Child Welfare Housing Assistance Pilot Program.
The Child Welfare Housing Assistance Pilot Program (pilot) was authorized to begin July 1, 2020, and provides housing vouchers, rental assistance, navigation, and other support services to eligible families.
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is required to operate or contract for the operation of the pilot, and contracted with Reliable Enterprise located in Lewis County, to operate the pilot.
A parent with a child who is dependent and whose primary remaining barrier to reunification is the lack of appropriate housing is eligible for the pilot. One hundred and twenty three families have received housing vouchers or other assistance through the pilot. Currently, there is a waitlist of 40 families interested in receiving assistance through the pilot.
The pilot is scheduled to expire June 30, 2023.
Candidate for Foster Care.
A child who is a candidate for foster care is a child who the DCYF identifies as being at imminent risk of entering foster care but who can remain safely in the child's home or in a kinship placement as long as services or programs that are necessary to prevent entry of the child into foster care are provided, and includes a child whose adoption or guardianship arrangement is at risk of a disruption or dissolution that would result in a foster care placement.
A child who is a candidate for foster care includes when:
The child welfare housing assistance program (program) is established as a permanent program instead of a pilot program with an expiration date of June 30, 2023. The program is expanded to serve one or more counties on the East and West sides of the Cascades.
The eligibility for the program is expanded to include:
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families must contract with an outside entity or entities who have a demonstrated understanding of the importance of stable housing for children and families involved or at risk of being involved with the child welfare system to operate the program.