Treehouse Educational Advocates supports the education of students in foster care. They do this by providing timely and appropriate educational supports for children and youth’s academic and growing needs.
The program works as a team with the important people in a student’s life:
- Caregivers and foster families
- Caseworkers and social workers
- Teachers and school counselors
- Community providers
- Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)
- Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
Treehouse helps students, pre-K to 12th grade. They remove barriers so students can get the resources they need to make progress in school.
The program provides short-term support, typically one to six months. Once the immediate educational needs have been met, the student is moved out of the program. They can be referred again if additional needs come up during the same school year.
Treehouse accepts referrals for Washington State youth with open dependency cases with the DCYF, Tribal, or the Federal Foster Care system from:
- Washington State DCYF caseworkers
- Tribal or Federal Foster Care caseworkers
- Washington State OSPI, school district, and school staff (foster care liaisons, school counselors, building points of contact, or other school staff)
- Case managers with foster placing agencies or group homes
- CASAs
- Guardians ad litem
- Lawyers Representing Youth
If you have education specific questions, email your Regional Education Lead or k12education@dcyf.wa.gov.
