Foster Care

Health

Washington reduces number of foster youth out of state, but in-state beds still lacking

A year ago, Washington state had 82 hard-to-place foster youths, mostly teenagers, living in facilities in states as far away as South Carolina, prompting calls to bring them home. As of Aug. 1, that number had been reduced by more than half to 38, according to the Department of Children Youth and Families.

Government

Why Washington foster kids are sleeping in hotels

Kim Malcolm talks with foster care advocate Jen Kamel about why there's a significant foster parent shortage in Washington state.

Would you foster a child? One parent: ‘It’s the best thing I’ve ever done’

Lisa Blackmore says the question she is asked most as a foster parent is: Don't you get too attached? “And the answer is yes. We absolutely love this...

Hotels and offices aren't the best place for foster children. Group homes aren’t either

Charmaigne Jones had to sleep in a social service office when she entered foster care in the 1990’s. But the group homes for foster youth she lived in...

Foster kids sleep in hotels and offices as 15 more beds disappear

South King County principal Melissa Pointer is worried about her student. "I tried so many times not to cry,” she said, her voice breaking. “Because...

She just wanted a home. That meant trusting her foster parents

Growing up, Dylan Rae Metcalfe could do whatever she wanted. “My mom let me do all kinds of sideways shit,” she said. “Like, if I wanted to smoke pot or...

It'll be easier for Washington foster kids to get a driver's license

A bill signed by Governor Jay Inslee will reimburse caregivers or foster children for the costs associated with getting a driver's license. It’s...