In doing so, the Legislature intended to meet the needs of developmentally disabled children with voluntary placement agreements between DSHS and parents. These agreements allow DSHS to place developmentally disabled children in foster homes and group care facilities without a finding of dependency. See RCW 74.13.350. This case presents a question of statutory interpretation, which we review de novo. The purpose of our review is to give effect to the intent of the Legislature.
Review begins with the plain language of the statute.
Lacey Nursing Ctr. Where a statute is unambiguous, legislative intent is determined from the language of the statute alone. Waste Management of Seattle, Inc. v. Utilities and Transp. Further, statutes should be construed to give meaning to each statute and to avoid absurd or strained consequences. Under the terms of such an agreement, the parents retain legal custody.