This month, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families is joining the country to celebrate Social Work Month.

This year's theme, "The Time is Right for Social Work," highlights how social workers have enriched our society for more than a century and how their services continue to be needed today. This month is an opportunity to recognize caseworkers from across the state who go above and beyond to provide critical services to Washington's children, youth, and families.

People become social workers because they have a strong desire to help others and make our society a better place to live for all. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), social work is one of the fastest-growing professions in the United States. According to BLS, there are almost 720,000 professional social workers in our nation, but that number is expected to rise to more than 800,000 by 2030.

DCYF would like to thank all caseworkers and the people who support the work they do!

If you would like to recognize a caseworker, email nancy.gutierrez@dcyf.wa.gov.

The Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program is a national program for youth who qualify and are likely to age out of the foster care system. ETV offers financial assistance to eligible youth to attend an accredited college, university, vocational or technical college.

Dependent Youth who are attending a Running Start program could be eligible for the Dual Credit ETV program and applications are accepted year round.

To learn more about the program, eligibility, and to apply for the 2022–2023 school year, please visit the ETV webpage. To meet the priority deadline, you must submit an application by April 30, 2022. All applications received after April 30 will be placed on a wait list and awarded on a funds available basis

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families and the Seattle Mariners are excited to announce the return of our annual foster parent and kinship caregiver celebration—We Are Family Day! 

Please join us on Sunday, May 8, as the Mariners take on the Tampa Bay Rays. Enjoy a fun-filled day at the ballpark, visit us on the Rooftop Boardwalk for a pregame event, watch a foster youth/child throw the ceremonial first pitch, and pick up a limited-edition We Are Family Mariners-themed hat (available to all individuals holding a specially priced We Are Family ticket).

Tickets are available at http://www.mariners.com/wearefamily for the special price of $18 for seats on the main level and $8 for view level. Be sure to check the Mariners “Know Before You Go” webpage for COVID-related and other entry protocols-- https://www.mlb.com/mariners/ballpark/safety/know-before-you-go.

Foster parents and kinship caregivers may claim a tax deduction on certain foster care payments for children who have been placed in their care for more than half of the tax year. Exceptions apply for a foster child born within the tax year; caregivers will need to check with their tax advisor in these situations.

Staff should process the application for a newborn or infant's social security number (SSN) as quickly as possible if one had not already been issued. Staff must provide a child's SSN when requested by the caregiver for tax purposes. A written request from the caregiver is not necessary. This year, it is critical to give caregivers the necessary information so they can claim foster children, if allowable, as 2021 tax filings will likely be used to determine who should receive a stimulus payment should additional stimulus be issued during 2022.

Please remember that staff cannot provide tax advice to caregivers.

Additional Resources

• The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 1-800-829-1040 or at irs.gov IRS publication 501 provides information on exemptions related to dependents and qualifying children.
• The DCYF Finance Office, Tax Desk (833) 725-3502, or taxreporitng@dcyf.wa.gov can help providers and vendors with:
  • Requests for copies of tax documents sent by DCYF to the provider
  • Adjusting tax documents to reflect repayment of overpayments
  • IRS correspondence the provider has received about DCYF payments

Heather Williams and Berenice Cuautle Arellano entered one another’s lives through a foster family support group, Mockingbird Family, in 2016. Berenice was a freshman at Shorewood High School and needed a change in placement. Heather, a licensed Foster Care parent and mother to an adopted two-year-old son, agreed to foster her. It would be Berenice’s fifth placement since elementary school.

Because they were already acquainted through Mockingbird, the transition wasn’t difficult according to Heather. Berenice was an easy child with a quiet demeanor, which made learning to parent a toddler and a teenager simultaneously a little easier.    

Things became a bit more difficult after Berenice graduated high school. She enrolled in community college twice, but neither attempt at continuing her education worked out. She began applying for jobs but wasn’t finding the right fit.

“I was getting frustrated,” Heather says. “I didn’t know what more I could do or what more Berenice needed to move forward with her life. She was living in my home at 18 through the state’s Extended Foster Care program which required her to be in school or working. I didn’t want to constantly pester her about job applications and interviews, which was always on my mind, so we didn’t talk much.”

Then one day, Heather had an epiphany. One of the places she frequented on her lunch break while working at Seattle University, was Scoop Marketplace on Capitol Hill, a zero-waste grocery store. “I was unfamiliar with the zero-waste concept at the time, which is why I found Scoop so captivating,” she explains.

What is a Zero-waste grocer? It’s a store committed to eliminating all packaging and food waste from its operations. Customers use their own reusable bags and containers to stock-up on needed items. There are no paper or plastic grocery bags provided. Food items are stocked and displayed in reusable containers, and typically sourced from sustainable producers in small quantities to eliminate waste.

“I learned that we have options in the way we choose to shop that minimize waste and help to preserve our environment,” Heather says. “It’s a positive concept, and I thought, what if Berenice and I opened our own zero-waste store?”

“I was surprised when Heather came up with the idea for the store,” Berenice says, “but I thought it sounded interesting and Heather said she couldn’t do it without me, so I said OK—I’m in.”

From defining their values for the business—which center on inclusivity, quality and inspiration--to creating a business plan, working with a designer to create a logo, finding their space in the Crown Hill/Ballard neighborhood, furnishing it and sourcing inventory, the mother-daughter team pulled together all the pieces and in October 2020, Mimi’s Zero Waste Market (named for Williams’ grandmother) opened its doors.

“The entire Mimi’s experience has been a first-time everything for me,” Berenice says, “and for Heather, too. We’ve learned a lot together.”

Heather and Berenice share managerial and staffing responsibilities. Heather handles finances, sourcing and buying products, and marketing. Berenice oversees systems and inventory. Store hours are Thursday through Sunday from 10am – 6pm and by appointment. Berenice works open to close on Thursday and Friday and half-day on Saturday. Heather works a half-day on Saturday and a full day on Sunday, this in addition to her fulltime job at the university and raising her son, now nine-years-old. Berniece’s biological older sister, Erika, occasionally helps at the store.

“It’s been a little stressful,” Heather admits, “but at the same time I feel so driven by our zero-waste mission and the importance for our community and our planet. The more we can promote composting and preservation of our natural environment, the better quality of life we’ll all have.”

“Further,” she continues, “the business has given Berenice and me a new basis for our relationship. We’re building something together, and we’re there for each other in a new way. It’s redefined how we interact ad we’re proud of what we’ve created.”

Berenice concurs, “It gives us a connection. We talk now and text, where before we only communicated when it was necessary. And I know I’m growing my skills and experience. Mimi’s has been good all around.”

Mimi’s Zero Waste Market is located at 7749 15^th Ave. NW. Unit B, Seattle, https://mimiszerowastemarket.com.