Click here to read in the Seattle Times. 

Washingtonians hope every child in our state has the happy, carefree childhood they deserve. But as a lawmaker who has spent two decades in Olympia, I know that hope doesn’t prevent tragedy. Results do.

This month, a sobering reality shattered any sense of complacency. In a Pierce County courtroom, a jury delivered a record-breaking $130 million verdict against the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. The case involved the tragic, preventable death of 2-year-old Sarai Brooks.

The evidence was disturbing. Despite a court order, Sarai was returned to a home where her abuser remained. The state was warned multiple times; visible injuries were documented. Yet, the system designed to protect her looked the other way until it was too late. While the $130 million award is a staggering sum for taxpayers, the true cost — the loss of a child’s future — is a debt our state can never fully repay.

Sadly, Sarai is not an isolated case. State reports from early 2026 show that we are grappling with a terrifying spike in “critical incidents” — fatalities and near-fatalities — involving children already known to the state. While the number of children being removed from homes has decreased, the number of children dying in the homes where they were left has risen. This tells me one thing: The screening tools our state uses to assess danger are fundamentally broken.

During the 2026 legislative session, which adjourned in March, I introduced Senate Bill 6007 to address this crisis head-on. The bill directs the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to conduct a rigorous, independent audit of DCYF’s risk assessment tools. We need to know exactly why red flags are being missed before another tragedy makes headlines.

I was heartened when the Senate passed this bill unanimously with a 48-0 vote in February. It was a rare moment of absolute bipartisan agreement that the status quo is unacceptable. However, despite this momentum, the bill stalled in the House as the clock ran out on our short 60-day session.

While the supplemental operating budget signed this year provided millions to pay for legal settlements and allowed DCYF to grade its own progress with internal pilots, it missed the most critical step: an independent, outside look at why these tragedies keep happening. Funding a settlement after a child dies is a failure of policy; funding an audit to prevent the death is common sense.

DCYF continues to ask for a massive expansion that would include hundreds of new staff members and a decadelong funding ramp-up. I have always supported our frontline social workers, who have one of the hardest jobs in government. But as a steward of your tax dollars, I cannot support throwing more money into a leaky bucket without fixing the holes first. Before the state commits to a 10-year hiring spree, we must have the independent data to ensure we aren’t just funding a failing process at a higher volume.

Recently, I announced that I will be retiring from the state Senate at the conclusion of my current term in January 2027. Looking back on 20 years of public service, I have seen agencies rebranded, directors replaced, and billions of dollars spent. Yet, the reports of “critical incidents” continue to land on my desk with alarming frequency.

My parting wish for the state of Washington is that we reestablish a foundation of transparency and accountability. We owe it to the next generation of leaders, Washington taxpayers, and most importantly, the next child in harm’s way, to have an honest, independent roadmap for reform.

The $130 million verdict for Sarai Brooks was a “never again” moment. But “never again” only happens if we have the courage to audit the system, admit where the tools are failing, and put accountability before bureaucracy.

I may be leaving the Senate in January, but I am not finished fighting for these children. I urge the Legislature to pick up this baton next year and move SB 6007 across the finish line. We cannot wait for another headline to tell us what we already know: Our children deserve better.

Judy Warnick is a state senator representing the 13th Legislative District, which includes Grant County, and chair of the Senate Republican Caucus.