DCYF to Invest Millions in Tribal Programs Aimed at Preventing Out-of-Home Placements
Olympia, WA – In an effort to safely reduce the number of Native children and youth experiencing out-of-home placement, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is making a multi-million-dollar investment in the expansion of culturally specific and responsive programs and services that support families.
An analysis of intakes in 2019 found that Native children were twice as likely to end up in out-of-home placements compared to white children[1] in Washington State. To help address this, DCYF posted a Request for Application (RFA) on May 10, 2023, to pilot three to six programs designed to incorporate the culture of specific Tribal Nations and to help prevent a child’s separation from their tribe.
“Culturally appropriate services are respectful and responsive to tribal beliefs and are more effective in providing better outcomes and healing,” said Tleena Ives, Director of Tribal Relations. “These services are a better fit for the unique history, circumstances, and values of tribal communities.”
Applications are due July 7, 2023. A webinar for potential applicants will be held on May 25, and technical assistance will be provided in June. Funding is limited to eligible Federally Recognized Tribes, Recognized American Indian Organizations, and other Native Service Organizations.
“We know these types of programs are best delivered by groups that share lived experiences and are near the communities they serve,” said Vickie Ybarra, DCYF’s Director of the Office of Innovation, Alignment, and Accountability. “This is part of a larger transformation by DCYF to build a more equitable prevention services system.”
Through this pilot, DCYF hopes to learn what it will take to make these investments successful and develop ways for DCYF to serve as an effective and capable funder and partner to tribes.
Four examples of culturally specific and responsive services - Positive Indian Parenting, Family Spirit, Healing of the Canoe, and Family Circle - were previously identified during efforts to expand prevention services under the federal Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). The agency engaged in a year-long planning effort with tribes to identify effective prevention practices and contracted a tribal researcher, who produced the Evidence-Based Tribal Child Welfare Prevention Services in Washington State report in 2020.
“DCYF intends to expand the availability of culturally responsive services statewide to address disproportionate outcomes impacting communities and families,” said Maria Zdzieblowski, DCYF’s Director of Service Continuum.
For more information about the RFA, visit Tribal Relations | Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
[1] DCYF, “2019 Washington State Child Welfare Disparity Indices Report” 2019. Source: https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/reports/CWRacialDisparityIndices2019.pdf
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Contact:
Jason Wettstein, Director of Communications | 360-464-0294 | jason.wettstein@dcyf.wa.gov
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