Washington Revised Code Title 43. State Government--Executive § 43.330.720. Unaccompanied youth--Publicly funded system of care--Department of children, youth, and families and the office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs to develop plan

(1) In accordance with RCW 43.330.700(5)(a), it is the goal of the legislature, that beginning January 1, 2021, any unaccompanied youth discharged from a publicly funded system of care in our state will be discharged into safe and stable housing, and that this policy applies to any judicial proceeding through which the youth has been committed to the publicly funded system of care or in any collateral proceeding that involves the custody of the youth in that system.

(2) The department of children, youth, and families and the office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs must jointly develop a plan to ensure that, by December 31, 2020, no unaccompanied youth is discharged from a publicly funded system of care into homelessness. The plan must specify actions that state agencies will need to take, any necessary statutory and funding legislative action, and the assignment of those specific state agency actions to effectuate all parts of the plan. By December 31, 2019, the department of children, youth, and families must issue the plan to the appropriate committees of the legislature and the governor.

(3) For the purposes of this section, “publicly funded system of care” means the child welfare system, the behavioral health system, the juvenile justice system, and programs administered by the office of homeless youth prevention and protection programs.