Letter to the Governor

Executive Summary

• Organizational Development
  
• Status of 1997 Recommendations
  
• 1998 Complaint Intervention and Investigation Summary
• 1998 Recommendations and Concerns

OFCO Role and Structure

• Role of Ombudsman
• Role of OFCO
• Independence
• Confidentiality
• Access to Information
• Staff and Budget

Organizational Vision and Goals

• Goals for 1998-99

Response to 1997 Recommendations and Concerns

• 1997 Recommendations

Placement Resource Conflict of Interest Policy
Complaint Information
Complaint Tracking and Client Satisfaction
OFCO Shield Law
• 1997 Issues of Concern

Children at Risk of Chronic Neglect
Children Denied Representation in Legal Dependency Actions
Confusion Regarding Duty to Report Possible Abuse and Neglect
Non-Compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act
Insufficient Training for Foster Parents of Children Who Need Special Care

1998 Recommendations and Concerns

• Recommendations
• Concerns

Complaint Intervention and Investigation Summary

• Initial Contacts
• Complaints

Source of Complaints
Affected Children
Issues Identified by Complainants
Where Complaints Were Directed
Children's Administration Complaints by Region, Office
• Interventions

Preliminary Investigation
Team Review
Interventions
Intervention Results
Declines
• Investigations

Administrative Investigations
Systemic Investigations
Review of 1994-95 Wenatchee Child Sexual Abuse Investigations
Guardian ad Litem Representation

Appendices
A. Role of Legislative Children's Oversight Committee
B. Press Clippings Sources
C. Washington State School Districts' Association Model Policy

For the current WSSDA Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Policy and Procedure contact the
Washington State School Directors' Association, Policy and Legal Services at (360) 493-9239.