WashingtonSome former foster caregivers qualify for an adult home license exemption
The law lets caregivers who meet specific licensing and safety conditions care for former foster youth without following adult family home licensing rules.
What it does
Some former foster caregivers are exempt from adult family home licensing rules when they care only for the former foster youth covered by their license and meet the law’s safety and licensing conditions.
Argument forEligible caregivers could keep caring for former foster youth without following this chapter’s adult family home licensing rules.
Argument againstExempt caregivers may face less adult family home licensing oversight while caring for former foster youth.
More detail
The law exempts certain former foster caregivers from this chapter’s adult family home licensing rules. One group includes caregivers with a foster family home license; the other includes caregivers approved by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families for a child-specific license. For the first group, the caregiver must have held an active foster family home license for at least three years and provided personal care to the youth for at least three years when the youth left foster care. For both groups, the only unrelated adults receiving personal care in the home may be the former foster youth covered by the relevant license. Caregivers must have no listed child or adult protective services findings and must not have a pending or prior adverse licensing action when the youth leaves foster care.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 18Effective date 6/11/2026.Latest
- Mar 18Chapter 91, 2026 Laws.Major
- Mar 18Governor Bob Ferguson signed.Became Law
- Mar 10Delivered to Governor.To Governor
- Mar 9President signed.Passed Senate
- Mar 6Speaker signed.Passed House
- Mar 5Third reading, passed; yeas, 48; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 1.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#12). Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 5Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Feb 27Placed on second reading consent calendar.Minor
- Feb 25Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- Feb 24HS - Majority; do pass.Minor
- Feb 24Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Human Services at 1:30 PM.
- Feb 16First reading, referred to Human Services.Minor
- Feb 12Third reading, passed; yeas, 96; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 2.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#32). Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 12Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.Minor
- Feb 121st substitute bill substituted (HCW 26).Major
- Feb 11Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.Minor
- Jan 30Referred to Rules 2 Review.Minor
- Jan 28HCW - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass.Major
- Jan 28Executive action taken in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 1:30 PM.
- Jan 23Public hearing in the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 8:00 AM.
- Jan 15First reading, referred to Health Care & Wellness.Introduced
Healthcare