We are in week six of the 2020 Legislative Session and have already passed the first two major deadlines. Last week brought the house of origin fiscal cutoff, where all proposed legislation needed to be voted out of fiscal committees. Following that, committee members began spending their time on the floor debating and voting on bills. They continue with floor action until February 19 and then return to committee work to hear and discuss bills that have moved from the opposite chamber.  

There are many bills still moving. Here are a few that touch DCYF’s work:

Billie Reed-Lyyski, CPS Investigations Supervisor and Jennifer Lopez-Silvers, CPS Investigator, two employees assigned to the new Parkland satellite office were recently recognized for their exceptional peer support. DCYF staff in their local office experienced secondary trauma during the course of their day-to-day work. These two stepped up to support their peers through their experience.

Before she even hits the road, Briana Glover, a caseworker out of the DCYF Everett office, always ensures she has a car seat properly installed in her backseat. It doesn’t matter the brand or model, Glover is well trained to identify the correct car seat size for the child’s age and weight and how to properly fasten the child. 

Her car seat expertise has not gone unnoticed and now her commitment to safety is recognized by Safe Kids Washington. 

The State of Washington is aware of the Trump Administration’s changes to the “public charge” test that may impact immigrants’ applications for visas, permanent residency or admission to the U.S. if they receive certain public benefits. The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the changes to be implemented and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will implement the new rule on February 24, 2020.