DCYF's Adolescent Programs and Youth Villages recently awarded new contracts to Catholic Charities of Central Washington for LifeSet services in Yakima, Benton, and Franklin counties for youth between the ages 17.5 to 22 who are transitioning out of systems of care (child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health).
LifeSet, a program of Youth Villages, pairs a highly trained specialist with each young person to help identify and accomplish goals that support independence. These services help to reduce youth homelessness, increase economic well-being, and support better mental health. So far, the program has helped more than 20,000 young people become successful adults across the country.
This is the second DCYF contract for these services in the state (the first is in King County with the YMCA Social Impact Center). Funds for the contracts were awarded via a combination of legislative proviso in ESSB 5693 (2021) and Ballmer Group funds. The contracts total more than $500,000 and take effect on July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.
This work aligns with DCYF’s strategic priorities to successfully transition youth into adulthood and improve the quality and availability of provider services. This work also aligns with SB 6560’s legislative requirements for DCYF to ensure no young person discharges into homelessness from a system of care.
“LifeSet provides critical support through intensive case management services which help adolescents exiting systems of care succeed as they transition into adulthood,” said DCYF Prevention Program Manager Cole Ketcherside. “DCYF and Youth Villages are excited to be contracting with Catholic Charities to expand LifeSet to Yakima, Benton, and Franklin communities.”
Learn more about LifeSet services.
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DCYF recently published the Washington State Nature-Based Learning Competencies: Supplement for Early Care and Education Professionals, formally recognizing promoting children’s ecological identity and nature-connectedness as a distinct goal for children’s learning and development. The publication describes the professional competencies that support this goal and the many benefits of nature-based early childhood education and care.
This work began during DCYF’s Outdoor Preschool Pilot, a first-in-the-nation effort to create state licensing regulations and systems for outdoor, nature-based child care. In 2021, DCYF became the first agency in the nation to license outdoor, nature-based child care programs. These programs offer early learning services to children in natural outdoor spaces and teach children a nature-based curriculum. Professionals who provide this care must have specialized knowledge and skills to offer a safe, high-quality outdoor learning experience.
The publication is available in the DCYF publication library in English, Spanish, and Somali.
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With the beginning of summer, it is important to pay attention to heat-related illnesses, as they can be severe. As you are conducting DCYF business as well as personal activities, please keep the following in mind:
- Know the signs and symptoms of heat stress, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day (water is best; something with electrolytes may be helpful as well)
- Wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothes
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat
- Limit direct exposure to the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Use sunscreen and wear sunglasses
- Take frequent breaks
- Never leave any person or pet in a parked vehicle
- At first signs of heat illness (dizziness, nausea, headaches, muscle cramps), move to a cooler location, rest for a few minutes and slowly drink a cool non-caffeinated or alcoholic beverage. Seek medical attention immediately if you do not feel better
As we meet with our children and families, no matter the program area, please remember these special concerns for the hot weather:
- Discuss heat-related dangers for children during your investigations, assessments, and health and safety visits
- Talk to parents and caregivers about the extreme danger associated with leaving children in a vehicle
- Be on the lookout for potential summer hazards when you meet with families, such as loose screens on upper story windows and kiddie pools in the backyard
- Pay attention to temperature when visiting homes and consider asking families how they are prepared for high temperatures
- Limit and monitor youth and staff outdoor activities at 24/7 facilities
As a reminder, staff working outdoors for more than 15 minutes in any 60-minute period are required to take the DCYF Outdoor Heat Exposure Illness Prevention training. The training is available on the Washington Learning Center.
For more tips, visit the Department of Health or Be Heat Smart.
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On a monthly basis, the Office of Communications will provide a list of the new and revised publications and forms that have been added to our publications library and form repository.
Please find the following:
Cindy Spencer, DCYF Safety Officer with the Administrative Services Division, received some recognition from a colleague at the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA).
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cindy Spencer has been instrumental in developing and sharing safety resources with DCYF staff. One of the major projects she took on was to research, develop, and educate DCYF staff about Respiratory Protection Program. One of the resources Cindy created for this program was the Respiratory Protection Program Plan.
Emergency Preparedness and Safety Manager with the DVA Crystal Hauck shared the following, “I received a copy of the Respiratory Protection Program you put together for DCYF. I really like it and want to use it as a base template to broaden the DVA program. My current program is pretty bare bones and only touches upon N95 mask usage…this will help me immensely, thank you so much!”
Ronda Haun, Cindy’s supervisor and Jennifer Williams, Administrative Services Director shared this note of appreciation.
Thank you, Cindy, for all of your hard work on the Respiratory Protection Program!
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Maggie Gillespie, Kaylee Moreno, and Leslie Pope are all Social Service Specialist 3 working out of the Vancouver Clark office. All three social service specialists were recognized recently for their teamwork and persistence.
Maggie was assigned a CFWS transfer case in early May 2022 that was co-assigned to CPS. One of the three children had been removed in October 2021; however, the other two children remained in the care of the mother who refused to provide DCYF access to her children. At this point, it had been eight months since DCYF had been unable to locate these children.
When Maggie was assigned this case she made it a priority to locate the two missing children. As soon as Maggie got the case she jumped right in making attempts to locate the missing kids and soon had a lead on the location of the 3- and 5- year-old children. A request went out to our to CPS sups for assistance given Maggie’s limited experience with removing children. Kaylee Moreno immediately volunteered without hesitation to accompany Maggie to provide support and guidance. (This was in addition to two intakes that were assigned to Kaylee and were due by 11 p.m. that evening.)
Maggie and Kaylee left the office at 11 a.m. and spent nearly eight hours in homeless camps in Portland tracking down the missing children. With the help of Portland PD, Maggie and Kaylee were able to obtain custody of the two young children and bring them safely into custody. Maggie’s determination and perseverance demonstrates her commitment to putting child safety first.
The partnership with CPS and Kaylee demonstrates the teamwork amongst the programs and everyone’s commitment to child safety. The child welfare staff working out of the Vancouver Clark office consistently support their co-workers outside of their assigned program areas shows the dedication and commitment to child safety and teamwork.
In another example of teamwork, Leslie Pope stepped up and worked afterhours to complete Kaylee’s IFFs that she was assigned earlier that morning, to meet the required deadlines.
This note of appreciation was written by child welfare Supervisor Selena Deer, MSW, and shared by Charro Keeney, Area Administrator (Region 6) Vancouver Clark Office.
Do you want to give kudos to an extraordinary coworker? We want to hear from you! Let the Office of Communications know who you want to recognize and what they did in a few sentences. To share a note of appreciation for a coworker, email dcyf.commsupport@dcyf.wa.gov.
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