The child welfare system operates under a comprehensive federal monitoring cycle. This cycle is designed to make sure states are meeting the safety, permanency, and well-being needs of children and families. This cycle has several parts:
- The Child and Family Services Review (CFSR), which looks at state performance in achieving positive outcomes.
- The Program Improvement Plan (PIP), a targeted roadmap for addressing areas of improvement.
- The Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP), a five-year strategic plan outlining goals, objectives, and activities to strengthen child welfare services.
- The Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR), which provides yearly updates on CFSP implementation and progress.
Together, these elements create a continuous feedback loop. This loop fosters accountability, transparency, and ongoing improvement to better serve children, youth, and families across our state.
Child & Family Services Review (CFSR)
Round 4 of the CFSR will occur in August 2026. The Children’s Bureau Administration for Children and Families will review key areas of Washington’s child welfare programs and practice. The three previous reviews occurred in 2003, 2010, and 2018.
Search for previous reports on the Children's Bureau website
The purpose of the review is to:
- Ensure substantial conformity with federal standards
- Understand what is happening to children and families engaged in child welfare services
- Help enhance the agency’s capacity to achieve positives outcome by identifying strengths and areas needing improvement.
The review includes a self-analysis of Washington’s child welfare system, through a statewide assessment due to Children’s Bureau in June 2026. Children’s Bureau will interview key child welfare partners to inform systemic ratings.
Following the August 2026 onsite review, Children’s Bureau will issue a formal report with their findings.
Program Improvement Plan (PIP)
After the CFSR report is received, DCYF will work with the Children’s Bureau to develop a Program Improvement Plan (PIP) aimed at addressing performance areas identified during the CFSR. The PIP will be implemented over a two-year period to improve outcomes for children and families.
Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP)
As part of the federal monitoring process, the Children’s Bureau Administration for Children and Families requires each state’s child welfare agency to develop a Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP). Washington State’s CFSP is a five-year strategic plan that sets forth the state’s vision and goals to strengthen our child welfare system. The CFSP includes reporting on Washington’s performance on a number of measures and outlines initiatives and activities that the State will administer to promote the safety, permanency and well-being of children, youth and families, including the strategies and activities as identified in the Program Improvement Plan (PIP). The CFSP is directly tied to federal government funding to support Washington’s Child Welfare programs.
Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR)
The Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR) provides updates on statewide child welfare performance and the progress made towards accomplishing the goals and objectives as outlined in the Child and Family Services Plan (as described above). The report also includes Washington’s performance on a number of measures as well as use of the specific federal funding streams.
