Re: “Deaths and critical injuries spike in WA’s child welfare system” (July 22, Local News) and “Children are safer when families are supported — not separated” (July 16, Opinion):
The increase in critical incidents of children in Washington state is alarming and cannot be ignored. There are no easy solutions as our most vulnerable families are facing the most difficult obstacles. The Keeping Families Together Act does not prevent the Department of Children, Youth, and Families or the court from removing children from their homes. In fact, the law allows the court to remove a child from the home if there is an “imminent risk of physical harm.” Furthermore, the court is directed to give “great weight to the lethality of high-potency synthetic opioids” in the decision to remove a child from their home.
As stated in the op-ed by Susan Stoner and Jim Walsh, the answer is not to change the law, instead: “We must redouble our efforts to eliminate family homelessness, ensure access to high quality child care, make treatment for addiction and mental illness promptly available on demand, and ensure that basic public benefits — like food assistance and cash subsidies — are expanded and not reduced. ”
Rhea Yo, executive director, Legal Counsel for Youth and Children
