SSB 6036
In CommitteeSenate
Adult family home licensure
Exempting certain former foster care providers from adult family home licensure.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill allows certain former foster family home licensees and child-specific license holders to continue providing personal care to the same youth after they turn 18 (i.e., become adults) without needing a full adult family home license, as long as they meet specific safety and eligibility criteria. It also confirms that VA-regulated homes for veterans are already exempt from state adult family home licensing rules.
- Exempts certain former foster family home licensees from needing an adult family home license if they continue to provide personal care to the same youth (now an adult) after they exit foster care, provided they meet criteria including at least three years of licensing and care, no substantiated abuse findings, and no pending licensing actions.
- Exempts individuals who previously held a child-specific license from DCYF to care for a specific child, if they continue to provide care only to that individual after they turn 18, with similar safeguards (no substantiated findings, no pending actions).
- Clarifies that the exemption for veterans' homes applies only to those serving three or fewer veterans and under VA oversight, with compliance required for state training, certification, and background checks.
- Authorizes DSHS to create rules to implement the new exemptions for former foster care providers.
Who is affected
- Former foster family home licensees — Former foster parents who cared for a specific youth for at least three years and continue to provide care for that youth (now an adult) after they exit foster care, allowing them to avoid needing a full adult family home license if they meet other criteria.
- Former child-specific license holders — Individuals who previously received a child-specific license from DCYF to care for a particular child and now continue caring for that individual after they turn 18, allowing them to keep providing care without full adult family home licensure.
- Veterans' residential care providers — Adult family homes that serve veterans only (up to three) and are already regulated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, allowing them to remain exempt from state adult family home licensing rules.
- Department of Social and Health Services — The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), which gains authority to create rules to carry out the new exemptions for former foster care providers.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
Prevents disruption of care for vulnerable young adults exiting foster care by allowing continuity with their existing caregiver, reducing risk of homelessness, institutionalization, or disconnection — a critical support for a high-risk population.
HousingPeopleRef: SSB 6036, §1(2)(a), (b)Maintains eligibility safeguards — including prohibitions on substantiated abuse findings and pending adverse actions — ensuring that only providers with clean records can continue care, balancing continuity with accountability.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: SSB 6036, §1(2)(a)(i), (b)(i)Supports continuity of personal care services (e.g., assistance with medication, mobility, hygiene) for young adults with disabilities or chronic conditions who rely on familiar caregivers — critical for health stability and independence.
HealthcarePeopleRef: SSB 6036, §1(2)(a)(ii), (b)(i)By stabilizing housing and care for young adults exiting foster care, the bill indirectly supports educational and vocational persistence — a key predictor of long-term success for this population.
EducationPeopleRef: SSB 6036, §1(2)(a), (b)Respects familial or long-term caregiving relationships by avoiding forced separation when a youth turns 18 — upholding autonomy and dignity for both caregiver and care recipient.
Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: SSB 6036, §1(2)(a)(iii), (b)(ii)
Potential Concerns (4)
Exempts former foster care providers from full adult family home licensing, which includes background checks, training, and ongoing oversight — potentially reducing regulatory scrutiny for individuals providing personal care to vulnerable adults who were once in foster care, and increasing risk if care quality declines.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: SSB 6036, §1(2)(a)(iii), (b)(ii)The exemption applies only to individuals providing care to *one specific person* (or a small group previously under their license), limiting scalability and formal job pathways — effectively preserving informal, low-wage caregiving roles rather than creating professional, licensed employment opportunities.
Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: SSB 6036, §1(2)(a)(ii), (b)(i)While the bill preserves continuity of care for transitioning youth, it does not address broader systemic gaps in post-18 housing and support for foster youth — many will still fall through cracks due to lack of affordable, accessible, and licensed adult care options.
HousingLean peopleRef: SSB 6036, §1(2)(a)(i), (b)(i)Delegates rulemaking authority to DSHS, which may increase administrative burden on the state agency but does not directly shift costs to local governments.
Local GovernmentRef: SSB 6036, §1(3)
Who Is Most Affected
Former foster parents who meet the 3-year licensing and care threshold gain legal authorization to continue providing care to a specific youth after age 18 without undergoing full adult family home licensing — reducing regulatory burden and preserving continuity of care for a high-need individual.
Individuals with child-specific licenses gain similar flexibility to continue caring for one person after they turn 18, but only if they meet strict criteria — this helps preserve trust and stability for the care recipient, but does not create broader career or economic opportunity for the provider.
Veterans' residential care providers serving three or fewer veterans under VA oversight gain formal exemption from state adult family home licensing, but must still comply with state training, certification, and background checks — a modest reduction in regulatory burden with no loss of oversight.
Young adults exiting foster care who have established long-term caregiving relationships benefit from continuity of support — reducing risk of housing instability, institutionalization, or disconnection at a critical life transition point.
DSHS gains rulemaking authority to implement the new exemptions, increasing administrative responsibility but with minimal fiscal impact — the agency gains flexibility without significant cost or risk.