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The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is and has always been committed to keeping children and families safe and reducing unnecessary family separations. This commitment is only heightened in light of recent immigration enforcement threats and actions that have the potential of impacting families across Washington State.
I know there are many emotions around the growing uncertainty and unknowns. Especially during this difficult time, thank you for the work you do to keep children and youth across our state safe and cared for.
The following information is the agency’s ongoing position on protecting sensitive information and is a reminder for DCYF providers about their related duties. Please note that this guidance is for information only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you require legal advice, please contact your legal counsel.
Restrictions and limits on sharing client information:
- Do not share information about a child or child's family with anyone except DCYF or people directly and currently involved with the care of the child or currently involved with the case plan for a child.
If you are contacted by or receive a visit from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Border Patrol, or the Department of Homeland Security and they DO NOT have a judicial warrant:
- Immediately report this contact to the child’s caseworker and/or licensor within 24 hours.
- The best way for workers to protect their rights is to stay silent and ask for an attorney. Workers do not have to hand over any IDs or papers to ICE. All workers have this right.
If they DO have a judicial warrant or subpoena, please see detailed information here:
The links below from trusted community partners are also intended to provide you with some additional resources that you might find helpful:
Thank you for your ongoing partnership and navigating through all of this with us. We appreciate everything you do for the children and youth of Washington State.
Tana Senn
Secretary
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