News

We are excited to welcome our new Membership and Outreach Coordinator Miriam Simmons to the team! Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious and we are ready to get to work. She comes to us with vast experience working as a Volunteer Coordinator with Clay...

We are delighted to welcome Roxanna Cárdenas as the new Director for the Institute for Practice Improvement (IPI), WACF's 501(c)(3). Roxanna is a seasoned business and leadership expert that brings with her a wealth of experience as the former Director of...

Introducing the WACF 2021-22 Annual Report! The report highlights the important work we’ve done and our accomplishments in 2021-22. WACF continues to find ways to communicate the impact of our association and the work being done on behalf of our members. In...

We're pleased to share the CPA one-pager that illustrates how we're meeting the needs of children in care and working to reunite children with families. CPA...

Please welcome our new WACF Board Members! Thank you for your time, leadership and dedication to the success of the organization. Each of the new officers will serve two-year terms, effective July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2024. Western WA Vice President - Kris...

It's election time! The WACF Board of Directors consists of five officers (president, Western WA vice president, Eastern WA vice president, secretary and treasurer), the four division chairs, the immediate past president and the member at large. WACF staggers...

Welcome Marcia Wright-Soika, our newest board member of the WACF 501(c)(3), which is also titled the Institute for Practice Improvement. Marcia (she, her) is delighted to join the WACF 501(c)(3) Board! She is the proud Executive Director of FamilyWorks, a...

Welcome to Karen Brady, a new board member of the WACF 501(c)(3), which is also titled the Institute for Practice Improvement. Karen has the honor of being the CEO of Ryther, a 135 year old pediatric behavioral healthcare facility in Seattle. Karen's career...

In September WACF released our first Annual Report. The report highlights the important work and changes that occurred in 2020-21. WACF is growing and as we do our footprint across child welfare and other cross services has grown. WACF continues to find ways...

Welcome to Dave Newell, our new board president of the WACF 501(c)(3), which is also titled the Institute for Practice Improvement. Dave is the CEO of Children’s Home Society of Washington, serves on the board of directors of the Children’s Home Society...

The Y takes a big leap to advance equity and justice for all.  Read the full press release here....

A commitment to supporting families: Check out great resources at the Children’s Bureau website including a new Prevention Resource Guide "Thriving Children and Families: Prevention With Purpose.”...

Check out how Child Placement Agencies support children and foster families and partner with state social workers and DCYF in this new WACF CPA webpage and video: https://wachildrenandfamilies.org/cpa/. This page is dedicated to clarifying the roles and...

Throughout his career, Brian Carroll has been a partner and colleague of so many of us.  He was instrumental in the early formation of WACF, helping to bring together agencies providing residential, foster care, and preventive services.  Brian’s...

The Family Connections Program is a framework to build relationships between all the important people in a foster child's life. Read more at  FCPWA.  Thanks to Amara, FCPWA and Washington Courts.  Family Connections: King's Story  Family Connections:...

In January, Health and Human Services repealed a rule that prohibited government contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE) or on religion. We applaud DCYF’s stance  and stand with others...

Welcome to our newest WACF Board Member Julie Brown, from the Y Social Impact Center.  Julie is serving as the chair of the newly formed WACF Independent Living Division. Julie has been with the Y Social Impact Center for 7 years, and leads Foster Care...

Choosing to become a foster parent is a major decision that will make a huge difference in a foster child’s life — and it will change your life too.  For anyone who is considering becoming a foster parent, or anyone who just wants to learn about how to...

WACF recognizes racial equity as a priority in preventing families from entering foster care, improving the disproportionality of foster families and reducing the number of youth of color in group care. We are dedicated to advocacy and policy and practice...

Kelly Warner-King of the Washington Court Improvement Training Academy recently added a post with a wealth of information and resources on children and youth mental health during the...

Foster Care Centers of Excellence are medical centers that are created for youth in the child welfare system with a goal to make health care easier. They provide high quality, trauma-informed medical care on a one-time basis or serve as a Primary Care...

Amy has worked the last 11 years with Denver Public Schools. Her background is in strategy and improvement, data and reporting. She is also a former kinship foster parent and now an adoptive parent of three kids. Amy will support Jill across many areas of...

This group has been active for several months and is currently focused on contracts, data issues and improving communication with DCYF. The IL Chair is Julie Brown from the Y Social Impact Center and the vice chair is Sara Rylaarsdam from Youthnet. Thank you...

This will allow us to provide more practice support to our members, and flexibility to apply for private and government grants. To find out more, check out https://wachildrenandfamilies.org/wacf-institute-for-practice-improvement/....