A multi-sport athlete, choir member, and avid Seattle Mariners fan will be throwing the ceremonial first pitch during the April 27 Mariners game to celebrate Foster Care Month.
Tyson, 15, is the 2025 Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) First Pitch Kid, an honor given to a child or youth in out-of-home care, as part of the We Are Family Day celebration at T-Mobile Park. Tyson was nominated by his social worker and a program administrator who emphasized his resilience, self-motivation, and self-advocacy skills. Joining him on the field will be his caregiver, Patty, siblings, friends, a former caregiver, and one of his parents.
Tyson’s friends and family describe him as a very positive, friendly teenager that enjoys being involved in his community, interacting with his peers and playing sports. He is a proud member of his high school choir, helps coach soccer at this former middle school, and is on the honor roll.
“Tyson’s success is a direct reflection of the care and support provided by his caregiver. Welcoming a child or youth into your home is a big undertaking,” said Assistant Secretary of Child Welfare Natalie Green. “We are so grateful for the dedicated and empathetic individuals who share their homes and their lives with our children and youth creating a space so that youth like Tyson can feel safe and loved.”
For 17 years, DCYF has partnered with the Seattle Mariners for We Are Family Day, celebrating foster parents, kinship caregivers, the more than 4,700 foster children and youth in Washington state, and the people who support them.
“Great outcomes for foster youth don’t happen overnight,” said DCYF Secretary Tana Senn. “It takes long-term engagement by many caring adults in their lives, including foster parents and kinship caregivers. While the number of children and youth in out-of-home care has decreased over the years, foster parents continue to play a critical role in supporting families in crisis, keeping kids in their community, and providing a safe place to call home. We so appreciate all our kinship caregivers and foster parents!”
To learn more about becoming a foster parent or licensed kinship caregiver, visit DCYF's Foster Parenting and Kinship Care webpages, or call 1-888-KIDS-414.