The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families is in the process of amending the foster care WAC 110-148 part of the D.S. Settlement.

You are invited to provide your feedback about these proposed WAC changes at our Listening and Learning sessions. *You will receive training credits for attending.

Watch a video message from Assistant Secretary of Licensing, Ruben Reeves.

Zoom Information

For 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sessions
Meeting ID: 876 6118 6881
Passcode: 340516

For 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sessions
Meeting ID: 843 1729 2413
Passcode: 057690

July Sessions

July 9 – 6 to 7:30 p.m.

July 11 – 10 to 11:30 a.m.

WAC Topics: Requirements for Children’s Record Keeping (110-148-1405), General Bedroom Requirements (110-148-1470), and Requirements for Sharing Bedrooms (110-148-1475)

July 16 – 6 to 7:30 p.m.
July 18 – 10 to 11:30 a.m.

WAC Topics: Admitting and Retaining Children (110-148-1395), Disciplining Requirements (110-148-1615), and Restraining Children (110-148-1620)

July 23 – 6 to 7:30 p.m.
July 25 – 10 to 11:30 a.m.

WAC Topics: Providing Privacy for Children (110-148-1540) and Foster Children Belongings (110-148-1545)

History

In the United States, July 26 is recognized annually as National Disability Independence Day, commemorating the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law in 1990. The ADA provides protection from employment discrimination and better access to goods, services, and communications for people with disabilities.

The law began by removing obstacles that people with disabilities faced daily. Over time, common barriers such as narrow doors and small bathroom stalls became accessible to wheelchairs. Other examples include braille signs and crosswalks for the vision impaired. The changes improved mobility and safety and secured access to economic and civic opportunities.

Notable Figures 

Ed Roberts: Is known as the founder of the independent living movement. Ed was paralyzed from the neck down and became the first wheelchair user to attend the University of California Berkeley. He helped lead the 504 sit-in in San Francisco, a driving force for ADA.

Patricia Wright: Is known as a disability activist who is legally blind and was instrumental in enacting the Americans with Disabilities Act. She co-founded the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund and fought for amendments to Fair Housing Act regarding people with disabilities.

Judy Heumann: Is known as the "Mother of the Disability Rights Movement." She dedicated her life to fighting for disability rights and was one of the architects of the ADA.

Books

• I am Not a Label by Cerrie Burnell
• Fighting for Yes! by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
• The ABCs of Inclusion by Beth Leipholtz

During a virtual ceremony on June 12, DCYF staff and community members gathered to celebrate Joon Han, the recipients of this year’s Engaging Father Award.

The award recognizes fathers who actively engage in treatment or demonstrate positive behavioral changes that lead to successfully regaining custody of their children.

According to Han’s advocates, Han faced many challenges in his life including losing family members and turning to substances as a means of coping with his loss, which eventually led to the removal of his daughter. 

Through his participation in Pierce County’s Family Recovery Court (FRC) and engagement with DCYF caseworkers, Han gained sobriety, attended parenting classes, and secured housing, a job, and a car. One of the people who nominated him for this award was the foster parent who cared for his daughter. 

“Joon met every task and completed every goal with enthusiasm and determination,” wrote the foster parent. “He acts and makes all of his decisions with his daughter on the forefront of his mind. His love for his daughter is immense and I know he will continue to be her biggest supporter and her biggest advocate.”

Read the full story. To learn more, visit the Engaging Fathers webpage.

DCYF will review requests for dependent children and youth placed in both in-home and in out-of-home care to:

• Attend camp and/or
• DCYF to pay for camps to support their participation in normal childhood activities.

Caregivers can arrange and independently approve for children or youth to attend day camp or overnight camps under 72 hours if they are not requesting DCYF to pay for the camp.

DCYF has an approval process for any camps that require DCYF payment or overnight camps more than 72 hours.

Caregivers who are interested in arranging camp opportunities for children or youth in their care should contact their assigned caseworker. For overnight camps, DCYF has to verify that the camps have appropriate safety protocols. This requires additional time, and these requests should be made early.

Additional information can be found in the policy.

If you have questions about this policy, email Michelle Hetzel.

DCYF and Strive Online launched a new online training for caregivers wishing to learn more about parent-child visitations.

The training includes three courses: Foundational Learning, Principles for Supporting Parents, and Supplemental Learning. 

Tips for the online training: 

• First log into your Canvas account, then use this link to register for the courses. Once you register, you need to check the email you listed for a link to enroll in the course.
• You will need to register for each course.
• It is best to do each module or rapid training in one sitting and log out when you are done. If you need to step away for more than 5-10 minutes, log out of Canvas, and log back in when you are ready to continue.
• If you will be using a phone to do your training, we recommend that you download the Canvas app. This will eliminate some potential glitches and improve your user experience. A picture of the app is attached to this email. You may also be asked for the following “Join Code”: YBKDAH.

If you have any questions or difficulties accessing the course, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Strive Online team at striveonline@uw.edu. 

The Alliance for Professional Development, Training, and Caregiver Excellence

• Cultural Humility — July 8, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
  Provides participants with an overview of cultural humility and helps participants recognize the importance of honoring a child’s cultural identity. Course learnings include strategies for parents who are fostering or adopting to respect as well as navigate differences in values from the children and families while acknowledging imbalances of power and inequities. Register Here

• Honoring Their History: Memory Preservation for Children in Care — July 18, 10 a.m. to Noon
  The new training “Honoring Their History: Memory Preservation for Children in Care” focuses on how to support a child’s well-being through the recording of memories and other parts of their life during their time away from their family. This webinar introduces the idea of memory preservation as central to a child’s welfare, because it provides many benefits to emotional and mental health. Register Here 
  
  Learn about all the upcoming classes.
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Coordinated Care 

Please consult their website for monthly training webinars and events: https://www.coordinatedcarehealth.com/members/foster-care/medicaid-events.html