Media

Olympia – The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is exercising universal precautions in response to the national and statewide concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency is taking preventative measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of young people in our Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) Program.

Olympia – The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) values all that child care providers are doing for children and families, and recognizes that they have a choice to stay open during the COVID-19 state of emergency.

Olympia — In response to national and statewide concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is developing updated guidance for our child welfare community.

DCYF remains committed to serving the approximately 9,000 youth in out-of-home care and the providers, caregivers and parents that partner with our agency. 

Olympia — The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) are working in lockstep to maintain and quickly and safely support expansion of child care including relative, and Family, Friends, and Neighbor care to serve kids who otherwise would be in school.

Olympia — Today, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) releases a revised Secretary’s List of disqualifying crimes and negative actions. DCYF is required by both federal and state law to conduct background checks on anyone who is authorized to care for or have unsupervised access to children in child welfare, juvenile justice and early learning programs.

Olympia – The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) submitted a revised Program Improvement Plan (PIP) to the federal Children’s Bureau last week. The plan details the agency’s child welfare approach to improving outcomes for children and families, as well as significantly reducing the number of children in out-of-home care. 

Olympia – The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) was recently awarded a renewal grant for $34 million to implement the Preschool Development Grant Birth Through Five (PDG B-5) from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Olympia – The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) submitted its plan to the federal Children’s Bureau today to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFSPSA). Washington is one of a small handful of states to do so.

Olympia — Today, Secretary Ross Hunter of the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) will open the King County Courthouse National Adoption Day ceremony at noon. Secretary Hunter will join local courts across the country in celebrating families by finalizing hundreds of foster care adoptions.

What: National Adoption Day Ceremony

Olympia – The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) recently selected four home visiting programs to expand their existing services to an additional 146 families. These programs will bring services to families across the state in areas with the highest need based on the recent home visiting needs assessment.