Family Supports and Services

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Although the current government shutdown is not directly impacting DCYF programs or services, many benefits accessed by the children, youth, and families we serve are affected. 

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is now accepting Unsung Hero Award nominations for 2026!

Across Washington state there are parents taking child development classes, going through substance use disorder treatment, and finding jobs, housing, and transportation to strengthen their skills and create an environment where they and their children can flourish. 

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) celebrated their third year of the Engaging Fathers Award this month by recognizing Charles Diggle, a father of three from Grays Harbor County.  

View or download the full digital media kit. 

DCYF staff will join families and advocates at the Capitol building on Friday, March 28 to plant thousands of silver and blue pinwheels as part of Child Abuse Prevention Month. 

The annual Pinwheels for Prevention campaign is anticipated to attract hundreds to Olympia for the annual planting near the water fountain starting at 2 p.m. 

While social workers should always be celebrated for the difficult and critical work they do, March is Social Work Month, a special time to share gratitude. The theme for this year’s national celebration is “Compassion + Action.”

DCYF is currently accepting nominations for outstanding parents, grandparents, kinship caregivers, foster parents, and community members, providing direct care to children, as part of its annual Unsung Hero Awards.

For the past 13 years, DCYF has recognized caregivers who exemplify one or more of the five protective factors known to help reduce child abuse and neglect:

Six years after the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) was first signed into law, states are assessing and updating their soon-to-be expired, mandatory prevention plans with one unified goal: keeping families together safely.