Foster Care Placement Project

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

DCYF Header Image

Hello Caregivers and Providers,

As the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) works to safely reduce the number of children in out of home care, we have found an opportunity to advance this priority. We are kicking off the Foster Care Placement Project to create a full continuum of placement resources defined by the needs of children and youth placed in our care, that range from basic foster care to behavioral rehabilitation services (BRS). 

This work will take time. In our commitment to collaborate, DCYF has asked a kinship caregiver, a foster parent, and two Child Placing Agency (CPA) staff to join the DCYF workgroup in developing recommendations. This first phase will begin in January 2021 and will take approximately six months.

How you can get involved?

  • Stakeholder engagement – we will be reaching out to a variety of our stakeholders to seek input and guidance on this work.

We estimate the next phase will start in September 2021. Once the stakeholder group provides their recommendations, we will use the child and youth data to design a framework for placement resources. From there, DCYF will focus on identifying and obtaining the funding necessary for implementation.

If you have any questions about this initiative or would like to receive updates, contact Tim Kelly at timothy.kelly@dcyf.wa.gov.