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.

Zoom Information

For 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sessions
Meeting ID: 843 1729 2413
Passcode: 057690

For 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sessions
Meeting ID: 876 6118 6881
Passcode: 340516

June Sessions

• June 4 – 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• June 6 – 10 to 11:30 a.m.

WAC Topics: Definitions (110-148-1305), Home Access (110-148-1345) and Confidential Information (110-148-1410)

• June 11 – 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• June 13 – 10 to 11:30 a.m.

WAC Topics: Required Training to Obtain License (110-148-1375), License Renewal (110-148-1340), Training After License (110-148-1380), and Home Capacity (110-148-1385)

• June 18 – 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• June 20 – 10 to 11:30 a.m.

WAC Topics: Food Requirements (110-148-1515), Services Required for Children (110-148-1520), and Educational and Vocational Instruction Requirements for Children (110-148-1525)

• June 25 – 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• June 27 – 10 to 11:30 a.m.

WAC Topics: Reporting Requirements (110-148-1430), Home and Property Requirements (110-148-1440), and Water Safety (110-148-1455)

As of June 6, a new law will allow all foster youth ages 18 to 21 to receive extended foster care services if they agree to engage with the Extended Foster Care (EFC) program.

Previously, youth were required to be enrolled in high school or a high school equivalency program, post-secondary academic or vocational program, working 80 hours per month or be medically exempt to participate. Eliminating these eligibility requirements allows for more youth to receive critical assistance regardless of their future plans.

Services may include:

• Foster Care placement or Supervised Independent living setting placement (shared living, apartment, college dormitory)
• Medical (including mental health) and Dental
• Transitional Living services (if available)
• Case management by DCYF
• Referrals to community resources (as appropriate)

Learn more by visiting the EFC webpage. To be a part of this program, youth must talk to their worker or call 1-866-END-HARM (1-866-363-4276).

On May 12, more than 2,000 foster and adoptive parents and children attended the We Are Family Day event at T-Mobile Park. 

Congratulations to Niko, the foster child who threw out an incredible first pitch before the game.

Thank you to the community partners who provided games and resources for families: Big Brothers Big Sisters, CaRES, Community and Family Services Foundation, Compelled to Care, Coordinated Care, Mockingbird, NWAE, Parks, the Puyallup Tribe, Sibling Strong, and Treehouse.

Wildfire season is already underway and is intensified by persistent drought conditions across the state. Starting this year, some utility companies are adopting a strategy called Public Safety Power Shutoff.

This is a practice to intentionally de-energize electrical power lines when elevated fire risk conditions exist to reduce potential fire ignitions. When extreme heat and wind are forecasted, we can expect a higher likelihood of planned power outages from approximately May to Sept., especially in high-risk fire areas.

Power outages during extreme heat are an inconvenience for many and can be life-threatening for vulnerable communities, pets and people with complex health care needs. Contact your local utility company if you have any questions. 

Avista
• Public Safety Power Shutoffs
• If you or someone in your household has medical equipment that requires electricity.

Puget Sound Energy
• Public Safety Power Shutoffs
• Customers with Medical Needs

Pacific Power
•Public Safety Power Shutoff
• What if I’m dependent on electricity for a medical device?

Department of Health
• Power outage preparedness recommendations
• Extreme Heat – hot weather safety

As part of the Move Ahead WA transportation package, the Climate Commitment Act funded youth to ride fare free on transit in WA state, that includes Amtrak Cascades.

The ticketing system has just been updated to include this and it is valid on Amtrak Cascades in the state of WA for youth under 18. 

Learn more about this update from the Washington State Department of Transporation. 

History

Juneteenth (a combination of “June” and “nineteenth”)
commemorates the emancipation of African American slaves.
On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger announced the end of the civil war and slavery when he arrived in Galveston, TX. Although the Emancipation Proclamation came two and a half years earlier, on January 1, 1863, many enslavers continued to hold enslaved Black people captive after the announcement.

The first Juneteenth in 1866 was celebrated with food, singing,
and the reading of spirituals, and it commemorated newly
freed Black people taking pride in their progress. Today
Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and
emphasizes education and achievement. Juneteenth became
a federal holiday in 2021.

Notable Individuals

Opal Lee: An American retired teacher, counselor, and activist in the movement to make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday. She is often described as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”
Al Edwards: A civil rights activist and former Houston legislator who helped Texas become the first state in the country to make the abolition of slavery an official holiday. He is also known as the father of Juneteenth.
Rev. Jesse Jackson: A civil rights, religious, and political activist. He has played a pivotal role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality, and economic and social justice.

Books

• Freedom, We Sing by Amyra Leon
• Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the
  Grandmother of Juneteenth by Alice Faye Duncan 
• What is Juneteenth by Arlisha Norwood

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 (3 modules), Principles for Supporting Parents (5 modules), and Supplemental Learning (10 rapid trainings). 

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

• Maintaining Children's Connections — June 10, 5:30 to 7 p.m. 
  This course helps you understand the importance of integrating and maintaining ongoing communication and connection between siblings as well as extended family members and the community at large (i.e., schools, church, friends, sporting teams) and identifies strategies to keep children connected to their community. Register Here

• African American Hair and Skin Care — June 16, Noon to 4 p.m.
  This training teaches you to understand the complexity of caring for African American and biracial hair and skin. Participants will gain skills and knowledge to be culturally responsive to the needs of the children/youth in their care. The provider will demonstrate how to properly wash, dry and style (including braiding). Register Here 
  
  Learn about all the upcoming classes.
  
  Sign up to get these notices sent right to your inbox or explore the training calendar.

Coordinated Care 

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