Gov. Inslee proposes new children and families state agency
The way Washington provides early childhood education and programs for vulnerable and at-risk kids would be dramatically realigned to try to deliver existing services more efficiently, under a proposal from Gov. Jay Inslee.
Inslee’s plan, which is included in the 2017-19 budget he proposed this week, would create a new cabinet-level department, merging the current Department of Early Learning with Child Protective Services, juvenile-justice programs, foster-care services and other child-welfare programs currently administered by the Department of Social and Health Services.
“This is a major, major change in the state of Washington,” Inslee said. “We have state workers and state agencies that share the responsibility for these children and families, we want them to share their offices and have a much more efficient way of providing wraparound services.”
Creating and organizing the new department, dubbed the Department of Children, Youth and Families, would cost an estimated $7 million to $9 million in both 2018 and 2019, money that is included in Inslee’s proposed budget.
Read more: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/major-major-change-gov-inslee-proposes-new-children-and-families-state-agency/