Echo Glen Children’s Center recently celebrated three significant high school graduations for youth in residence – the first it has seen since integrating with DCYF in 2019.

DCYF proposed a bill to the Legislature that would repeal RCW 13.40.220, Washington’s “Parent Pay” statute, which charges families for their child’s incarceration. The law currently requires parents to pay a percentage of their income to DCYF for the cost of their child’s support, treatment, and confinement in Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR).

To improve outcomes and eliminate disparities, DCYF has been working diligently to shift its entire contracted client services portfolio to performance-based contracts (PBC), a key priority in the agency’s Strategic and Racial Equity Plan.

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is establishing a pilot project to determine the feasibility of a center or school-age child care license category for multi-site programs operating under one owner or entity.