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The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
The administrator of a designated crisis residential center shall perform the duties under subsection (3) of this section:
Upon admitting a child who has been brought to the center by a law enforcement officer under RCW 43.185C.265;
Upon admitting a child who has run away from home or has requested admittance to the center;
Upon learning from a person under RCW 13.32A.082 that the person is providing shelter to a child absent from home; or
Upon learning that a child has been placed with a responsible adult pursuant to RCW 43.185C.265.
Transportation expenses of the child shall be at the parent's expense to the extent of his or her ability to pay, with any unmet transportation expenses assumed by the crisis residential center.
When any of the circumstances under subsection (1) of this section are present, the administrator of a center shall perform the following duties:
Immediately notify the child's parent of the child's whereabouts, physical and emotional condition, and the circumstances surrounding his or her placement, unless a compelling reason exists as defined in RCW 13.32A.082;
Initially notify the parent that it is the paramount concern of the family reconciliation service personnel to achieve a reconciliation between the parent and child to reunify the family and inform the parent as to the procedures to be followed under this chapter;
Inform the parent whether a referral to children's protective services has been made and, if so, inform the parent of the standard pursuant to RCW 26.44.020(1) governing child abuse and neglect in this state; and either
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Arrange transportation for the child to the residence of the parent, as soon as practicable, when the child and his or her parent agrees to the child's return home or when the parent produces a copy of a court order entered under this chapter requiring the child to reside in the parent's home; or
Arrange transportation for the child to: (A) An out-of-home placement which may include a licensed group care facility or foster family when agreed to by the child and parent; or (B) a certified or licensed mental health or chemical dependency program of the parent's choice.
If the administrator of the crisis residential center performs the duties listed in subsection (3) of this section, he or she shall also notify the department of social and health services that a child has been admitted to the crisis residential center.
The administrator of a crisis residential center shall notify parents unless a compelling reason exists as defined in RCW 13.32A.082, and the appropriate law enforcement agency as to any unauthorized leave from the center by a child placed at the center. The administrator shall also notify the department of children, youth, and families immediately as to any unauthorized leave from the center by a child who is in the care of or receiving services from the department of children, youth, and families.
The department shall establish HOPE centers across the state and may establish HOPE centers by contract, within funds appropriated by the legislature specifically for this purpose. HOPE centers shall be operated in a manner to reasonably assure that unaccompanied homeless youth placed there will not run away. Pursuant to rules established by the facility administrator, residents may come and go from the facility at reasonable hours such that no residents are free to come and go at all hours of the day and night. The facility administrator, where appropriate, may condition a resident's leaving the facility upon the resident being accompanied by the administrator or the administrator's designee and the resident may be required to notify the administrator or the administrator's designee of any intent to leave, his or her intended destination, and the probable time of his or her return to the HOPE center. Any unaccompanied homeless youth who runs away from a HOPE center shall not be readmitted unless specifically authorized by the unaccompanied homeless youth's placement and liaison specialist, and the placement and liaison specialist shall document with specific factual findings an appropriate basis for readmitting any unaccompanied homeless youth to a HOPE center. HOPE centers are required to have the following:
A license issued by the department of children, youth, and families, including staff who meet licensing qualifications;
A case manager who may be a contractual or a part-time employee, but must be available to work with unaccompanied homeless youth in a HOPE center at a ratio of one to every 15 youth staying in a HOPE center. This case manager shall be known as a placement and liaison specialist. Preference shall be given to those case managers who have experience working with adolescents and are cross-credentialed in mental health and chemical dependency. The placement and liaison specialist shall:
Conduct an assessment of the unaccompanied homeless youth that includes a determination of the unaccompanied homeless youth's legal status regarding residential placement;
Facilitate the unaccompanied homeless youth's return to his or her legally authorized residence at the earliest possible date or initiate processes to arrange legally authorized appropriate placement. Any unaccompanied homeless youth who may meet the definition of dependent child under RCW 13.34.030 must be referred to the department of children, youth, and families. The department of children, youth, and families shall determine whether a dependency petition should be filed under chapter 13.34 RCW. A shelter care hearing must be held within 72 hours to authorize out-of-home placement for any youth the department of children, youth, and families determines is appropriate for out-of-home placement under chapter 13.34 RCW. All of the provisions of chapter 13.32A RCW must be followed for children in need of services or at-risk youth;
