The Early Start Act of 2015 mandated that the Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) update the child care licensing rules so that the early learning system has a unified set of foundational health, safety and child development regulations that are easy to understand.

Due to repairs, the DCYF office in Bremerton, located at 3423 6th Street, Suite 217, will remain closed today and is expected to reopen on Wednesday, July 17.

If you need assistance with reporting abuse, neglect, or child care concerns, please call the local intake office at 1-888-713-6115.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience. 

Talon was born with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He was largely nonverbal, making no gestures and limited eye contact. Talon’s services with Kindering – the largest Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program in the state – began when he was 18 months old.

Katie Johnson. a social worker in Region 2, was recognized for the ways she interacts with families and takes early actions to address safety and permanency.

In addition to conducting her own shared planning meetings, Christie Funkhouser, a meeting facilitator in Region 2, said Katie recently filled in for social workers who were on leave.

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is the national public warning system that provides the public with critical emergency and disaster alerts. The system is also used by state and local authorities to deliver important information targeted to a specific region. 

As of today, we have fully transitioned all programs into DCYF and launched the new agency branding. Great work, and thank you to all DCYF staff throughout the agency.

We continuously feel inspired by the work that is done here, so we recently sat down with 3 current and incoming DCYF staff to talk about what their work at DCYF means to them and their vision for this new agency.

Ross Hunter, Secretary of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) visited this year’s Camp To Belong Washington, a camp dedicated to reuniting siblings separated by foster care, adoption or kinship.

Effective July 28, 2019, Engrossed House Bill 1638 removes the option for a personal/philosophical exemption to the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine requirement for schools and child care centers.