Washingtonians hope each little one in our state has the comfortable, carefree childhood they deserve. However as a lawmaker who has spent twenty years in Olympia, I do know that hope doesn’t stop tragedy. Outcomes do.
This month, a sobering actuality shattered any sense of complacency. In a Pierce County courtroom, a jury delivered a record-breaking $130 million verdict in opposition to the Division of Kids, Youth, and Households. The case concerned the tragic, preventable death of 2-year-old Sarai Brooks.
The proof was disturbing. Regardless of a courtroom order, Sarai was returned to a house the place her abuser remained. The state was warned a number of occasions; seen accidents had been documented. But, the system designed to guard her appeared the opposite approach till it was too late. Whereas the $130 million award is a staggering sum for taxpayers, the true value — the loss of a kid’s future — is a debt our state can by no means absolutely repay.
Sadly, Sarai isn’t an remoted case. State reviews from early 2026 present that we’re grappling with a terrifying spike in “important incidents” — fatalities and near-fatalities — involving kids already identified to the state. Whereas the variety of kids being faraway from houses has decreased, the variety of kids dying within the houses the place they had been left has risen. This tells me one factor: The screening instruments our state makes use of to evaluate hazard are essentially damaged.
Through the 2026 legislative session, which adjourned in March, I launched Senate Bill 6007 to handle this disaster head-on. The invoice directs the Washington State Institute for Public Coverage to conduct a rigorous, unbiased audit of DCYF’s danger evaluation instruments. We have to know precisely why purple flags are being missed earlier than one other tragedy makes headlines.
I used to be heartened when the Senate handed this invoice unanimously with a 48-0 vote in February. It was a uncommon second of absolute bipartisan settlement that the established order is unacceptable. Nevertheless, regardless of this momentum, the invoice stalled within the Home because the clock ran out on our quick 60-day session.
Whereas the supplemental working funds signed this yr offered thousands and thousands to pay for authorized settlements and allowed DCYF to grade its personal progress with inside pilots, it missed essentially the most important step: an unbiased, exterior have a look at why these tragedies hold taking place. Funding a settlement after a toddler dies is a failure of coverage; funding an audit to stop the loss of life is frequent sense.
DCYF continues to ask for a large enlargement that would come with a whole bunch of recent employees members and a decadelong funding ramp-up. I’ve at all times supported our frontline social staff, who’ve one of many hardest jobs in authorities. However as a steward of your tax {dollars}, I can’t assist throwing extra money right into a leaky bucket with out fixing the holes first. Earlier than the state commits to a 10-year hiring spree, we should have the unbiased information to make sure we aren’t simply funding a failing course of at a better quantity.
Not too long ago, I introduced that I can be retiring from the state Senate on the conclusion of my present time period in January 2027. Trying again on 20 years of public service, I’ve seen companies rebranded, administrators changed, and billions of {dollars} spent. But, the reviews of “important incidents” proceed to land on my desk with alarming frequency.
My parting want for the state of Washington is that we reestablish a basis of transparency and accountability. We owe it to the subsequent technology of leaders, Washington taxpayers, and most significantly, the subsequent little one in hurt’s approach, to have an sincere, unbiased roadmap for reform.
The $130 million verdict for Sarai Brooks was a “by no means once more” second. However “by no means once more” solely occurs if we’ve got the braveness to audit the system, admit the place the instruments are failing, and put accountability earlier than paperwork.
I could also be leaving the Senate in January, however I’m not completed preventing for these kids. I urge the Legislature to select up this baton subsequent yr and transfer SB 6007 throughout the end line. We can’t wait for an additional headline to inform us what we already know: Our kids deserve higher.
