DCYF was sued by Disability Rights Washington (DRW) and a class of children and youth under the age of 18 who have been removed from their parents or caregivers. The settlement agreement, negotiated under the lawsuit, is known as the D.S. Settlement. Under the settlement agreement, DCYF has committed to eight system improvements related to the class, guided by seven overarching goals to transform child safety and well-being practices. Goals and related system improvements are described below.
D.S. Settlement Court Monitor Report
Semi-Annual Report for July - December 2024
D.S. Class
Class members include Individuals who are or in the future will:
- Be under the age of 18
- Be in DCYF’s placement during a dependency proceeding under Wash. Rev. Code 13.34 until the proceeding is dismissed
- And one or more of the following:
- Have experienced five (5) or more placements, excluding trial return home, in-home dependencies, and temporary placements. Temporary placements mean any of the following: overnight stay with a parent, hospital, respite care, youth camps, on runaway status, or detention. Temporary placements do not include a hotel stay, an office stay, or a night-to-night foster care placement. But an individual shall not be counted to have five (5) or more placements under this section if they have been in the same placement for the last twelve (12) or more months, except if that placement was in a Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP)
- Have been referred for or are in out-of-state group care placement
- Have experienced a hotel or office stay in the past six (6) months; or
- Are awaiting a Children's Long-Term Inpatient Program (CLIP) bed.