Foster Parent Shared Leave Pool

1500.385 FOSTER PARENTS SHARED LEAVE POOL PROCEDURE

The foster parents shared leave pool (FPSLP) allows eligible Washington state employees who accrue leave to donate some of their leave to a pool where eligible co-workers or other state employees may receive leave from the pool so they may care a foster child and/or prepare to accept a foster child in their home. In addition to RCW 41.04.674 that creates and governs this pool, WAC 357-31-835 through WAC 357-31-920 provides FPSLP guidance with respect to civil service employees who are not members of a bargaining unit. To the extent that this procedure addresses terms or provisions covered under collective bargaining agreements for represented employees, the terms of the collective bargaining agreement will control for those represented classified employees.

The FPSLP program allows state employees to maintain a level of compensation and employee benefits as they would normally receive if using accrued vacation leave or sick leave.

A. SHARED LEAVE PROGRAM

In addition to leave donations that employees make to or leave received from the FPSLP, eligible employees may request to donate leave directly to another employee or may request to receive shared leave hours through the Washington state shared leave program. More information can be found in WVC shared leave policy 500.375 and procedure 1500.375.

B. ADMINISTRATION

The FPSLP is administered by the Washington state Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) in consultation with the office of financial management.

C. ELIGIBILITY

To received shared leave from the pool, you must meet the following requirements:

1. The employee has used or will shortly deplete their available paid compensatory time, vacation leave, sick leave, holiday credit and personal holiday. The employee may maintain up to 40 hours of vacation leave and 40 hours of sick leave.
2. The employee is a licensed foster parent and is either caring for or preparing for a foster child.

Caring for means taking a foster child to health appointments, court appointments, visitation with family members and/or any other reasons that sick time off may be used.

Preparing for means arranging a foster child’s living space, enrolling in school, and/or enrolling in child care.

An eligible employee may receive up to five days of shared leave, per occurrence, from the foster parent shared leave pool to prepare to accept a foster child in their home.

D. REQUESTING LEAVE

Though the program is administered by the DCYF, you apply through WVC Human Resources who will submit your request to the DCYF.

An employee must submit a Shared Leave-Foster Parent Shared Leave request form—available on the human resources (HR) website. In order to process the request, you will be prompted to provide:

1. Proof of a current foster parent license.
2. Foster parent placement information (to support the timing of the leave).

DCYF cannot grant more leave than the leave balance in the FPSLP available at the time a request is received.

Shared leave received under the FPSLP program is not included in the 522-day total specified in the general shared leave program but leave granted under FPSLP is also limited to 522 days.

E. DONATING LEAVE

An employee who is eligible to donate leave under Washington state shared leave program, RCW 41.04.665, may request approval to donate leave to the FPSLP by submitting a completed FPSLP leave donation form, available on the HR website. Donations of leave to the FPSLP must meet the following requirements specific to the type of leave being donated:

1. Vacation Leave:
   The employee’s request to donate leave will not cause their vacation leave balance to fall below 80 hours after the transfer.
2. Sick Leave:
   The employee’s request to donate leave will not cause their compensable sick leave balance to fall below 176 hours for classified and exempt and 154 hours for faculty, after the transfer.
3. Personal Holiday:
   The employee may donate all or part of a personal holiday.

NOTE: Employees may not donate annual leave hours that would otherwise be lost on the next anniversary date due to exceeding maximum leave accruals. Employees may not donate vacation leave, sick leave or personal holidays that would otherwise be lost due to separation of employment.

Employees who donate leave to the FPSLP may not rescind their donation later.

Leave donated to the FPSLP is withdrawn from the pool by employees according to procedures established by the DCYF. For more information regarding these procedures, contact DCYF at FosterParentSharedLeavePool@DCYF.wa.gov.

F. ABUSE OF THE POOL

The college and/or the DCYF shall investigate any alleged abuse of the FPSLP and on a finding of wrongdoing; the employee may be required to repay all of the shared leave received from the pool. The only time an employee will have to repay leave credits is when there is a finding of wrongdoing.

G. HUMAN RESOURCES/PAYROLL RESPONSIBILITIES

It is the responsibility of the human resource and payroll offices to:

1. Provide guidance and consultation to employees, supervisors and managers who have questions regarding the FPSLP.
2. When an employee submits a shared leave – FPSLP donation form, review the employee section of the form for accuracy and complete the rest of the form.
3. Approve or deny donation request for leave from the FPSLP ensuring compliance with applicable RCWs, WACs, college policies and procedures, and collective bargaining agreements.
4. If donation form is approved, deduct leave donated from the employee’s leave balances and convert employee’s leave to dollars and work with fiscal services to forward payment to the DCYF shared leave pool.
5. When an employee submits a shared leave – FPSLP request form, review for completeness and submit the request to the DCYF.
6. Document receipt of payment from the DCYF and convert monetary payment to leave for the use of foster parent care.
7. Update the recipient employee’s leave balance(s).

Approved by the president’s cabinet: 6/4/19
Presented to the board of trustees: 6/19/19
Last reviewed: 3/21/23
Procedure contact: Human Resources

Related policies and procedures
500.375 Shared Leave Policy
500.380 Uniformed Service Shared Leave Pool Policy
500.385 Foster Parents Shared Leave Pool Policy
500.390 Veteran’s In-Service Shared Leave Pool Policy
1500.375 Shared Leave Procedure
1500.380 Uniformed Service Shared Leave Pool Procedure
1500.390 Veteran’s In-Service Shared Leave Pool Procedure