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2106 Accountability in Child Welfare

Frequently Asked Questions


Q: What is this new law all about?

A: Last spring, the Washington State Legislature passed HB 2106, a law to improve outcomes for children and families in the child welfare system. The House passed the bill unanimously; the Senate voted 37 to 10 to pass the bill.

This is different from past efforts because:

  • Everyone - from union reps to judges, private agencies to Indian Tribes - is part of the process. The law created the Transformation Design Committee (Committee) to make sure all voices get heard.
  • It creates strong partnerships throughout the state to ensure consistency and continuity of services, and simplifies the service array.
  • It changes the way services for children are contracted, measured and evaluated.
  • The Washington State Institute for Public Policy – a non-partisan, state research institution – will evaluate results.

Q: How does this new law work?

A: Everything about this effort is focused on improving outcomes for children and families in our state’s child welfare syste in two phases:

  • Phase I: Performance Based Contracting. In the first phase, by January 2011 the state must consolidate and convert its 1,500 current contracts with child welfare providers into performance-based contracts. Today, these contracts are based on services provided, and not outcomes. The state is working with the Committee to define the outcomes to be used
  • Phase II: Demonstration Sites. In the second phase, by July 2012 the Committee will select two demonstration sites where DSHS will contract out for all child welfare services to service partners within the two demonstration sites DSHS will continue to provide intake, child protective and investigative services.
The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) must report to the Governor and the Legislature regarding the conversion of existing contracts for child welfare services to performance-based contracts. An initial report is due June 30, 2011, and a final report is due June 30, 2012. WSIPP also must conduct a review of the effects achieved in the demonstration sites. WSIPP must provide a report to the Governor and the Legislature by April 1, 2015.

Q: How can I make sure my voice gets heard?

A: There are many opportunities to get involved:

  • All committee meetings and advisory committee meetings are open to the public. Meeting schedules are updated regularly on our website -- so be sure to keep checking to get the latest information.
  • Contact committee members directly. The Legislature created the committee to ensure that all voices are heard. You can email committee members directly through the website at this webpage. They can’t promise to respond to everyone individually, so please check our list of Frequently Asked Questions, which we will continue to update.
  • Regional meetings are being planned by DSHS to enable the child welfare community an opportunity to not only hear with DSHS is planning, but also to give input and feedback. As soon as the dates are set, we will post information on the future meetings page.
  • Join our email list to recieve email updates.

Q: Why do we need this law?

A: The goal of the state’s child welfare system is to continue to improve outcomes for children and families. Many child welfare systems nationwide are moving to performance-based models as a way to measure and hold private and public sectors accountable. Washington’s performance-based contracts will be designed to better serve the children in state care by offering coordination of care and consistency of service for all children statewide. Contractors’ performance will be linked to the level and timing of reimbursement for services. Successful models around the country create a seamless partnership between public workers and private agencies. The Committee brings together representatives from throughout our state’s child welfare system to work together to create this type of system.

Q: What is the timeline for this process?

A: The major deadlines the law creates can be found at this link.

A few important dates include:

  • By July 1, 2011, the DSHS must consolidate and convert its existing contracts for child welfare services to performance-based contracts linking the contractors' performance to the level and timing of reimbursement for services.
    • By July 1, 2012, the DSHS must contract out for all child welfare services in the demonstration sites for all child welfare services except child protective services. (The Transformation Design Committee will decide where those sites will be. The Committee’s schedule of meetings is a the future meetings page
  • The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) must report to the Governor and the Legislature regarding the DSHS's conversion of existing contracts for child welfare services to performance-based contracts. An initial report is due June 30, 2011, and a final report is due June 30, 2012.
  • WSIPP also must conduct a review of the effects achieved in the demonstration sites, and provide a report to the Governor and the Legislature by April 1, 2015.
  • By June 1, 2015, the Governor determines whether to expand or terminate the demonstration sites.

Q: Who will choose where the demonstration sites are, and what’s the timeline for this?

A: The law requires the Transformation Design Committee to determine where the demonstration sites will be. The deadline to determine where these sites will be is being worked out between DSHS and the Committee. The next discussion will take place at the December 14-15 Committee meeting.

Q: Who chose the Transformation Design Committee members?

The law spells out which organizations or groups would be represented on the Transformation Design Committee. Each organization named in the legislation determined its representative. In the case of providers, birth parents, and foster parents, each group was asked to send in names of people/organizations that would like to sit on the Committee. The Legislature made the final appointments from the lists of names provided.

Advisory committee chairs were appointed by the Transformation Design Committee co-chairs. Committee members chose which advisory committee they wanted to be involved in. Each advisory committee is also determining whether it should add additional members from the child welfare community to fairly represent key stakeholders and to ensure these committees have all the knowledge they need. In addition, the advisory committees may also ask people with special expertise to attend a meeting or meetings.

Q: Isn’t this just about privatizing the child welfare system?

A: No. This is about everyone in the child welfare system joining hands to design a child welfare system that gets better results for children. States that have been successful in moving to performance-based contracts have done so with strong partnerships between the public and private sectors.

The demonstration projects will test whether this new way of delivering care works better or not when it is managed by the private sector. But, Children’s Administration still retains the ultimate responsibility for children in care. The goal is to enhance partnerships between the public and private sector to better serve children and families in our state.