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The Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) was tasked by the legislature in 2025
to develop a comprehensive plan of its juvenile rehabilitation (JR) facilities to address capacity,
population, and facility needs over the next several years.
The DCYF Statewide Facilities Master Plan Report, prepared in partnership with
BCRA+Treanor consultants, outlines our current facilities and populations, describes current
needs, shares recommendations for the future, and includes budget estimates required for capital
infrastructure needs.
The Plan emphasizes that investments should be made to expand capacity and build smaller, trauma-informed, age-appropriate facilities that meet the needs of the evolving JR population. We believe these investments would allow JR to adapt to future population changes across the state, avoid overcrowding, and improve safety and well-being for young people and staff.
The graphic below outlines the recommendations included in the report:
 You can learn more by visiting the JR Capacity Planning webpage.
DCYF has submitted its budget recommendations (Decision Packages) to the Office of Financial Management.
You can find the 2027 Budget Requests on the Government Affairs webpage.
These requests represent critical and time-sensitive investments in DCYF programs to protect programs and services and to help move the agency toward its goals of better serving children, youth, and families.
You can also view our Legislative Session Webinar, which provided an overview of the request.
Training is now available to help child care centers prepare for the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) subsidy billing rule changes that went into effect on Oct. 1, 2026. We encourage providers to access the training that works best for their schedule.
Online Training
Complete the training in the DCYF Training Site at a time that works best for you.
Live Virtual Training
Attend a live session to learn about the changes in a group setting. Register through The Imagine Institute for one of the training dates below.
Note: You must register for classes no later than 48 hours prior to any scheduled training. For weekend classes, you must register no later than Friday at 10 a.m.
Upcoming training dates:
- Nov. 1 | 5:30- 9 p.m. (English)
- Nov. 15 | 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Somali)
- Nov. 20 | 5:30-9 p.m. (Spanish)
Read more: Updated Subsidy Billing for Child Care Centers Training
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The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) was one of only 14 child welfare jurisdictions across the nation to be awarded a grant from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to streamline the placement process for kin, foster families, and prospective adoptive parents.
DCYF will receive $200,000 in federal funding to support the continued development of its Background Check System. DCYF plans to use these funds to improve customer experience, significantly reduce background check turnaround times, and build toward a system that allows DCYF to operate independently of the Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS).
“This funding will help us modernize and simplify a process that directly impacts the children and families we serve,” said DCYF Director of Administrative Services Chris Parvin. “A faster, more efficient background check system will help us place children more quickly, approve providers and employees so they can begin serving families sooner, and reduce unnecessary delays for everyone involved.”
Read ACF’s press release: ACF Awards $2.2 Million to Modernize Child Welfare Licensing Infrastructure
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What a treat to pause and reflect with colleagues at the Forward with Families Forum! Even in challenging times, there’s so much to enjoy about public service, especially the people we get to work with and the problems we get to solve together.
Thanks to Angela Ramirez, Dr. Lori Pfingst, the Washington Economic Justice Alliance, and The Aspen Institute for bringing us together and reminding us of the power of partnerships.
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It was such a pleasure, as always, to tour and talk with Seattle Children's folks. As they reminded me, we’ve been working together on policy changes and funding for children’s mental health and general care for over a decade.
That partnership is certainly not stopping now that I’m at DCYF. Kids and families look to both our entities for help. Working together is the best way for us to serve them better. I look forward to further discussions, idea generation, partnership, and impact!
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Being in the company of fellow Child Welfare agency leaders from across the country is so reaffirming. We--and our children and families--are facing similar hurdles and challenges. And we are always looking to learn from each other, improve the system and focus on the meaningful work, instead of the 'paperwork'.
Thanks to Alex Adams Cody Inman Jennifer Miller Haight at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) for openly discussing ways to reduce regulatory burdens and for showing you've been hearing us--with many announcements of changes, grant opportunities and clarifications that will have a lasting impact for states! Deep gratitude to Casey Family Programs for making it financially feasible for this gathering to happen, especially with tight state budgets!
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Amara does amazing work to support youth and families experiencing foster care. Fahren Johsnon, CEO of Amara, has a powerful vision for how the Pierce County farm campus can be a place for healing, services, sustenance and youth living. Thanks for the tour and conversation Fahren!
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I would like to introduce you to some of DCYF's newest leader:
Every day, DCYF child and family welfare services caseworkers are working alongside families to foster safety, increase stability, and support better outcomes. Watch a a Day in the Life of a Child and Family Welfare Services (CFWS) Caseworker.
Here are some links to some of our newest publications, helpful toolkits, and frequently requested information:
If you would like any of this content in an alternative language, please email communications@dcyf.wa.gov.
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