Child Welfare Housing Program Updates
In response to the Washington State Legislature’s 2025 passage of House Bill 1177, DCYF will be making rules for its Child Welfare Housing Program (CWHP) in the coming months. The rules will be created in consultation with community partners and sovereign tribal nations and will be placed in the Washington Administrative code.
Also, in response to the bill, DCYF’s Partnership, Prevention, and Services division has begun work with DCYF’s Child Protective Services, contracted housing support organizations, and community partners to identify ways to distribute $250,000 to decrease the number of youth and families waiting for CWHP supports.
If you have any questions please email Jess Mayrer, Youth and Family Housing Program Manager, at jess.mayrer@dcyf.wa.gov.
Tribal Homebuilder
The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe seeks an in-home service provider to work with families and children when a child in in an out-of-home placement and can be reunited, or the child/children are at risk to be removed from the home with out in-home intervention. This provider will provide culturally appropriate services, using the customs and traditions of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe as well as using the principles of the Homebuilders service model
Interested consultants are invited to submit electronic copies of their written proposal to Cheryl Miller via email at cmiller@pgst.nsn.us.
Submission deadline: Sep. 1, 2025 by 4 p.m. PST
Visit RFP- Tribal Homebuilder | Port Gamble SKlallam Tribe for information.
Missing & Exploited Youth Human Trafficking Screening Specialist (SHPC2) Mult Locations - Statewide/DCYF
Position closes: Aug. 22, 2025
Apply online: Missing & Exploited Youth Human Trafficking Screening Specialist | Career Pages
Early Support for Infants & Toddlers (ESIT) Senior Administrator (WMS03) Olympia/DCYF
Position closes: Sep. 4, 2025
Apply online: Early Support for Infants & Toddlers (ESIT) Senior Administrator | Career Pages
Indigenous Children, Youth & Families (ICYF) Conference
Oct. 15-16, 2025 | Virtual
The Office of Tribal Relations (OTR) is excited to announce that registration for the 6th annual Indigenous, Children, Youth & Families (ICYF) conference is now open! Taking place this year on Oct. 15-16, the conference is a free, virtual event open to DCYF staff, tribal partners, and the community.
This year’s theme – Restoring Balance: Healing Ourselves and Strengthening Our Communities – will focus on coming together to learn, connect, and support each other as we continue to deepen and improve our practice.
To register, visit www.dcyf.wa.gov/ICYF-2025.
Download and share the ICYF conference flyer with your friends and colleagues!
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DCYF Launches New DCYF Data Webpage
DCYF's most frequently requested data is now at your fingertips! We have recently launched a new DCYF Data webpage where media professionals and the public can find and download infographics featuring relevant data points specific to DCYF’s services, programs, and divisions. Read more.
Sign Up for the New JR Family Newsletter and Alerts
This month, DCYF is launching the JR Family Newsletter for families and friends of those in juvenile rehabilitation. The online newsletter will contain information about programs, safety, and news and serve as a tool to help better connect you all with what is going on in JR.
Sign up to receive the JR Family Newsletter and alerts here.
Free & Low-Cost Child Care
Many families living in Washington state qualify for free or low-cost child care, but they may not know about it. You can help by sharing information with parents, caregivers, and your community.
DCYF has put together a toolkit with ready-to-use materials that make spreading the word easy! Visit the digital toolkit to access printable flyers, sample social media posts, and email templates. Whether you work directly with families or want to help your community stay informed, these resources make it easy to connect families to the support they need.
Want to know more about the Working Connections Child Care Subsidy Program? Visit www.dcyf.wa.gov/childcare or call 844-626-8687. Help is available in multiple languages.
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Upcoming Local Events
46th Annual Puyallup Tribal Labor Day Pow Wow
Aug. 29-31, 2025
3509 72nd Street E, Tacoma, WA 98443
Join the 46th Annual Puyallup Tribal Labor Day Powwow — a weekend of culture, song, dance, and community. Visit 46th Annual Puyallup Tribal Labor Day Powwow | Puyallup Tribe for information.
Positive Indian Parenting Trainings Grow Statewide Interest and Momentum
In our last issue, the article “Practicing Cultural Humility in Child Welfare with Tribal Communities – Pierce County Training Recap” included the wrong photos. The images shown were actually from the Positive Indian Parenting Train the Trainer training. The photos with the correct article are included here.
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The DCYF Office of Tribal Relations has proudly supported three Positive Indian Parenting (PIP) Train-the-Trainer sessions so far in 2025—two virtual and one in-person—preparing 69 tribal and tribal-serving professionals with culturally responsive parenting tools. Interest has remained high across the state, with over 120 individuals registering or joining waitlists. These trainings reflect a growing commitment to restoring Indigenous parenting practices that uplift identity, intergenerational wisdom, and cultural strengths.
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Participants praised the experience, calling it “a reminder of where I need to be,” and describing the training space as “sacred.” Others shared that “storytelling brought tears” and that the curriculum “honored the wisdom of our ancestors.” Many appreciated the hands-on, visual learning style, and the sense of connection and community it fostered. The in-person training alone drew 27 attendees, with an additional 32 on the waitlist—clear evidence of the deep desire for culturally responsive approaches to family preservation and healing.
As we prepare for continued expansion of PIP across Washington’s tribal communities, the enthusiasm and dedication shown in these sessions make one thing clear: culture is prevention, and when we invest in it, we all thrive.
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Uŋčí Makhá Program | United Indians of All Tribes Foundation
By Gabriela "Gaby" Saenz, ICW Consultation/Tribal Liaison Region 4
Uŋčí Makhá
[Oon-CHEE ma-KAH] means Mother Earth in the Lakota language.
United Indians of All Tribes Foundation has grown the Uŋčí Makhá program over the past two years. This program is designed to support parents and caregivers of young children, birth to 5. The program has a team of parent partners who go into the home and through a strength-based approach, Indigenous teachings, and culture, teach parents and caregivers about the four main areas of development of their children: motor, cognitive, social/emotional, and language.
There is an opportunity to meet virtually or in person as well as a monthly gathering at Daybreak Star where parents and caregivers can share a meal, learn cultural activities, and find further support. Meetings are every third Thursday of the month at Casey Family Programs (1123 23rd Ave Seattle, WA 98122).
For information, contact Laura McCormick at (206) 595-7534 or FosterCase@unitedindians.org.
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