| Social and Economic Policy Promote policies and funding to ensure a coordinated continuum of care for children at risk, reducing children removed from home or kinship networks by providing families with the supports they need and expand extended foster care. |
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Legislation |
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Overview
Overview of the 2025 Legislative Session A number of bills failed to pass in 2024 including allowing some minors to contract for housing and utilities, supporting students who are chronically absent, providing dependent youth with financial education and support, phasing out the use of restraint or isolation in schools, and adding clergy to the list of mandated reporters when there is reasonable cause to believe a child has suffered abuse or neglect. While budget constraints were major theme in the 2025 Legislative Session, there were indications that members of the legislature are concerned about children of color in the child welfare system and youth in the foster care and juvenile justice systems.
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2026 Children's Issues Legislation
Bills in green are supported. Bills in red are opposed by the League. Bills in black the League is watching.
SB 5911/HB 2169 Strengthening the financial stability of persons in the care of the department of children, youth, and families.
This bill will end the practice of withholding federal SSI benefits from youth ages 18 to 21 in foster care. Further, it requires the Department to assess youth’s eligibility to receive such benefits and help them attain those benefits. This year’s bill focuses on youth in Extended Foster Care as a first step toward ending this practice for all children in care.
SB 5940 Creating a housing assistance pilot program for youth enrolled in extended foster care.
This bill would create a housing pilot which provides a benefit to dependent young people in extended foster care that is equivalent to the benefit provided by the federal foster youth to independence program, such that young people in extended foster care can receive housing assistance while they are dependent and still benefit from the federal program when they turn 21.
SB 6185/HB 2497 Addressing the rise in maltreatment-related child fatalities or near fatalities by supporting families that have received a child welfare response.
This bill would take a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to strengthening family stability and child safety. It would expand and strengthen services to families, order specific safety conditions when a child remains in the home and expand early intervention for pregnant families.
SB 2511 Providing a definition for imminent physical harm in the context of child welfare.
This bill focuses on defining “imminent physical harm” when courts determine whether to remove a child from the home. This limited focus is unlikely to significantly reduce critical incidents, as most incidents do not come before the court and could instead be prevented through timely interventions and services for families—such as those proposed in HB 2497 / SB 6185.
- Local Leagues in Washington have action chairs who coordinate action teams. Some local Leagues have health care teams to take action locally. Contact your local League action chair to find out and join.
- If you are interested in a particular bill, use the links above to go to the webpage for that bill. These pages include staff summaries and reports including who testified PRO versus CON on the bill. There is also information about how to access videos of hearings that have been held.
- Read and take action through the LWVWA Legislative Action Newsletter, distributed each Sunday during the legislative session.
- You may also express your opinion on legislation with the LWVWA issue chairs. We will take your perspectives under consideration as we determine our support for legislation and prepare testimony. Send them to Janet Hedgepath, Children’s Issues Issue Chair.