The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families is developing a new Washington Administrative Code (WAC) chapter, along with supporting policies, procedures, and a home study process for kinship caregivers, making it easier for kin to get licensed and receive support from staff.
This initiative supports Washington State's commitment to licensing 80% of its kinship caregivers by 2025 and providing critical financial support that was previously unavailable.
How will this impact me?
- Kinship Caregivers – Creating a more efficient path to get licensed, will result in additional financial support that is only available to licensed caregivers.
- Tribes – Depending on tribal licensing status, tribes may create their own kinship standards (Intergovernmental Agreement tribes) or use state kinship licensing standards.
- DCYF Staff – Simplifying and streamlining the licensing process to support kinship caregivers will help us align with the national kinship standards and reduce barriers to completing licensing requirements.
- CPAs – Streamlining and clarifying processes will make it faster to license kinship caregivers.
- Foster Parents – No changes.
How can I get involved?
Kinship caregivers, Tribes, CPAs, and DCYF staff are all invited and encouraged to provide feedback throughout this process.
- Attend additional Community Feedback sessions are being planned (Sept. and Oct.) focused on the new Kinship Home Study that is under development
- Provide feedback on proposed Kinship WACs, Policies, and Procedures during public comment (CR 102) in Dec.
- Submit your questions to the project team.
- Email the project team at dcyf.kinshipfeedback@dcyf.wa.gov.
Project Timeline
- Feb. 2024: Public notice that new standards will be developed (CR-101)
- March and April: Initial drafting of Kinship WACs
- April – Sept: Initial drafting of Kinship policies, procedures, and Kinship Home Study
- May – Oct.: Feedback and refinement through community meetings, workshops and interviews
- Sept.: Simplified Kinship Home Study Update form effective
- Dec. 2024 – Feb. 2025: Public Review of WAC (CR-102)
- June 2025: Kinship Licensing Standards and Kinship Home Study Effective (CR-103)
