In an effort to safely reduce the number of Black children and youth entering out-of-home care, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) has launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) to expand the array of culturally responsive and specific prevention services for Black and African American families in Washington state.
Washington State’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is guided by five agency values, one of which is inclusion. DCYF caregivers are encouraged to live this value by keeping children in their care connected to their family’s beliefs and culture.
DCYF has expanded the Language Access Services Team and team members have been hard at work drafting a Language Access Plan (LAP). The goal of the Plan is to promote equity and inclusion and offer language access services in a consistent manner across all DCYF divisions and offices.
The Fair Start for Kids Act (FSKA) is historic legislation signed by Governor Inslee in 2021, investing $1.1 billion to make early care and education (ECE) more affordable for families and to provide resources to support the ECE workforce.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently created a nightmare for transgender youth by directing state officials to open child abuse investigations on families who supported and sought gender-affirming medical care for their children.
A Texas judge blocked this action – for now.
As DCYF works to eliminate racial disproportionalities and advance racial equity, it’s essential to continue supporting the voices of BIPOC youth and acknowledge their history as an embedded part of our community every day of the year.
February is Black History Month. As a late-stage boomer, I got almost none of this history in school, despite growing up in a majority Black city (Philadelphia) and a big academic focus on American History in my youth.
DCYF proposed a bill to the Legislature that would repeal RCW 13.40.220, Washington’s “Parent Pay” statute, which charges families for their child’s incarceration. The law currently requires parents to pay a percentage of their income to DCYF for the cost of their child’s support, treatment, and confinement in Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR).
Connecting youth to as many resources as possible and finding mentoring supports with lived experiences is critical to maintaining engagement with the developing minds of our residents in Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR). It also aligns with DCYF’s Strategic and Racial Equity Plan to create successful transitions to adulthood.
