Olympia— On July 1, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) will merge with the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Juvenile Rehabilitation, Office of Juvenile Justice and Child Care Subsidy Program, including Working Connections Child Care. DCYF’s current structure includes DSHS’ former Children’s Administration (child welfare services) and the former Department of Early Learning (child care services).

On July 6, 2017, Governor Inslee signed House Bill 1661 creating DCYF. Our new state agency restructures how at-risk children and youth are served, with the goal to improve outcomes in all Washington communities. DCYF is a cabinet-level agency singularly focused on the well-being of children, youth and families in Washington.

“Completing this transition expands our agency’s reach and strengthen our ability to deliver services for families in this state,” said Ross Hunter, Secretary of DCYF. “We will continue our focus on improving outcomes for children as we welcome the new teams joining DCYF.” 

The Child Care Subsidy Program eligibility staff will now be under the same roof as the policy and quality assurance staff at DCYF. DCYF staff worked directly with providers and consumers to make this transition as seamless as possible. The call center is now named the Child Care Subsidy Contact Center (CCSCC). Clients should contact CCSCC at 844-626-8687. The application for benefits will remain the same.

“We wish our colleagues all the best as they move to their new agency,” said DSHS Secretary Cheryl Strange. “We thank them so much for all the work they have done and will continue to do to serve Washington’s families. We are excited for DCYF and for DSHS as we embark on our next chapter, and we look forward to collaborating in the years to come.”

Visit DCYF’s website for more information about the Phase II Transition.

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