Partners for Our Children

The bill proposes rules for which local governments may submit proposals that establish community juvenile accountability program for referred, diverted, and adjudicated youth “offenders.”

The act defines “referred youth” essentially as a youth who has probable cause of having committed a crime, was referred to program instead of being diverted or charged with a criminal offense and would likely have been charged if not for the program to which the youth was referred. 

Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) must file annual report to legislature with county by county description of the youth served by the funded program.

DCYF must implement a stop loss policy when allocating funding under RCW 13.40.510. Under the stop loss policy, funding formula changes may not result in a funding loss for any juvenile court of more than two percent from one year to the next. 

DCYF also must report to legislature about how funding is used for referred youth and the impact of funding by December 1, 2019.