Adolescents

After spending her teenage years in the foster care system, a Spokane teen pursued her degree and is using her lived experience to give back to her hometown and advocate for youth like her. With assistance from the Education Training and Voucher Program (ETV), Aubrey Shuman recently graduated from Eastern Washington University with her social work degree.  

As we near the end of the year, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate some exciting accomplishments across DCYF that are positively impacting the children, youth, and families we serve.

In 2025, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families:

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) joins MENTOR Washington in celebrating the 150 organizations that provide mentorship opportunities for children and youth across the state, as part of National Mentoring Month. 

DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter, DCYF staff, and folks from the public housing authority and housing non-profits came together on Feb. 15 in Olympia to sign an agreement to provide housing vouchers to child welfare-involved families and youth.