The number of children in out-of-home care is now only about half of what it was when the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) was created.
There are now 4,971 children and youth in out-of-home care in Washington State. This is the lowest it’s been since the 80s and a sharp contrast from the 9,171 it was in 2018.
“Outcomes like this demonstrate our agency’s commitment to keeping families together and children and youth safe,” said DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter. “Although the number of reports we are receiving remain consistent, we are seeing fewer children and youth in out-of-home care as families are being referred to support services rather than having children removed from their homes.”
DCYF continues to see the same number of child abuse and neglect reports that require face-to-face responses and has received the same number of calls — nearly 92,000 calls to report suspected child abuse or neglect were made in 2023, compared to a little over 93,000 in 2018.
However, DCYF has changed how the state serves families. For the last couple of years, the agency has worked on initiatives such as Thriving Families that focus on preventing out-of-home placements, reducing racial disproportionality, and supporting families so children and youth remain safely at home.
DCYF continues to invest in strengths-based, wraparound prevention services to support families prior to child welfare intervention as well as improving its caregiver licensing process and supports especially for kin as the agency and the communities it serves will always have a need for kinship caregivers and foster parents.
"We know that supporting and collaborating with families by providing access to services and programs increases their number of protective factors, leading to better outcomes,” said DCYF Assistant Secretary Natalie Green. “Giving families the tools they need to thrive and safely parent means more children and youth remain safely at home."