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Committee hears updates to child advocacy center law to cover children exposed to violence
Summary
House Bill 1028 would revise statutory definitions of Child Advocacy Centers and child forensic interviews, allow confidential peer review of recorded closed-case interviews, and seek to improve access to trauma-informed services for children exposed to violence; supporters included CAC directors and forensic interviewers.
House Bill 1028 would update state law to reflect current practice at Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs), broaden the statute's language to include children exposed to violence and permit confidential peer review of recorded closed-case child forensic interviews, supporters told the House Children, Youth & Early Learning Committee.
Luke Wickham, committee counsel, told the panel the bill clarifies definitions and authorizes use of recordings of closed forensic interviews "as part of a structured and confidential peer review." He said the bill also updates the statutory definition of a child forensic interview to emphasize developmentally sensitive, legally sound, culturally responsive, fact-finding interviews used in multidisciplinary investigations.
Representative Roger Goodman, a longtime sponsor, said the intent is to ensure CACs can intervene not only for direct victims but also for children who have witnessed or been exposed to violence. "The idea is they would be removed from the scene and then a child intervention specialist would intervene right away to reduce the trauma," he said, describing outreach to children in domestic incidents and community violence.
Paula Reid, executive director of Children's Advocacy Centers of Washington, testified that Washington now has 26 accredited and developing CACs and that the bill makes statutory language match current practice. "This bill provides for important updates to legislation that reflect what exists today and will strengthen our state's ability to support children who've experienced abuse or exposure to violence," Reid said.
Forensic interviewers also urged the committee to preserve the ability to use recorded interviews in peer review. Karen Sinclair, a forensic interviewer for the Kitsap County Prosecutor's Office, said regular, confidential peer review of real recorded interviews is critical quality-assurance work: "Best practices for interviewing skills decrease after initial training, and it is imperative that interviewers receive supervision and deliberate feedback on recorded real interviews." Stephanie Whittle, director of the CAC that serves Spokane and Lincoln counties, told the committee CACs see children who have witnessed homicides, school violence and other traumatic events and that early connection to CACs improves access to assessment and evidence-based services.
Committee members asked how the county-level protocols referenced in statute are typically implemented; Wickham said the prosecutor's office often plays a lead role but that practice varies by county. No vote was taken during the hearing; the chair closed the hearing after public and expert testimony.
