The Office of Tribal Relations (OTR) works to support the health and well-being of Tribal children, youth, and families across Washington state. OTR helps make sure child welfare practices respect Tribal culture and follow state and federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) laws.
OTR works closely with Washington state Tribes and state partners to provide training and helpful resources.
DCYF is offering Positive Indian Parenting (PIP) Train-the-Trainer courses at no cost.
These courses prepare facilitators to support Native parents using a culturally based approach. Participants receive a manual with materials for eight PIP sessions based on traditional Native teachings about raising children.
Organizations that want to offer PIP in their community are encouraged to register. Priority will be given to:
- Tribes
- Native-serving organizations
- Recognized American Indian organizations in Washington state
Course dates:
- In-Person: March 3-5, 2026 | Port Angeles, WA
- In-Person: May 19-21, 2026 | Nespelem, WA
To sign up, please complete the Registration Form.
For questions, contact Shannel Squally-Janzen at Shannel.Squally-Janzen@dcyf.wa.gov.
This 2-day online training helps participants learn how to give Qualified Expert Witness (QEW) testimony in DCYF Indian Child Welfare cases.
The training covers:
- The history and effects of colonization on Native families
- Why the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was created
- Federal and state ICWA policies
- How DCYF dependency cases work
- The role, qualifications, and process of a QEW
Participants will review two important Washington state court cases and learn how QEW testimony affects court decisions.
The training includes 9.5 hours of learning, including 3.5 hours of court testimony practice.
For questions, contact Sarah Lewis at szlewis@uw.edu.
This training explains recent updates to Washington state Indian Child Welfare (ICW) policies and procedures. The training includes:
- The history of ICW in Washington
- The state’s 40-year partnership with 29 federally recognized Tribes
- A shared goal of better outcomes for Indian children and families
How to access the training:
- Visit The Alliance’s training page to see available dates.
- Non-DCYF staff will need to request enrollment to register.
Tribal partners are encouraged to complete a 30-minute online ICW course before attending in-person training.
To take the online course:
- Sign into The Alliance website
- NOTE: We recommend using Google Chrome for best results.
- Search for "DCYF Indian Child Welfare (ICW) Policy Roll Out (eLearning)"
For more information, contact Brandy Otto at brandy.otto@dcyf.wa.gov.
The annual ICYF conference is a free, virtual event which gathers caregivers, tribal partners, caseworkers, early learning providers, and juvenile rehabilitation staff to learn together and improve our shared practice.
