Legislative & Case Law Updates
Download the most recent Case Law & Legislative Updates Guide
New Legislation
The legislative cycle in Washington State is two years long. Within that two-year cycle, there are two kinds of legislative sessions: Regular sessions and extraordinary, or special, sessions. Regular sessions are mandated by the State Constitution and begin the second Monday in January each year. More information on the WA State Legislature can be found here: Legislature Home (wa.gov). Below are new and upcoming pieces of state legislation that impact the dependency court system. Click the title of each bill to learn more.
SSB 5149: Expanding the Early Childhood Court Program
2025 Regular Session
Changes the age of children served by early childhood courts from children under three to children under six.
SHB 1177: Child Welfare Housing Assistance
2025 Regular Session
Authorize the department to continue to provide housing assistance through child welfare housing assistance program and adds new requirements.
SB 6006: Supporting Victims of Human Trafficking and Sexual Abuse
Effective: 7/1/2025
Description: Modifies the definition of a “dependent child” to include victims of sex trafficking or severe forms of trafficking.
SB 6068: Relational Permanence and Child Well-being Data
2024 Regular Session
Description: Changes reporting on dependency outcomes to include the cross-system collection of data on measures related to relational permanency and child well-being.
SB 6109: High-Potency Synthetic Opioids
2024 Regular Session
Description: Clarifies the child removal process in circumstances involving high-potency synthetic opioids and provides funding for prevention services and support.
Recent WA Supreme Court & Court of Appeals Case Decisions
As the highest court in the State of Washington, the mission of the Washington Supreme Court is to uphold the constitution and when called upon through cases, interpret laws passed by the legislature and enforced by the executive branches of government. Below are the recent decisions (published and unpublished) that pertain to dependency cases. Washington Supreme Court and Court of Appeals decisions can be found here: Washington State Courts – Opinions – Home Page
In the Matter of the Guardianship of B.R. and I.R.
Filed March 3, 2026
Court of Appeals, Div II: Regarding sufficient evidence of a change in circumstances to justify termination of a Title 11 guardianship.
In the Matter of the Dependency of R.H.
Filed February 24, 2026
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding legal requirements for finding a child dependent.
In the Matter of Parental Rights to M.A.P. & M.M.B.-P.
Filed February 19, 2026
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding legal requirements in termination of parental rights proceedings.
In the Matter of Parental Rights to A.K.-J.S.
Filed February 17, 2026
Court of Appeals, Div I: Challenges to self-representation, trial absences, and sibling relationship findings
In the Matter of the Guardianship of D.J.S.
Filed February 12, 2026
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding legal requirements for ordering a minor guardianship.
In the Matter of the Dependency of J.H.W JR and J.K.W.
Filed February 9, 2026
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding legal requirements in termination of parental rights proceedings.
In the Matter of the Parental Rights to C.J-L.H. and P-J.B.H., aka B.B.M.
Filed February 2, 2026
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding standard of evidence for ordering the termination of parental rights.
In the Matter of the Guardianship of K.P.
Filed January 27, 2026
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding standards and evidence for ordering a Title 13 guardianship.
In the Matter of the Dependency of L.X.S.
Filed January 20, 2026
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding legal requirements for finding a child dependent and placing them in out-of-home care.
In the Matter of the Welfare of A.T.
Filed December 23, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding the legal standard of active efforts in termination of parental rights proceedings.
In the Matter of the Interest of: R.N.B.
Filed December 9, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding legal standard for an order changing visitation from monitored to supervised.
In the Matter of the Dependency of C.S.
Filed December 9, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding active efforts standard for finding of dependency.
In the Matter of the Dependency of R.M.A. & J.A.C.
Filed December 9, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding evidence supporting finding of dependency
In Re the Parental Rights of R.J.C.S.
Filed December 8, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding active efforts standard for termination of parental rights.
In the Welfare of the Dependency of I.A.L. & L.J.
Filed November 18, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding reasonable efforts standard for termination of parental rights.
In the Matter of the Dependency of A.L.C.
Filed November 10, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding the right of the parent to receive adequate notification of termination trial dates
In the Matter of the Guardianship of E.P. Jr.
Filed November 10, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Legal basis for establishing a minor guardianship under chapter 11.130 RCW.
In the Matter of Parental Rights of J.F.R. and J.T.R.
Filed November 3, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding legal standards and evidence required for ordering the termination of parental rights.
In the Matter of the Dependency of J.D.R.
Filed September 29, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding evidence needed to support a finding of dependency and order for supervised visitation.
In the Matter of the Dependency of L.C.C.-H.
Filed September 8, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding the statutory factors for ordering termination by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence.
