Economic Stability

Another goal of DCYF is that families have economic stability. As DCYF staff engaged stakeholders across the state on what they wanted to see children and families achieve, we heard repeatedly about the importance of basic needs being met. Without economic security, many other positive outcomes related to health and education become harder to achieve. Census data on Washington State families with children living below the poverty level show disparities based on race and ethnicity. While White families live below the poverty level at rates lower than the state average of 6.5%, others have much higher rates. Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino families with children live below the poverty level at rates over twice what White families experience, and the poverty rate of American Indian/Alaska Native families is nearly three times the rate of poverty for White families.

Percent of Families Living Below Poverty Level, by Race/Ethnicity (5-Year Estimates, 2017-2021)
  family engagement