Everyone in Washington State was affected when COVID-19 shut down all but our most essential services.
Some of the hardest hit were the 14,000 Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) preschool children and their families. Already some of the furthest from opportunity, ECEAP families were potentially stranded, suddenly without food, child care or crucial family support.
When the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) at Skagit Valley College (SVC) suspended site-based programs in March 2020 due to COVID-19, staff immediately set to work figuring out how to continue providing meaningful services to enrolled children and families.
The death of George Floyd and the ongoing protests happening across the nation are deeply felt by the youth and young adults in our Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) facilities. Many youth are feeling the pain of loss, years of systemic racism and a strong desire to do something about it.
On June 19, 2020, DCYF’s revised Program Improvement Plan (PIP) was approved and finalized by the Federal Children’s Bureau. The plan details the agency’s child welfare approach to improving safety, permanency and well-being outcomes for children and families, as well as significantly reducing the number of children in out-of-home care. Highlights of the plan include: