The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) operates eight community facilities for young adults across Washington State. Community facilities are less restrictive options where youth can serve the remainder of their sentence in a therapeutic setting while strengthening community connections.
One of the many benefits of community facilities is the opportunity for youth to participate in restorative justice and complete court-assigned community service hours. These young people are provided with a wide variety of service options that foster community involvement and help to develop support networks, give back to the community, and practice social skills.
For example, youth at Woodinville Community Facility volunteer weekly at the local food bank, helping to distribute meals to those in need. Youth at Oakridge Community Facility harvest fresh fruits and vegetables every Thursday at a community farming project. In our other community facilities, young people are volunteering to clean up parks and graffiti, help make trails, and so much more.
“I take pride in giving back,” says Roman, a youth volunteer. “I didn’t come from too much. I struggled, my mom struggled, my whole family really struggled. So to give back – I take a lot of pride in it.”
This year alone, even amidst a global pandemic, youth in our community facilities have completed 2,888 hours of community service, only slightly less than last years’ hours.