The house passed a bipartisan bill to separate services DSHS provides for children, such as early learning, juvenile services and child welfare programs, into a new state agency.

HB 1661 was sponsored by Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Seattle along with several others which are designed to reform foster care and child services.

“We all know that things need to change,” Kagi said. “We have all heard from foster parents, birth parents, judges and agencies about the turmoil in our foster care system.”

Kagi said services for children are currently under the umbrella of the Department of Social and Health Services, which has many other priorities. She believes a separate agency whose primary duty is child welfare could prevent more issues and focus on youth.

“It would be a visible, accountable agency with a secretary that sits on the cabinet and is accountable to the governor and us,” Kagi said.

The bill would move the responsibilities from the Department of Early Learning, child welfare programs in Social and Health Services and juvenile justice to the new agency, which will be called Department of Children, Youth and Families. The new agency would be administered by a secretary who would be a member of the governor’s cabinet and an oversight board would monitor the agency.

Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, co-sponsored the bill as well as three amendments which were approved by the house.

“As a former foster parent, I recognize the issues within the foster care program and the Children’s Administration,” Dent said. “I’m not standing here to blame any human being, because it’s not any human beings doing it. It’s just the culture that happens in a bureaucracy. And to find a new way, to put it together where we can change a culture and move it in a direction that can do what we want it to do.”

The bill passed with 77 “yes” votes and 19 “no” votes. Rep. Joe Schmick, R-Colfax, Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, Cary Condotta, R-Wenatchee and Matt Manweller, R-Ellensburg were among those who voted against the bill.

Manweller said he agreed with the policy of the bill, but took issue with the accompanying fiscal note.

“If they can figure out the fiscal note, I don’t have a problem with the policy,” Manweller said. “The policy is fine, in fact, the policy is good.”

The Office of Financial Management estimated that after startup and administrative costs are accounted for, the new agency would cost around $9 million per year beginning in July of 2018. By 2021, it could add up to $27 million.

The bill has moved to the Senate for further consideration.