department of children youth and families
Washington may avoid child care cliff, but many providers are still struggling
Washington is unlikely to see a huge drop in child care services even as federal pandemic aid supporting providers dries up. Expiration of the funds led to nationwide concerns that millions of children could lose care. About $24 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act was distributed to states to help keep child care centers […]
Washington plans to end hotel stays for foster kids by late next year
Washington will attempt to eliminate short-term stays in hotels and other locations for foster children by December 2024, according to a new plan from the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families. The plan, released in early August, comes after advocacy groups sued the state over placing foster youth in temporary locations such as hotels, […]
Why WA is taking a new approach to caring for newborns exposed to drugs
In Washington, hospitals automatically report newborns affected by their mother’s use of drugs or alcohol during pregnancy to Child Protective Services. State guidelines then call for testing those infants every few hours using a complex scoring system to determine whether they need morphine or other medications to treat withdrawal. They’ll also often be sent to […]