Kinship Connection Newsletter - Sept. 2024

Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families sent this bulletin at 09/10/2024 12:15 PM PDT

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Sept. 2024 Issue:

happy family grandmother and grandchildren cook in the kitchen

About Kinship Connection

Welcome to the Kinship Connection Newsletter. Inside this newsletter you’ll find resources that are specifically meant to support kin families.

Being with family has long term positive impacts on mental health and placement stability. Research shows that children do better when placed with kin across every measured health factor. 

Our agency is committed to moving in this direction through our Kinship Standards project which aims to increase caregiver supports, create new WACs and streamline the licensing process.

Learn More 

Visit the Kinship Caregivers Webpage

Kinship Caregivers | Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families

New Home Study Form

A new kinship home study update form is launching Sept. 30.

This will make the process of updating your home study for an additional child, adding adoption requirements, or converting from an unlicensed home study to a kinship licensed home study much easier.

Speak with your assigned Licensor or case worker for more details.

Alliance Trainings

The Inherent Strengths of Kinship Families — Sept. 14, 9 to 11 a.m. Register Here

Building Parental Resilience for Kinship Caregivers — Sept. 25 5:30 to 7 p.m. Register Here 

Resources

New Licensing Standards for Kinship Caregivers Webpage

Financial, Health Care and Child Care Support

Generations United

Kinship Washington Administrative Codes (WAC) Feedback Released

Kids show their mom how to use smart phone

The feedback on the first draft of the new WACs for Kinship Licensing Standards is in. We received responses from a diverse group of caregivers, thank you to everyone who participated! 

  • More than 265 people completed the online survey
    • 23% self-identified as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC)
  • 75 people participated in the live sessions
    • 27 Kinship Caregivers
    • 20 Child Placing Agency Staff (including Eight Tribal CPA’s)
    • 45% of caregivers that participated in the virtual sessions identified as BIPOC​

Takeaways from the feedback included recommendations to:

  • Evaluate what information must be in a WAC and what can be in supporting materials​
  • Train and support staff in carrying out the intention of the WACs​
  • Bolster kin rights and be more explicit about available supports​
  • Provide caregivers supplemental materials to understand their rights and responsibilities​

The team is now considering all of the feedback they have received and are revising and refining the proposed Kinship WAC, preparing for public review in Dec. 2024.

If you have any questions, contact the project team at dcyf.kinshipfeedback@dcyf.wa.gov

You're Invited to Join the Kinship Oversight Committee (KCOC)

Person on video call with laptop in cafe

Join the KCOC for their next meeting featuring an update on Kinship Licensing Standards. 

KCOC is a collective of community partners that support and strengthen kinship families.

They meet monthly, providing a forum to exchange information about state policy changes, local initiatives, and concerns and monitor, guide, and report on kinship care recommendations and implementation activities.

Next Meeting: 

Sept. 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. 

Meeting Link

Meeting ID: 833 9148 5115
Passcode: 1234

Youth Finds Connection and Home with Aunt

senior woman having a walk through foliage with daughter

DCYF received an emergent referral regarding a youth who was recently dependent again after their adoptive parents were unable to meet their mental health/behavioral needs. The youth had been in several behavioral inpatient units prior to being discharged to a group home.

The youth expressed multiple times to their assigned caseworker their desire to be with family and have permanency.

Case workers contacted several adoptive and biological relatives and were able to engage with three of them who wanted to build connections and be a support for the youth. Case workers also located a maternal biological aunt who was willing to be placement again for the youth. She was aware the placement might be challenging but was still willing to give it a try. The youth connected with the aunt the day after case workers were able to make contact and remains placed there.