Washington State Legislature February 6th, 2020 Dear Chair Ormsby and Vice Chairs Robinson & Bergquist, To address the crisis of foster children with high behavioral health service needs being moved into hotels and emergency rooms where their trauma only increases due to lack of high acuity residential treatment placements, we request that you include in the Operating Budget the Governor’s Proposed Cross Agency Complex Youth request for DCYF of $7,600,000 plus $504,000 to provide vital treatment for high-needs foster children in our state. We are concerned by the surge in foster children being placed in hotels while they wait for treatment (as highlighted in a recent Crosscut article). Many providers of Behavioral Rehabilitation Services (BRS) say they can’t afford to meet children’s needs with the current reimbursement rate (which is uniform across regions). For instance, Ryther, a nonprofit in Seattle recently had to move 26 youth out because the reimbursement rate was inadequate to meet the acute mental health, developmental and behavioral needs of the youth. We are aware that one or more of these youth have had to be boarded in hospitals and hotels since being displaced from Ryther. The Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) spends about $2,100 per night for a hotel stay (includes overnight social workers and often a security guard). According to Crosscut estimates, these hotel stays have cost taxpayers an estimated $9.3 million since 2015. Ryther is asking for an additional $67 a day per child ($2,000 per month), which is much more affordable than hotel stays. In addition, the treatment and housing stability is essential for the children’s health. The Governor’s Supplemental Budget calls for $7.6 million for “Twelve new short-term emergent placement beds and 21 new long-term placement beds are funded to meet the acute needs of youth with significant mental, behavioral or developmental health needs.” Please consider supplementing the budget to allow for a BRS “plus” rate for the highest need foster youth in our state. Requested Language: FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN YOUTH AND FAMILIES $8,104,000 of the general fund—state appropriation for fiscal year 2021, are provided solely for implementing a BRS plus rate and enabling The Department of Children, Youth and Families to regionalize the rate for behavioral rehabilitation services providers. Thank you for your consideration, z. w: Rep. Gerry Pollet Rep. Tana Senn Rep. Javier Valdez