The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families is developing a new Washington Administrative Code (WAC) chapter, along with supporting policies, procedures, and a home study process for kinship caregivers, making it easier for kin to get licensed and receive support from staff.

The proposed Kinship Licensing Rules will be available for public review December 2024 and go into effect Summer 2025. 

This initiative supports Washington State's commitment to licensing 80% of its kinship caregivers by 2025 and providing critical financial support that was previously unavailable. 

How will this impact me?

  • Kinship Caregivers – Creating a more efficient path to get licensed, will result in additional financial support that is only available to licensed caregivers.
  • Tribes – Depending on tribal licensing status, tribes may create their own kinship standards (Intergovernmental Agreement tribes) or use state kinship licensing standards.
  • DCYF Staff – Simplifying and streamlining the licensing process to support kinship caregivers will help us align with the national kinship standards and reduce barriers to completing licensing requirements. 
  • CPAs – Streamlining and clarifying processes will make it faster to license kinship caregivers.
  • Foster Parents – No changes.

How can I get involved?

Kinship caregivers, Tribes, CPAs, and DCYF staff are all invited and encouraged to provide feedback throughout this process.

  • Attend additional Community Feedback sessions are being planned (Sept. and Oct.) focused on the new Kinship Home Study that is under development  
  • Provide feedback on proposed Kinship WACs, Policies, and Procedures during public comment (CR 102) in Dec. 
  • Submit your questions to the project team. 
  • Email the project team at dcyf.kinshipfeedback@dcyf.wa.gov.

Project Timeline

  • Feb. 2024: Public notice that new standards will be developed (CR-101)  
  • March and April: Initial drafting of Kinship WACs
  • April – Sept: Initial drafting of Kinship policies, procedures, and Kinship Home Study
  • May – Oct.: Feedback and refinement through community meetings, workshops and interviews
  • Sept.: Simplified Kinship Home Study Update form effective  
  • Dec. 2024 – Feb. 2025: Public Review of WAC (CR-102)
  • June 2025: Kinship Licensing Standards and Kinship Home Study Effective (CR-103)