Child Outcome Goal

  • Youth Suicide Rates

    One of DCYF’s health goals is for youth to experience positive behavioral and mental health. Trends in mental health over the past decade show an increase in rates of suicide and attempted suicide. Although rates began decreasing after 2021, in 2023 the rate of youth suicide and attempted suicide was still nearly 500% higher than it was ten years prior.

    Rate of Suicide and Suicide Attempts per 100,000 Adolescents Age 10-17, 2013-2023

    Suicide and Suicide Attempts per 100,000 Adolescents Age 10-17, 5 Year Rate, 2019-2023

     
    Child Outcome Goal
    Mental Health
    Youth

  • Adult Support when Depressed

    In the agency's efforts to improve and support the resilience of children, youth, and families in Washington, DCYF has set a goal that children and youth are supported by healthy relationships with adults. One way to measure this is by tracking the percentage of youth who report having support from adults when they are feeling sad or depressed. Youth who live with their parents/guardians are more likely to report having adult support when sad or depressed than youth who do not live with their parents/guardians.

    10th Graders with Adult Support when Depressed, by Living Situation, 2023

    Child Outcome Goal
    Mental Health
    Youth

  • Youth Depression

    The Healthy Youth Survey asks youth whether, over the past year, they ever felt so sad or hopeless, almost every day for two weeks or more in a row, that they stopped doing some of their usual activities. Results show that youth who live with their parents/guardians are less likely to report having been depressed than youth not living with their parents/guardians.

    10th Graders Reporting Depression, by Living Situation, 2023

    Child Outcome Goal
    Child Welfare
    Mental Health
    Youth

  • Well-Child Visits

    Another DCYF health goal is that children and youth reach developmentally appropriate milestones.

    Data from developmental screenings, such as the Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) assessment, can be used to track progress on healthy child and youth development; however, this information is not currently available. In State Fiscal Year 2024, 44% of 3 to 11 year olds on Medicaid received at least one well-care visit.

    Percent of 3-11 Year Olds on Medicaid Receiving One or More Well-Care Visit in 2024

     
    Child Outcome Goal

  • Healthy Birthweight

    DCYF’s first health outcome is that more babies will be born at a healthy birthweight. Babies born at a healthy birthweight are more likely to experience appropriate childhood development, both physically and mentally. About 81,000 babies were born in Washington in 2023. Over the past five years, about 68 babies out of every 1,000 live births were born with a low birthweight (less than 2,500 grams, or about 5.5 pounds).

    Babies Born with Low Birthweight, per 1,000 Live Births, 5 Year Rate, 2019-2023

     
    Child Outcome Goal

  • High School Graduation

    DCYF’s third outcome goal related to education is that high school students graduate on time. Among 85,306 high school students in the 2023 cohort, 71,329 (84%) graduated on time.

    Among that 2023 cohort, about half (45,070) are indicated as low-income students. Non-low-income students graduated at a rate of 91%. By comparison, 77% of low-income students graduated on time.

    View the Washington State Education Report Card Dashboard

    Four Year Graduation Rate, by Income Group, School Years 2013-2023

     
    Child Outcome Goal
    Youth

  • Youth School Engagement

    The second DCYF education outcome goal is that youth are engaged in school. Youth who feel more connected or committed to school are more likely to achieve positive academic outcomes and are less likely to experience mental health issues.

    Engagement in school can be measured by the Healthy Youth Survey’s index of engagement in school, which captures information on decision-making opportunities at school, one-on-one opportunities with teachers, opportunities to work on special projects, extracurricular opportunities, and feeling a part of class activities or discussions. Results show that youth who live with their parents/guardians are more likely to report high levels of school engagement than youth not living with their parents/guardians.

    10th Graders with High Levels of School Engagement, by Living Situation, 2023

    Child Outcome Goal
    Child Welfare
    Youth

  • Kindergarten Readiness

    One of DCYF’s child outcome goals is that children should be ready for kindergarten. Each year over 75,000 children enter kindergarten in Washington’s public school system. Across all income groups, 55% of children in Washington are ready for kindergarten (as measured by the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills assessment). Children from higher income families are most likely to be ready for kindergarten, while children from middle income and lower income families are ready for kindergarten at lower rates.

    VIEW THE EDUCATION RESEARCH & DATA CENTER’S EARLY LEARNING FEEDBACK REPORT

    READ THE REPORT ON ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION IN SUBSIDIZED CHILDCARE AND KINDERGARTEN READINESS

    Kindergarten Readiness, by Household Income Group (Relative to Federal Poverty Level), 2023-2024 School Year

     
    Child Outcome Goal
    Early Learning

  • Economic Stability

    Another goal of DCYF is that families have economic stability. As DCYF staff engaged stakeholders across the state on what they wanted to see children and families achieve, we heard repeatedly about the importance of basic needs being met. Without economic security, many other positive outcomes related to health and education become harder to achieve. Census data on Washington State families with children living below the poverty level show disparities based on race and ethnicity. While White and Asian families live below the poverty level at rates lower than the state average of 10%, others have much higher rates. American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latino families with children live below the poverty level at rates much higher than what White families experience.

    Percent of Washington State Families with Children, Living Below Poverty Level, by Race/Ethnicity, 2010-2024

     
    Child Outcome Goal
    Racial Equity