Like many states, Washington has taken actionable steps to improve the treatment of justice-involved youth.

Every day of the year, Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) staff provide critical support to justice-involved youth. Last year, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) unofficially named July as JR Staff Appreciation Month to celebrate and honor the important work of these public servants.

Earlier this year, Echo Glen Children’s Center launched a creative writing program for the young people living there, and the work of several youth has recently been recognized and published!

DCYF’s Recruitment and Retention Team is stepping into the world of social media! After months of hard work, we are excited to announce a DCYF-approved Facebook page for recruiting foster parents across Washington State.

The Fair Start for Kids Act (FSKA) directs the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to distribute Early Childhood Equity Grant funds to eligible applicants.

Through the Child Care Stabilization Grant, DCYF has distributed over $327 million to 5,883 providers helping them stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic to care for children and ensure working families have access to high-quality child care.

Through the Child Care Stabilization Grant, DCYF has distributed over $327 million to 5,883 providers helping them stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic to care for children and ensure working families have access to high-quality child care.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) believes in that every family should have the opportunity to enroll their children, or children in their care, in high-quality child care and early learning programs that prepare them for kindergarten.

The Fair Start for Kids Act supports child care and early learning providers by supporting increased resources for professional development and support for adult educators who care for and teach young children in Washington State.

Everett College is one of 10 Early ECEAP (Early Childhood Education Assistance Program) sites in Washington. The college currently has 22 slots for infants and toddlers. 

In early May, DCYF staff spoke with three Early ECEAP parents asking them what the program means to them.

Here is what they said: