Washington Revised Code Title 74. Public Assistance § 74.15.010. Declaration of purpose

(1) To safeguard the health, safety, and well-being of children, expectant mothers and developmentally disabled persons receiving care away from their own homes, which is paramount over the right of any person to provide care;

(2) To strengthen and encourage family unity and to sustain parental rights and responsibilities to the end that foster care is provided only when a child's family, through the use of all available resources, is unable to provide necessary care;

(3) To promote the development of a sufficient number and variety of adequate foster family homes and maternity-care facilities, both public and private, through the cooperative efforts of public agencies and related groups;

(4) To provide consultation to agencies caring for children, expectant mothers or developmentally disabled persons in order to help them to improve their methods of and facilities for care;

(5) To license agencies as defined in RCW 74.15.020 and to assure the users of such agencies, their parents, the community at large and the agencies themselves that adequate minimum standards are maintained by all agencies caring for children, expectant mothers and developmentally disabled persons.