State House, Senate bills aim to pay parental caregivers of developmentally disabled children

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Two bills in the Washington state House and Senate are seeking to ease workforce shortages and financial burdens faced by parents of children with developmental disabilities.

House Bill 1200 and Senate Bill 5211 would authorize payment for parental caregivers of minor children with developmental disabilities.

If passed, it would allow for parents that provide "extraordinary care" to opt to be employed as individual providers, meeting the same training and oversight requirements as other providers.

Extraordinary care is defined as care that exceeds typical parental duties that are necessary for the child's health and to avoid institutionalization.

The Senate Committee on Human Services stated in its public testimony that families with developmentally disabled children are often required to quit paid work, lose income and lose housing to provide care.

Public testimony in support of HB 1200 noted that 38 states employ parent caregivers and that Washington already pays caregivers of non-minors with disabilities.

As of Feb. 10, SB 5211 is in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means. HB 1200 was referred to Appropriations as of Feb. 18.