Interface with other relevant resources and system representatives to secure long-term residential placement and other needed services for the unaccompanied homeless youth;
Be assigned immediately to each youth and meet with the youth within eight hours of the youth receiving HOPE center services;
Facilitate a physical examination of any unaccompanied homeless youth who has not seen a physician within one year prior to residence at a HOPE center and facilitate evaluation by a county-designated mental health professional, a chemical dependency specialist, or both if appropriate; and
Arrange an educational assessment to measure the unaccompanied homeless youth's competency level in reading, writing, and basic mathematics, and that will measure learning disabilities or special needs;
Staff trained in development needs of unaccompanied homeless youth as determined by the department, including but not limited to an on-site program manager who must work with the placement and liaison specialist to provide appropriate services on-site;
A data collection system that measures outcomes for the population served, and enables research and evaluation that can be used for future program development and service delivery. Data collection systems must have confidentiality rules and protocols developed by the department;
Notification requirements that meet the notification requirements of chapter 13.32A RCW. The youth's arrival date and time must be logged at intake by HOPE center staff. The staff must immediately notify law enforcement and dependency caseworkers if an unaccompanied homeless youth runs away from a HOPE center. A child may be transferred to a secure facility as defined in RCW 13.32A.030 whenever the staff reasonably believes that an unaccompanied homeless youth is likely to leave the HOPE center and not return after full consideration of the factors set forth in RCW 43.185C.290(2)(a) (i) and (ii). The unaccompanied homeless youth's temporary placement in the HOPE center must be authorized by the court or the secretary of the department of children, youth, and families if the youth is a dependent of the state under chapter 13.34 RCW or the department of children, youth, and families is responsible for the youth under chapter 13.32A RCW, or by the youth's parent or legal custodian, until such time as the parent can retrieve the youth who is returning to home;
HOPE centers must identify to the department of children, youth, and families any unaccompanied homeless youth it serves who is not returning promptly to home. The department of children, youth, and families then must contact the missing children's clearinghouse identified in chapter 13.60 RCW and either report the youth's location or report that the youth is the subject of a dependency action and the parent should receive notice from the department of children, youth, and families; and
Services that provide counseling and education to the unaccompanied homeless youth.
The department shall award contracts for the operation of HOPE center beds with the goal of facilitating the coordination of services provided for youth by such programs and those services provided by secure and semi-secure crisis residential centers.
Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the department must incrementally increase the number of available HOPE beds by at least 17 beds in fiscal year 2017, at least 17 beds in fiscal year 2018, and at least 17 beds in fiscal year 2019, such that by July 1, 2019, 75 HOPE beds are established and operated throughout the state as set forth in subsection (1) of this section.
Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the beds available in HOPE centers shall be increased incrementally. The additional capacity shall be distributed around the state based upon need and, to the extent feasible, shall be geographically situated so that HOPE beds are available across the state. In determining the need for increased numbers of HOPE beds in a particular county or counties, one of the considerations should be the volume of truancy petitions filed there.
To be eligible for placement in a HOPE center, a minor must be either an unaccompanied homeless youth or a youth who, without placement in a HOPE center, will continue to participate in increasingly risky behavior, including truancy. Youth may also self-refer to a HOPE center.
Subject to funds appropriated for this specific purpose, the department shall administer a grant program that links students experiencing homelessness and their families with stable housing located in the student's school district. The goals of the program are to:
Provide educational stability for students experiencing homelessness by promoting housing stability; and
Encourage the development of collaborative strategies between housing and education partners.
To ensure that innovative strategies between housing and education partners are developed and implemented, the department may contract and consult with a designated vendor to provide technical assistance and program evaluation, assist with making grant awards, and support collaboration between the department and the office of the superintendent of public instruction. If the department contracts with a vendor, the vendor must be selected by the director and:
Be a nonprofit vendor;
Be located in Washington state; and
Have a demonstrated record of working toward the housing and educational stability of students and families experiencing homelessness.
