In the last two years, there have been more than 100 child deaths or near-deaths in Washington state’s child welfare system related to adult fentanyl abuse and other hard drugs – an unintended consequence of the Keeping Families Together Act.
Late Monday night, Democrats in the state House blocked an effort to save these babies and toddlers. Rep. Travis Couture led the effort to bring forward three bipartisan bills from committee – including a bill sponsored by a member of the majority – to restore the state’s ability to act when children face clear danger due to hard drug use in the home.
Tragically, Democrats in the majority rejected the effort on procedural grounds, declining to advance House Bill 1092 by Rep. Travis Couture, House Bill 2511 by Rep. Tom Dent, and House Bill 2692 by Rep. Alicia Rule.
The Keeping Families Together Act, passed in 2021 as House Bill 1227, raised the legal bar for removing children from their homes. Under current law, Child Protective Services must show “imminent physical harm” before acting, even in cases involving active use of fentanyl or other hard drugs.