In the Matter of the Dependency of C.J.J.I., R.A.R. Jr., and C.V.I.
Filed August 28, 2025
Supreme Court: A juvenile court must find that the Department made “active efforts” when entering an order of dependency for children placed outside of their home.
In the Matter of the Dependency of J.S., G.S., C.H. & K.H.
Filed August 14, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding evidence for finding a child dependent.
In the Matter of the Dependency of J.S.P & J.J.P.
Filed August 12, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding legal standard of active efforts to remediate barriers for reunification.
In the Matter of the Parental Rights to K.C.W. and G.C.W.
Filed August 1, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding motion to continue termination trial.
In the Matter of the Dependency of J.Y. and N.Y.
Filed July 29, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div II: Provides guidance on the operation of shelter care standards.
In the Matter of the Dependency of H.W.
Filed July 21, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Filing of a private dependency petition.
In Re Dependency of S.R.K.
File July 21, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Legal standards for termination of parental rights.
In the Matter of the Parental Rights to E.R.M.
Filed June 30, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding requirement of the Department to provide all necessary services to parents prior to termination of rights.
In the Matter of the Parental Rights to M.L.S.
Filed June 9, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding legal standards in termination proceedings.
In the Matter of the Dependency of S.S.B.
Filed March 22, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding the requirement of the Department to provide adequate notice to the Tribe and make active efforts in ICWA cases.
In the Matter of the Dependency of O.B.
Filed May 20, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div III: Discretionary review to determine appropriate remedy for failure to provide active efforts (appeal dismissed).
In the Matter of the Dependency of C.M.P.
Filed April 10, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding issuance of a protection order as a means to prevent removal and ordering of domestic violence victim services.
In The Matter of the Parental Rights To S.A.M-S.
Filed March 17, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Termination of parental rights in cases involving the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
In the Matter of the Dependency of B.H.-W.
Filed March 4, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div II: Whether alleged biological parents have standing in dependency matters.
In the Matter of the Dependency of M.N.W. & K.K.W.
Filed February 6, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div III: Whether a trial court abuses its discretion when it permits a substitute GAL to make a recommendation despite not conducting an independent investigation.
In the Matter of the Dependency of X.T.J. and X.M.J.
Filed January 30, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div III: Regarding the ability of the court and DCYF to ensure an endangered child is safe by visiting the home.
In the Matter of the Dependency H.A.W.
Filed January 27, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding legal standard of evidence to support a finding of dependency and disposition of out-of-home placement.
In The Matter of the Parental Rights to B.G.B. & N.S.B.
Filed January 21, 2025
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding the legal burden the Department must meet in providing active efforts in termination proceedings.
In The Matter of the Parental Rights to P.L.C.S.
Filed December 23, 2024
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding legal basis for termination of his parental rights.
In The Matter Of The Parental Rights To H.S.W.
Filed December 23, 2024
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding legal basis for termination of his parental rights.
In the Matter of the Dependency of D.J.A., B.L.A., and N.N.A.
Filed December 3, 2024
Court of Appeals, Div I: Basis for disposition order requiring supervised visitation and party discretion to decide visitation locations.
In Re The Dependency of K.V.
Filed December 2, 2024
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding standard for dependency and removal at disposition.
In the Matter of the Adoption of D.A.C.
Filed November 25, 2024
Court of Appeals, Div I: Regarding involuntary termination of the parent-child relationship resulting in a closed adoption.
In the Matter of the Parental Rights to N.B. and H.B.
Filed November 20, 2024
Court of Appeals, Div III: Whether failing to require a statement addressing his children’s relationships with each other invalidates a termination order.
In the Matter of the Parental Rights to C.C.C.
Filed November 20, 2024
Court of Appeals, Div III: Whether failing to require a statement addressing the child’s relationship with any siblings invalidates the court’s termination order.
In the Matter of the Dependency of M.L.W. and I.A.W.
Filed November 14, 2024
Supreme Court: Regarding legal standards and evidence at termination of parental rights trials, including the right of a minor child to file a motion to intervene in a case involving a younger sibling.
In re the Dependency of E.M., J.M., and I.M
Filed October 17, 2024
Supreme Court: Clarifies that dependency fact-finding hearings and disposition hearings are separate proceedings that serve different purposes and are subject to different rules.
In the Parental Rights to A.G.L., A.S.L., and L.E.L.
Filed October 14, 2024
Court of Appeals, Div I: Concerning the entrance of a default order terminating parental rights.
In re Dependency of Baby Boy B.
Filed August 29, 2024
Supreme Court: Requires superior courts to hold review hearings every 30 days as long as a child is in shelter care.