In one of the first counties in the nation to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Snohomish County Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) teams saw firsthand the disproportionate impacts the virus had on ECEAP families. These families were not only impacted by the stress of the pandemic, they also faced greater job instability or worked in industries that placed them at greater risk of exposure to the virus. Staff wasted no time in setting up individualized services, and showed their commitment to children and families by:

Passed in 2019, House Bill 1646 allows young people sentenced in adult court for crimes committed under age 18 to go to Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) until age 25. Before the bill, JR residents had to transfer to the Department of Corrections (DOC) on their 21^st birthday to serve the rest of their sentence.

Read the full July Secretary Newsletter.

DCYF Budget Update

Stable, high-quality early learning is shown to have lifelong benefits for children, especially among our most vulnerable populations.

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is pleased to announce that Working Connections Child Care – our subsidy program that helps low-income families pay for child care – is extending the grace period for families experiencing homelessness.