Thanks to nominations from across the state, DCYF and Seattle’s Child recognized 28 parents, caregivers, and community members for Parent Recognition month this past February. All of the honorees were celebrated again as 140 Washingtonians gathered for the Unsung Hero Event on Feb. 26, 2026.
The annual event hosted its largest crowd in years — family, friends, and colleagues were thrilled to recognize people in their communities who work to make lives better for children.
The festivities kicked off with a video message from Gov. Bob Ferguson and some words of gratitude and acknowledgement from DCYF Secretary Tana Senn.
Some of the 2026 honorees include:
- DCYF employee, E Renae Antalan, who helps provide guidance and support to ESIT providers while caring for her infant grandchildren who are now thriving.
- Several parent partners of DCYF, lived experts who contribute to PAG, facilitating lived experts as part of the Early Learning Coordination Plan Outcome 2 and several foster parents.
- A parent who survived a traumatic childhood, including foster care and homelessness. He now focuses on protecting his own family’s well-being and helps other families find the same resilience that saved his life.
- A single mother who is caring not only for her own three young children, but also her younger siblings who were removed from their parents’ care. All while going to school to get her social work degree and volunteering with CASA, advocating for children in the foster care system.
Since 2011, DCYF has honored nearly 400 individuals in Washington for the roles they have taken with their families, schools, and communities.
Winners were selected by a parent-led panel. Each honoree demonstrates one or more of the five protective factors known to reduce child abuse and neglect.
Learn more by visiting the Strengthening Families Washington webpage.
