People demand change to WA state law they say endangers children

Concerns over WA's Keeping Families Together Act

The Keeping Families Together Act passed several years ago, intended to crack down on racial and economic injustice within child protective services. But some say it's forced kids to remain in dangerous and deadly situations in the custody of biological parents who are addicted to hard drugs.

OLYMPIA, WA - People are fed up with a Washington state law that they say leaves children in dangerous and even deadly situations.

The backstory:

The Keeping Families Together Act, which passed several years ago, was created to crack down on racial and economic injustices within child protective services.

The law made "imminent physical harm" the mandatory requirement for removal of a child from a home.

What they're saying:

Wednesday, dozens rallied on the State Capitol steps demanding changes to the law.

"It’s just wishful thinking that parents that are actively abusing drugs or have criminal histories are going to change and learn how to safely parent," said Sarah Strode.

A mother's story

Strode is the adoptive mother of two children who she says lives were permanently impacted due to neglect because they were left in dangerous situations due to the law.

"Leo [her adoptive son] was left in a shed by his bio parents, unattended, with a space heater hanging above him in a strapped car seat and a blanket hanging over the top of that. He was residing in a very well-known drug house, and people knew. People knew disaster was going to strike," she said.

A newly proposed law

Representative Travis Couture is trying to get a new law on the books to prevent child death due to what he says are the unintended consequences of the Keeping Families Together Act.

"We’re just not getting the answers, and we’re not getting the results – even here at this rally, you have a lot of DCYF employees and social workers who work for DCYF who are fed up, because you have social workers with caseloads of 30, 40, 50, and they know that when they go back to that home the next day there is a high likelihood that child will be dead," he said.

Couture says he has support from both Democrats and Republicans to pass his new law (HB 1029) which would make hard drugs, like fentanyl, enough of a reason to remove a child from their parents’ custody.

What's next:

Couture’s proposed law is in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been introduced and is now in committee.

FOX 13 Seattle reached out to Representative Lillian Ortiz-Self, the sponsor of the Keeping Families Together Act, for comment, but we have not heard back.

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