff, public defenders, judges, social
workers, foster parents, birth parents and others involved in the child
welfare system.
The bill creating the task force grew out of “Sirita’s Law” introduced
by Hinkle last session. Sirita’s Law was named after Sirita Sotelo, who
died before her fifth birthday, beaten to death at the home of her
father and stepmother. Sirita had spent most of her life in and out of
foster care, and the state had recently moved her in with her father.
Sirita’s foster father is a member of the task force.
Other issues the group is studying include: state and federal law on
child placement and termination of parental rights; when and how
children are removed from homes and reunited with parents; what
transition services are available for families; how case workers and
supervisors share information; and best practices regarding child
protection. The task force’s preliminary findings are due to the
Legislature by Dec. 31.
Hinkle is ranking Republican on the Health Care Committee in addition to
his co-chair duties for the task force. Hinkle also serves on the
Children and Family Services and Appropriations committees.
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For more information, contact:
John Handy, Assistant
Communications Director - (360) 786-5758
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