In implementing the program, the department, or the department in partnership with its designated vendor, shall consult with the office of the superintendent of public instruction.
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The department, or the designated vendor in consultation with the department, shall develop a competitive grant process to make grant awards to eligible organizations on implementation of the proposal. For the purposes of this subsection, "eligible organization" means any local government, local housing authority, behavioral health administrative services organization established under chapter 71.24 RCW, behavioral health organization, nonprofit community or neighborhood-based organization, federally recognized Indian tribe in the state of Washington, or regional or statewide nonprofit housing assistance organization. Applications for the grant program must include a letter of support from the applicable school districts. Within 60 days of receiving a grant award under this section, a memorandum of understanding must be established between the housing providers and school districts defining the responsibilities and commitments of each party to identify, house, and support students experiencing homelessness. The memorandum must include:
How housing providers will partner with school districts to address gaps and needs and develop sustainable strategies to help students experiencing homelessness; and
How data on students experiencing homelessness and their families will be collected and shared in accordance with privacy protections under applicable federal and state laws.
If a memorandum of understanding cannot be established as required by (a) of this subsection, the housing provider and school districts may work with the department on a case-by-case basis to provide, in lieu of a memorandum of understanding, a detailed accountability plan for a partnership between the housing provider and the school districts.
In determining which eligible organizations will receive grants, the department must ensure that selected grantees reflect geographic diversity across the state. Greater weight shall be given to eligible organizations that demonstrate a commitment to:
Partnering with local schools or school districts as demonstrated by a letter of support; and
Developing and implementing evidence-informed strategies to address racial inequities. Specific strategies may include, but are not limited to:
Hiring direct service staff who reflect the racial, cultural, and language demographics of the population being served;
Committing to inclusive programming by intentionally seeking and utilizing input from the population being served;
Ensuring eligibility criteria does not unintentionally screen out people of color and further racial inequity; and
Creating access points in locations frequented by parents, guardians, and unaccompanied homeless youth of color.
Activities eligible for assistance under this grant program include but are not limited to:
Rental assistance, which includes utilities, security and utility deposits, first and last month's rent, rental application fees, moving expenses, and other eligible expenses to be determined by the department;
Transportation assistance, including gasoline assistance for students and families with vehicles and bus passes;
Emergency shelter;
Housing stability case management; and
Other collaborative housing strategies, including prevention and strength-based safety and housing approaches.
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All beneficiaries of funds from the grant program must be from households that include at least one student experiencing homelessness as defined as a child or youth who is homeless as defined in RCW 43.330.702.
For the purposes of this section, "student experiencing homelessness" includes unaccompanied homeless youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian. "Unaccompanied homeless youth" includes students up to the age of twenty-one, in alignment with the qualifications for school admissions under RCW 28A.225.160(1).
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Grantee organizations must compile and report information to the department. The department shall report to the legislature the findings of the grantee, the housing stability of the homeless families, and any related policy recommendations.
Grantees must track and report on the following measures including, but not limited to:
Length of time enrolled in the grant program;
Housing destination at program exit;
Type of residence prior to enrollment in the grant program; and
Number of times homeless in the past three years.
Grantees must also include in their reports a narrative description discussing its partnership with school districts as set forth in the memorandum outlined in subsection (4) of this section. Reports must also include the kinds of supports grantees are providing students and families to support academic learning.
Data on all program participants must be entered into and tracked through the Washington homeless client management information system as described in RCW 43.185C.180.
In order to ensure that housing providers are meeting the requirements of the grant program for students experiencing homelessness, the department, or the department in partnership with its designee, shall monitor the program at least once every two years.
Any program review and monitoring under this section may be conducted concurrently with other program reviews and monitoring conducted by the department. In its review, the department, or the department in partnership with its designee, shall monitor program components that include the process used by the eligible organization to identify and reach out to students experiencing homelessness, and other indicators to determine how well the eligible organization is meeting the housing needs of students experiencing homelessness. The department, or the department in partnership with its designee, shall provide technical assistance and support to housing providers to better implement the program.
