Washington State Park Passes and Exemptions for Foster and Kinship Caregivers
Dear Caregivers,
The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is excited to team up with the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission to provide free campsite and day use entry to foster and kinship care families with dependent children. This letter outlines this great benefit and the rules from State Parks that come along with it so that we can continue this partnership.
Caregivers and families enjoying Washington State Parks need to know that some park services and facilities may be limited or unavailable due to COVID-19. Please visit parks.state.wa.us/covid19 to see what is open and to make sure you are prepared for any closures or changes. Remember to practice physical distancing and good hygiene.
Provider identification is required to use the Washington State Foster Family Park Pass Program. If you do not have a provider ID card or misplaced yours, please contact your local DCYF office to request one. This card allows foster parents and kinship caregivers, caring for a child placed in their home and supervised by DCYF, access to free campsites and day use entry into Washington State Parks when camping. If you are using the online or phone reservation system, your credit card will be charged the reservation fee, but you will not be charged the camping fee. You may also use Washington State Parks’ boat launches and pump-outs free-of-charge when camping.
This program was designed to introduce children experiencing foster care to the beauty of our state parks. This benefit is not offered to families camping without their kinship or foster child. If you are camping without your kinship or foster child, you must pay all identified fees.
Please review the requirements for this program:
- Read the information from Washington State Parks included below.
- Foster and kinship families may reserve only one campsite per visit under the Park Pass program.
- Present your foster care ID card and your Washington State Driver’s License when you arrive at the park.
- Fill out the camping fee/registration envelope indicating you are a foster or kinship family.
- Cancel the reservation at least 24 hours in advance if you are unable to make your trip.
Caregivers that violate program rules may have their program privileges suspended.
- Violations include, but are not limited to, not canceling unused reservations in advance, camping without your foster or kinship child present and reserving more than one campsite for the same night (at the same park or different parks).
- State Parks will issue suspensions for violations and notify DCYF.
Please review the instructions from the Washington State Parks website regarding the program’s requirements: parks.state.wa.us/205/Passes.
We hope both your family and the children in your care enjoy time in Washington’s State Parks throughout the year.
Sincerely,
Holly Luna
Kinship and Caregiver Retention and Support, DCYF
2020 State Park Program Information
Washington resident foster families and kinship caregivers caring for a child placed in their home and supervised by DCYF are exempt from paying camping and day use fees in state parks. You must show a photo identification and a foster family or kinship caregiver card provided by your agency. The child(ren) experiencing foster care must be present with you on the camping trip or park visit to be eligible for the fee exemption.
Information about state parks and programs can be found on the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission web site at parks.wa.gov. Camping reservations can be made online through this site or by calling the State Parks camping reservation call center at 1-888-226-7688 (1-888-CAMPOUT).
Camping by Reservation
Most camping in Washington State Parks is by reservation. Caregivers using the foster family camping fee exemption in a state park (including kinship caregivers) can make a camping reservation online or by telephone. When making your reservation, indicate you are caring for a child experiencing foster care and you will not be charged a camping fee. Your credit card will be charged a reservation fee of $8 online or $10 through the telephone call center. (This is a reservation system vendor cost.)
You will receive an email reservation confirmation which you should print out and take with you on your camping trip. Upon arrival at the park, visit the park office during open hours and show your photo identification and foster family/kinship caregiver card. Park staff will provide you a receipt to place on your dashboard so that it is visible from outside the vehicle. If the park office is not open or staffed when you arrive, check for your name on the reservation camping list posted in most reservation parks, or simply proceed to the campsite that matches the campsite number on your reservation confirmation. Place your reservation confirmation sheet on your dashboard so that it is visible from outside the vehicle, then visit the park office during open hours to present your photo ID and foster/kinship family card to park staff.
Note: If you make a reservation and later learn you cannot make the trip, please be considerate and cancel your reservation at least 24 hours in advance (you will not be charged a cancellation fee to do this). This allows State Parks to provide the campsite to another visitor. State Parks depend on camping revenue to operate the park system, and they want to offer as many people an opportunity to camp as possible.
Camping in a First-Come, First-Served Park
A few parks offer first-come, first-served camping for which you can’t make a reservation. When you arrive at the park, find a campsite and locate the pay station in the camping area. Fill out a camping fee/registration envelope (see example below) and be sure to write “foster family” legibly in the area indicated on the envelope (kinship caregivers should also write "foster family"). Remove the envelope flap, place the flap on the car dashboard so that it is visible from outside the vehicle, and deposit the envelope in the metal pay station provided. Visit the park office during open hours or contact park staff when you see them to show a photo ID and your foster family card.
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 Day Access (Exemption from Discover Pass)
Fill out the fee envelope (see sample below), checking the “foster family” box (kinship caregivers should mark the same box). Remove the envelope flap and display the flap portion on the car dashboard so it is visible from outside the vehicle. Deposit the envelope in the metal pay station provided. Visit the park office or contact park staff when you see them to show a photo ID and your foster/kinship family card.
 Note: if you are camping in a Washington State Park, you do not additionally need a Discover Pass or day fee envelope as long as your foster child is with you. Leave your camping documentation on your windshield while in the park. Camping includes day access in the park where you are camping for the duration of your stay there.
The foster family pass program only applies to Washington State Parks. Visitors must display a Discover Pass for vehicle access to lands managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources.
Important Information
- Your child experiencing foster care must be with you to take advantage of the fee exemption.
- The foster/kinship family card must be current and with you at all times.
- The foster/kinship family card cannot be used in conjunction with any other pass or discount.
- You may only reserve one campsite.
- Guests of foster and kinship families camping at separate sites must pay the full regular fee.
- Your foster and kinship family pass includes parking for only one vehicle. The fee for extra vehicles is $10 per night per vehicle.
- Campers are limited to a 10-day stay in one park from April 1 through September 30, and a 20-day stay during the rest of the year.
- Moorage is limited to three consecutive nights at any single park area unless otherwise posted.
- The foster/kinship family card does not provide discounts on annual permits, reservation fees or other services (i.e., pressed fuel, shower meters, gas stoves, etc.), except as noted.
For more information about various types of permits and passes, please visit parks.state.wa.us/passes.
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