The Office of Tribal Relations' Tribal Foster Care Licensing Consultant works collaboratively with DCYF Licensing Division regarding Licensing Division, Foster Care, Safety and Monitoring Licensing Child Protective Services, Washington Caregiver Application Portal (WA CAP) and other DCYF projects that relate to Licensing. This position's primary responsibility is overseeing the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of services and practices that impact tribes across the state.
The licensing consultant works closely with Tribal Child Placing Agencies and Tribes with Inter-governmental agreements and assists tribes in accessing licensing related services that benefit their community.
Below are some of the projects the Tribal Foster Care Licensing Consultant is assisting with.
DCYF is engaging with Tribal partners to understand the impacts of the Caregiver Supports Project for each Tribe and ensure a successful transition that best serves Tribal children and families. Tribes have the option to do their own rate assessments on tribally dependent children and to provide placement supports to their own members instead of using a contracted provider in their catchment area.
Phase 2 of the Caregiver Supports Project is the implementation of a new Caregiver Supports contract to provide placement supports to both licensed and unlicensed caregivers. Case aides will be part of the placement supports available for caregiver supports, when children are leveled into the 3 through 7 levels, based off the rate assessment. The Caregiver Supports contracts will be awarded to providers through a bidding process and the placement supports will be phased in starting in 2024 and implemented statewide in 2026.
- Tribes will have the option of entering into a Caregiver Supports contract to serve their caregivers of tribal jurisdiction children; or
- Tribes will have the option of utilizing the contracted provider to serve their caregiver families of tribal jurisdiction children.
- Tribes will have the option to opt-out of Caregiver Supports altogether.
Support areas include accessing resources such as education advocacy, health and well-being coordination, finding local childcare, culturally and developmentally appropriate care/resources, transition to adulthood, and crisis supports.
If you would like to meet with DCYF to discuss the Caregiver Supports Project and impacts to your Tribe, email Mandy Morlin at mandy.morlin@dcyf.wa.gov. For additional information visit the Caregiver Supports Project webpage.
The Initial License process was launched to all Tribes on March 13, 2024, with a training conducted to Tribes on how to request both Initial and Kinship licensing, at the ICW Subcommittee meeting. Today, Tribes may request an initial license or kinship license utilizing the Initial/Kinship License Request for Tribes form 10-056.
IV-E Tribes and Tribe’s considering IV-E are encouraged to contact Office of Tribal Relations to schedule a meeting to discuss administrative claiming impacts, prior to accessing the initial license.
Resources
NRM is a collaborative way to develop rules (Washington Administrative Code) by seeking consensus from groups made up of similar parties that are impacted by these rules. As impacted parties, tribal partners are being invited to participate in this rule making process.
Benefits of NRM include:
- Provides greater public access to rulemaking.
- Creates more culturally and developmentally appropriate rules.
- Allows for a better understanding of rule intent.
- Tribes have greater influence and understanding of the rules.
DCYF is in the process of amending the Group Care (110-145) Washington Administrative Codes (WAC) through Negotiated Rule Making (NRM). For information on Group Care NRM, visit our Group Care Negotiated Rule Making Project webpage.
DCYF is in the process of amending the Foster Care (110-148) Washington Administrative Code (WAC) through Negotiated Rule Making (NRM). For information on Foster Care NRM, visit our Foster Care WAC Amendments webpage.
Recent federal rule changes allow DCYF to create new licensing standards for Kinship Caregivers. Washington state is committed to supporting a Kin-First Culture because we know kids experiencing out-of-home care do better in almost every aspect of their lives when placed with kin.
Input from tribes on the prior Kin-First Culture study greatly influenced the national standards. We are asking for continued guidance in the development of the WA State standards, recognizing tribes’ unique and valuable expertise in kinship care.
Depending on tribal licensing status, tribes may create their own kinship standards (Intergovernmental Agreement Tribes) or use state licensing and kinship standards. Tribes will benefit from clear concise rules that are specific to kinship care and fewer barriers to getting licensed, which will also streamline the licensing process for Tribal Child Placing Agencies (CPAs) in licensing kinship caregivers.
The project team is eager to make new financial support available to licensed kinship caregivers as soon as possible. The new Kinship WAC, Policies and Procedures will be ready for public comment by December 2024 and effective in Spring 2025.
Would you like to be involved? Email the Kinship Program at dcyf.kinshipfeedback@dcyf.wa.gov.
Professional Therapeutic Foster Care is a new licensing category intended to serve youth with high needs, and who have experienced placement instability. A work group was established in December 2023 to help create a statement of work, contract, training requirements, and other program development needs. We humbly request Tribal Nation support and representation. Possible participants could include tribal child welfare social workers/supervisors, caregivers (informal or formal), service providers, and elders.
We acknowledge the disproportionate representation of tribal families in the child welfare system. Professional Therapeutic Foster Care will serve youth experiencing multiple placement disruptions, a population where Tribal Nation youth are also disproportionality represented. Tribal Nation partnership is important as we build a program to meet all youth and family needs.
The expected commitment for engagement in this group may be:
When: Twice monthly meetings
Length of time: 1.5 - 2 hours each meeting
Duration: January 2024 - Approximately December 2024
Changes have occurred to the Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP) that now allows all caregivers of tribally dependent to qualify for Tribal Guardianship Assistance Program (TGAP).
Changes to GAP
- All caregivers, regardless of relationship to the child, qualify for GAP when they meet the below eligibility requirements.
- Tribes that do not qualify for IV-E are now eligible for GAP, when their caregivers meet the eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Criteria
Tribal Guardianship Assistance Program (TGAP)
- Caregiver must be licensed for 6 consecutive months and have placement of a tribally dependent child for 6 consecutive months post licensing.
- Initial and Expedited Licenses timeframe do not qualify towards the 6 months of licensure.
- The TGAP Agreement must be signed and approved prior to finalizing the guardianship.
Extended Tribal Guardianship Program Assistance (ETGAP)
- Received TGAP subsidy before their 18th birthday
- Youth ages 18-21 must meet one of the five criteria below:
- Enrolled in high school or high school equivalency program
- Enrolled, applied for or can show intent to enroll in a post-secondary academic/vocational certification program
- Participating in a program or activity designated to promote or remove barriers to employment
- Employed 80 hours or more a month
- Unable to engage in any of the other activities due to a documented medical condition