The department is subject to the requirements established in RCW 28A.300.542(9).
The definitions in this section apply throughout this subchapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
"Child," "juvenile," "youth," and "minor" means any unemancipated individual who is under the chronological age of 18 years. A homeless young adult under age 21 residing in a transitional living program for unaccompanied homeless youth at the time the young adult reaches the age of 18 may be considered a child for the purposes of continued placement in licensed group care facilities under chapter 74.15 RCW. A young adult who is not dependent under chapter 13.34 RCW is not considered a "child" under any other section or for any other purpose.
"Homeless" means without a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence as set forth in the federal McKinney-Vento homeless assistance act, P.L. 100–77, July 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 482, and runaway and homeless youth act, P.L. 93–415, Title III, September 7, 1974, 88 Stat. 1129.
"Runaway" means an unmarried and unemancipated minor who is absent from the home of a parent or guardian or other lawful placement without the consent of the parent, guardian, or lawful custodian.
4.
"Unaccompanied" means a youth or young adult experiencing homelessness while not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.
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The office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs shall report to the director or the director's designee.
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The office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs may distribute grants to providers who serve homeless youth and young adults throughout the state.
The grants must fund services in the five key components in RCW 43.330.700.
The grants must be expended on a statewide basis and may be used to support direct services, as well as technical assistance, evaluation, and capacity building.
Grant funds used to provide flexible financial assistance may be provided directly to eligible youth and young adults or a third-party vendor such as a landlord in order to promote the housing stability of the program participant.
The office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs shall provide management and oversight guidance and direction to the following programs:
HOPE centers as described in RCW 43.185C.315;
Crisis residential centers as described in RCW 43.185C.295;
Street outreach services as defined in RCW 43.185C.010;
Independent youth housing programs as described in RCW 43.63A.305.
Subject to the amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs shall select, monitor, and provide funding and assistance to counties that implement housing stability for youth in courts programs as described in this section .
The housing stability for youth in courts pilot programs must include the following components:
Regular trainings provided to all appropriate juvenile court staff regarding risk factors and identifiers for youth homelessness;
An identification and referral system used throughout the juvenile court system where all appropriate court staff use routine data flags to identify youth at risk for youth homelessness and refer youth to the housing stability coordinator described under (c) of this subsection;
A dedicated housing stability coordinator in each participating county that receives referrals, conducts housing stability assessments with youth and caregivers, connects youth and caregivers with relevant community providers based on assessments, and follows up on referrals;
A model of homelessness prevention services that provides the appropriate amount of intervention based on the youth or family needs; and
Coordinated housing services for youth experiencing homelessness.
By October 1, 2025, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs shall submit a report to the relevant committees of the legislature and the governor that includes:
An evaluation of the housing stability for youth in courts programs that includes outcome data for participants;
Recommendations for improving the housing stability for youth in courts programs; and
Recommendation for expanding the housing stability for youth in courts programs.
Subject to the amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs shall provide additional funding and assistance to contracted youth service providers or other entities who convene a community support team as described in this section. The purpose of the community support team is to help identify supports for a youth focused on resolving family conflict and obtaining or maintaining long-term and stable housing. The community support team is required to prioritize reunification between the youth and the youth's family to the extent possible without endangering the health, safety, or welfare of the child.
A community support team under this section must include:
The youth; and
Supportive adults identified by the youth, which may include:
Licensed shelter staff;
A case manager;
Individuals from the youth's school;
Juvenile court staff;
The youth's attorney;
Behavioral health providers;
Community support providers;
Family members;
ix. Mentors;
Housing navigation;
Legal assistance; or
Other community members.
The community support team described in this section shall develop a process that allows youth who enter a licensed overnight youth shelter, or another organization with a stated mission to provide services to homeless or runaway youth and their families to request assistance from the community support team.
Any youth who seeks services from a licensed overnight youth shelter, or another organization with a stated mission to provide services to homeless or runaway youth and their families in an area served by the community support team is eligible for the community support team.
