Council votes to separate DCYF as its own growth‑factor category

The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council voted on Sept. 11 to direct the budget outlook work group to treat the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) as a separate growth‑factor category and apply a blended methodology that treats early‑learning programs differently from other DCYF programs.

Corbin Nemeth, staff to the Ways and Means Committee and presenter for the outlook technical work group, told the council the proposal responds to increasing entitlement‑style growth in DCYF programs and would calculate the early‑learning growth factor using a Seattle CPI measure plus a utilization factor for the Working Connections child‑care program. "As a result of that, the work group is proposing a methodology that is similar to the methodology used for the higher education budget," Nemeth said, explaining the blended approach for early learning versus other DCYF programs.

Representative Couture moved the motion to adopt the proposal and Representative Warmbs seconded; Representative Couture argued it would yield more accurate projections given recent program changes. "There's been a lot of changes... especially as it relates to some of the more entitlement pieces that the department deals with," Couture said in support. The council approved the motion by hand/electronic raise with no recorded opposition.

The council's direction is procedural: it asks the outlook technical work group to implement the DCYF breakout for upcoming budget outlook preparations. The staff presentation quantified how separating DCYF affects category growth rates and showed DCYF growth rising to about 4.9% under the 3‑biennia method and about 3.5% under the 5‑biennia method (figures presented by staff). The decision does not itself change agency budgets; it changes the growth‑factor inputs the work group will use when preparing the four‑year maintenance‑level outlook.