WA HB2497

Critical incidents (maltreatment-related child fatalities or near fatalities involving families with open child welfare cases) increased 70% from 2021 to 2024, with 22 incidents in Q1 2025 compared to 9 in Q1 2024

Courts may order safety conditions for children under age 4 during shelter care hearings even without parental consent, and the department must provide service referrals within 7 days; family dependency treatment courts may now include participants before dependency is formally established

Expands legal counsel and "parent ally" support for pregnant individuals or those with newborns who are at risk of child protective services intervention due to prenatal alcohol or substance exposure

Requires multi-agency coordination (Health Care Authority, DCYF, DSHS, Department of Health) to identify substance use disorder treatment options for families in child welfare services and establish processes for child welfare workers to access these resources

Mandates public health nurse contracts to support parents of children under 4 with open CPS investigations, specialized supervisor training on risk/safety assessments by September 2026, and expansion of parent-child assistance programs serving at least 32 additional individuals in high-need communities