Community Capacity Expansion Decision Package

November 30, 2022
Young people huddling and smiling outdoors

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) seeks to expand and enhance less restrictive, community-based settings for youth and young adults placed in the agency’s Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) institutions. The JR Community Capacity Expansion decision package proposal continues the expansion of JR’s community capacity and supports a trauma-informed, culturally relevant, racial equity-based, developmentally appropriate, community-based approach with therapeutic supports to champion successful reentry.

If approved during the 2023 Legislative Session, this proposal would provide capital funding to increase JR’s least restrictive capacity through the creation of Transitional Living Centers to be co-located at Echo Glen Children’s Center and Green Hill School. The proposal would also provide capital funding to enhance access to less restrictive community-based facilities for eligible youth by adding 32 community facility beds through the construction of two new 16-bed community facilities in Clark and Snohomish Counties.

This decision package aligns with DCYF’s Strategic and Racial Equity Plan to eliminate racial disproportionalities and advance racial equity, create successful transitions to adulthood for youth and young adults in our care, and improve the quality and intention of our practice.

You can learn more about the benefits of this decision package by reading the Community Expansion fact sheet. Find out more about each of DCYF’s decision packages on the agency website