The community support team described in this section shall coordinate efforts, if appropriate, with:
The department or the designated contractor of the department providing family reconciliation services to a youth or family;
Multidisciplinary teams established under RCW 43.185C.250 and 43.185C.255; and
Other nearby youth homelessness assistance programs that may provide assistance to the youth.
The independent youth housing program is created in the department to provide housing stipends to eligible youth to be used for independent housing. In developing a plan for the design, implementation, and operation of the independent youth housing program, the department shall:
Adopt policies, requirements, and procedures necessary to administer the program;
Contract with one or more eligible organizations described under RCW 43.185A.040 to provide services and conduct administrative activities as described in subsection (3) of this section;
Establish eligibility criteria for youth to participate in the independent youth housing program, giving priority to youth who have been dependents of the state for at least one year;
Refer interested youth to the designated subcontractor organization administering the program in the area in which the youth intends to reside;
Develop a method for determining the amount of the housing stipend, first and last month's rent, and security deposit, where applicable, to be dedicated to participating youth. The method for determining a housing stipend must take into account a youth's age, the youth's total income from all sources, the fair market rent for the area in which the youth lives or intends to live, and a variety of possible living situations for the youth. The amount of housing stipends must be adjusted, by a method and formula established by the department, to promote the successful transition for youth to complete housing self-sufficiency over time;
Ensure that the independent youth housing program is integrated and aligned with other state rental assistance and case management programs operated by the department, as well as case management and supportive services programs, including the independent living program, the transitional living program, and other related programs offered by the department of social and health services; and
Consult with the department of social and health services and other stakeholders involved with dependent youth, homeless youth, and homeless young adults, as appropriate.
The department of children, youth, and families shall collaborate with the department in implementing and operating the independent youth housing program including, but not limited to, the following:
Refer potential eligible youth to the department before the youth's 18th birthday, if feasible, to include an indication, if known, of where the youth plans to reside after aging out of foster care;
Provide information to all youth aged 15 or older, who are dependents of the state under chapter 13.34 RCW, about the independent youth housing program, encouraging dependents nearing their 18th birthday to consider applying for enrollment in the program;
Encourage organizations participating in the independent living program and the transitional living program to collaborate with independent youth housing program providers whenever possible to capitalize on resources and provide the greatest amount and variety of services to eligible youth;
Annually provide to the department data reflecting changes in the percentage of youth aging out of the state dependency system each year who are eligible for state assistance, as well as any other data and performance measures that may assist the department to measure program success; and
Annually, beginning by December 31, 2007, provide to the appropriate committees of the legislature and the interagency council on homelessness as described under RCW 43.185C.170 recommendations of strategies to reach the goals described in RCW 43.63A.311(2)(g).
Under the independent youth housing program, subcontractor organizations shall:
Use moneys awarded to the organizations for housing stipends, security deposits, first and last month's rent stipends, case management program costs, costs associated with providing transitional housing, and administrative costs. When subcontractor organizations determine that it is necessary to assist participating youth in accessing and maintaining independent housing, subcontractor organizations may also use moneys awarded to pay for professional mental health services and tuition costs for court-ordered classes and programs;
Enroll eligible youth who are referred by the department and who choose to reside in their assigned service area;
Enter eligible youth program participants into the Washington homeless client management information system as described in RCW 43.185C.180;
Monitor participating youth's housing status;
Evaluate participating youth's eligibility and compliance with department policies and procedures at least twice a year;
Assist participating youth to develop or update an independent living plan focused on obtaining and retaining independent housing or collaborate with a case manager with whom the youth is already involved to ensure that the youth has an independent living plan;
Educate participating youth on tenant rights and responsibilities;
Provide support to participating youth in the form of general case management and information and referral services, when necessary, or collaborate with a case manager with whom the youth is already involved to ensure that the youth is receiving the case management and information and referral services needed;
Submit expenditure and performance reports, including information related to the performance measures in RCW 43.63A.311, to the department on a time schedule determined by the department; and
Provide recommendations to the department regarding program improvements and strategies that might assist the state to reach its goals as described in RCW 43.63A.311(2)(g).
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter and RCW 74.13.031 unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
Section 12 of this act takes effect July 1, 2026.