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The Canine Connections program was established at Echo Glen Children’s Center more than 20 years ago. The program pairs rescue dogs with the young people in residence who train them in basic obedience over an eight-week session. At the end of the session, the dog goes home with its new adoptive family.

In an effort to improve child safety and realign child welfare toward a more preventative child and family well-being system, DCYF has joined child welfare leaders representing 26 state, county and tribal child and family serving agencies to form the National Partnership for Child Safety (NPCS). 

In November 2021, Naselle Youth Camp hosted its annual potlatch where community members, family, and DCYF staff gathered to share a meal and immerse themselves in the spirit of local potlatch tradition.  

“The event is a chance to have our voices heard,” said Sage, a youth of the Cheyenne River Sioux and Lummi Tribes. “It brings us closer together.”

Echo Glen Children’s Center recently celebrated three significant high school graduations for youth in residence – the first it has seen since integrating with DCYF in 2019.

DCYF proposed a bill to the Legislature that would repeal RCW 13.40.220, Washington’s “Parent Pay” statute, which charges families for their child’s incarceration. The law currently requires parents to pay a percentage of their income to DCYF for the cost of their child’s support, treatment, and confinement in Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR).

To improve outcomes and eliminate disparities, DCYF has been working diligently to shift its entire contracted client services portfolio to performance-based contracts (PBC), a key priority in the agency’s Strategic and Racial Equity Plan.

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is establishing a pilot project to determine the feasibility of a center or school-age child care license category for multi-site programs operating under one owner or entity.

Suicide prevention is a top priority in Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR).