Adult Family Home Pilot for Investigation of Facility-Reported Incidents
Residential Care Services (RCS) has announced a new pilot program that will introduce an administrative review and offsite investigation process for certain facility-reported incidents (FRIs) in adult family homes. Beginning in July 2026, RCS will launch a six-month “proof of concept” pilot in Region 1 to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of investigating medium- and low-level harm incidents remotely when onsite investigations are not required.
Facility-reported incidents are allegations or events that providers are required to report to the state hotline as mandatory reporters. Under this pilot, providers will continue to submit their initial incident reports through the RCS Online Incident Reporting (OIR) portal. In addition, participating providers will be expected to submit any follow-up updates related to their initial reports within five days. RCS is also enhancing the OIR system to allow providers to upload supporting documentation at the time of reporting and throughout the investigation process.
The pilot is intended to streamline the investigative process while maintaining oversight and accountability. By using administrative review and offsite investigation methods for qualifying incidents, RCS aims to improve efficiency and responsiveness while reducing unnecessary onsite visits.
Training Opportunity for AFH Providers and Staff
To prepare providers for this upcoming change, the Adult Family Home Council (AFHC) and RCS are partnering to offer a joint training opportunity for adult family home providers and staff.
The training will provide an overview of the pilot and outline provider responsibilities during the implementation period. Topics will include the legal and regulatory requirements for mandatory incident reporting, expectations for submitting follow-up updates, and step-by-step instruction on how to upload documents through the OIR portal.
The training will be held virtually on:
June 23, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Providers and staff can register here:
Register for the Training
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Membership fees enable the Council to cover legal expenses and fund staff to advocate with the state and regulatory agencies. The participation of every adult family home is vital to ensuring fair regulations and rates that accurately reflect the costs of caring for our vulnerable adults. Consider becoming a member of the Council to help us continue improving conditions for all adult family homes in Washington State.