Washington children and families are accessing child care more than ever before.   

In June 2025, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) reported that more than 63,500 children received child care through the state’s Working Connections Child Care subsidy program, marking the first time the program has served that amount of children since 2010. 

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

This year's International ShakeOut Day is Thursday, Oct. 16, when millions of people worldwide will participate in earthquake drills at work, school, or home!

A podcast series focused on exploring juvenile rehabilitation (JR) through the perspective of young people and staff at Green Hill School and Echo Glen Children’s Center premiered a new season Oct. 1.

Read the full message in Español and Soomaali.

In the event that there is a federal government shut down on Oct. 1, I want to be very clear, there will be no impact on DCYF staffing or services and payments will continue to be made to you as scheduled.

DCYF is hosting a webinar from 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, to provide updates on our Agency Request Legislation and Decision Package submissions for the 2026 Legislative Session. You will learn about what’s in the proposals and have an opportunity to ask questions.

The agenda for the upcoming 2025 Indigenous Children, Youth & Families (ICYF) conference is now available online. Taking place on Oct. 15-16, this virtual event gathers caregivers, tribal partners, caseworkers, early learning providers, and juvenile rehabilitation staff to learn together and improve our shared practice.

Keynote speakers this year include: 

In Snohomish County, you can find a family of three that goes on bike rides, celebrates with movie nights, adventures in the forest, and has lots of laughs. This family unit was formed about two years ago when Jaxon — who was 16 months old at the time — moved to Washington to live with his grandparents Shaun and Brenda.  

For the last 25 years, young people at Echo Glen have found that both old dogs and puppies can learn new tricks.  

Young people at Green Hill learned about community and transition programs during a resource fair that emphasized how important in-person interactions can be to a successful transition back into their communities.

“This fair was different, and it is inspiring to see people in this space and their commitment to support us,” said one young person.