Case management bill still alive in House

By Adam Wilson | The Olympian • Published March 28, 2009

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A proposal that could send all child welfare cases to private agencies has survived the latest deadline in the Legislature, although negotiations on the specifics continue.

The bill originally would have required private agencies to provide case services such as parenting education and placement of foster children, and required them to agree to meet measures of performance. The controversial measure has been changing, and was amended again Friday.

"I, in recognition of the work done in the Senate, would like to move forward with a demonstration project," said Rep. Ruth Kagi, chairwoman of the House Children's Services Committee. "I do think we need to move toward performance based contracts."

The committee approved a new version of Senate Bill 5943, keeping the bill alive ahead of a Monday deadline to leave committee. The latest draft would direct the Department of Social and Health Services to move case management to private agencies in demonstration zones, and report on the results in 2013.

On average, about 30 percent of child welfare services have been provided by licensed agencies such as Community Youth Services in Olympia, according to a legislative report. The same report indicated that there are 1,000 service contracts, which are not tied to performance measures, with the state.

Sen. Jim Hargrove sponsored the bill, saying performance contracts are a way to improve results for children.

The Washington Federation of State Employees, however, has been working against the bill. The union represents many of the state social workers whose services would be sent to private agencies.

State workers should at least have an opportunity to show they can meet the same performance standards as the private agencies during the demonstration project, federation lobbyist Dennis Eagle said Friday.

The union also is concerned the more than 100-page bill would change collective bargaining laws in a addition to encouraging outsourcing of services.

Rep. Larry Haler, R-Richland, voted against the latest version of the bill, saying lawmakers should focus more on ending dysfunction within the state agency, and less on sending the work elsewhere.

"I think what we're doing is telling those people who are frontline workers, 'Yeah, you're valued, but not enough to give consideration to,' " Haler said.