Child Welfare

This month, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families is joining the country to celebrate Social Work Month.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families and the Seattle Mariners are excited to announce the return of our annual foster parent and kinship caregiver celebration—We Are Family Day! 

A new $2.5 million five-year federal investment in kinship families will support children and families experiencing out-of-home care in King County.

We want to thank the Office of the Family and Children’s Ombuds team for the insights they provided in the 2021 Office of the Family and Children's Ombuds (OFCO) Annual Report.

Linking CPS-Involved Families to Early Learning and Family Support Programs

One of DCYF's critical tasks is to strengthen the linkages between our state's child welfare and early learning systems.

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

"The job is rewarding because I can help guide families in the right direction by showing them support and encouraging them along the way," says Kathy Eirls with Better Futures Together Family Services. "I feel like we have the ability to make a difference in the child's life, as well as the parent, by being a support that they look forward to."

Read the full December Secretary Newsletter and subscribe.

In an effort to improve child safety and realign child welfare toward a more preventative child and family well-being system, DCYF has joined child welfare leaders representing 26 state, county and tribal child and family serving agencies to form the National Partnership for Child Safety (NPCS). 

This Back-to-School season, help send youth in foster care back to school with the essentials they need to succeed.

Treehouse is hosting Back-to-School drives. Donation drives ensure that Treehouse is stocked with items that help foster youth feel good and fit in with their peers.