Rep. Shay Schual-Berke pushes to move Children’s Administration away from DSHS

Public testimony supports efforts

February 1, 2008

OLYMPIA – Rep. Shay Schual-Berke (D-Normandy Park) today (Feb. 1) led testimony in the House Committee on Early Learning and Children’s Services to move the Children’s Administration out of the Department of Social and Health Services.  House Bill 3061 creates a cabinet level position for the head of the newly created department.

“We have private citizens, as well as professionals with decades of experience here supporting this bill,” said Rep. Schual-Berke. “I am hopeful that the committee will take to heart the serious testimony they heard today and pass this bill on.”

Among the professionals testifying in favor of the bill:

• Mary Meinig, Director of the Office of the Family & Children’s Ombudsman, cited lack of accountability, unreliable data, inconsistent service provision, as just a few of the many problems with having the Children’s Administration remain part of the larger DSHS.

“We favor the creation of a new cabinet-level department because we believe a smaller, stand-alone agency will make it easier to hold people accountable and will help build relationships with local communities to address the unique needs of children and families,” Meinig said.

• Sharon Osborne, President and CEO of the Children’s Home Society testified the bill is an improvement over previous efforts to create a new cabinet level department.

“There are no magic solutions, no silver bullets,” she said.  “But we are very concerned about the prospect of continuing to try to make change within the same organizational walls.”

• Dee Wilson, Director of the UW’s Northwest Institute for Children and Families School of Social Work said she believes that Representative Shay Schual-Berke’s bill creates a well thought-out process for a new child welfare system.

“The bill will create an opportunity for citizens to engage in a much needed discussion regarding what kind of child welfare system the citizens of this state want and deserve,” she said.  “Most of all, I believe that this bill will create a sense of hope that collective intelligence, good will and creative thinking can be brought to bear on the child welfare morass which is defeating the best intentions and the many talents of thousands of individuals who work in, around or with the Children’s Administration. They deserve better, as do the children and families served by the system.”