Evergreen Caregiver Support

Resources for Washington State Caregivers

DCYF’s Caregiver Connection – February 2021 Wrap-Up

March is National Social Work Month

social work month

It is not enough to just simply say thank you to all our field staff who have been unsung heroes throughout this pandemic. This month, we are joining the country in celebrating their profession and the positive impacts their work has on the children, youth, and families we serve.

In recognition of Social Work Month, we will highlight field staff all month long. Below are just two shining stars we are proud to work alongside:

  • Sara Simpson (pictured left) has demonstrated timely case management and has a high reunification rate for her cases. She has been tasked with several unusually difficult cases this year and has done a good job mitigating the issues and coming to positive resolutions for everyone involved. Her outside-the-box thinking has helped many children achieve permanency.
  • Marqueth Williams (pictured right) has served as an SSS3 (MSW) at Central Intake since December 2018. Her social work career has focused on serving vulnerable populations, having previously provided support services to veterans and the elderly. While at Central Intake, Marqueth has performed admirably, documenting reports of child abuse and assessing for risk. She is a graduate of the DCYF Leadership Academy.

If you would like to recognize someone for Social Work Month, email [email protected].

Caregiver Community Virtual Launch Event

eventJoin licensed foster parents, kinship caregivers, CPAs, tribal partners, community organizations as they meet DCYF’s new Caregiver Recruitment and Retention Team! The virtual event will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, March 30 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.Link: https://dcyf.zoom.us/j/85278065304?pwd=OWV3YzZ6NHVzSDNlTmovQmlHakw1Zz09 The meeting will feature:A key message from DCYF LeadershipMeeting the Alliance’s Caregiver Retention Education and Support (CaRES) TeamMeeting the new Caregiver Recruitment and Retention TeamTargeted Recruitment Specialist for each RegionRecruitment and Retention Program SupervisorRetention and Support Program ManagerFun and interactive activitiesPolls & Information (feedback)Q & A’s if time allows We are looking forward to connecting with those who support our children, youth, and families. For more information, email [email protected].

DCYF Joins Alliance for Child Welfare Excellence to Launch Caregiver Support Program

homeDuring these most challenging times, DCYF remains grateful for the dedication and commitment of our foster and kinship caregivers, who are taking such great care of children placed in out-of-home care.We are excited to announce DCYF and the Alliance for Child Welfare Excellence have signed a new agreement, which supports the launch of the Caregiver Retention, Education, and Support (CaRES) program on Monday, March 15.Under this partnership, the Alliance will be providing:Management of prospective foster parents inquiries  First Placement SupportPeer MentoringRobust ResourcesWays to connect on social mediaFoster Intervention, Retention, and Support Team (FIRST)Save The Date: We plan to host a Virtual Launch on Tuesday, March 30 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to introduce the Caregiver Recruitment and Retention team.Click here to read a message from the Alliance, which includes an invitation to participate in a brief caregiver survey. Caregivers may also begin to receive emails from the Alliance directly regarding the CaRES program and caregiver support.For more information about CaRES, contact Jean Brownell, at [email protected].

2020 Tax Season and Information for Caregivers

taxFoster parents and kinship caregivers may claim a tax deduction on certain foster care payments for children who have been placed in their care for more than half of the tax year. Exceptions apply for a foster child who was born within the tax year; caregivers will need to check with their tax advisor in these situations. Staff should process the application for a newborn or infant’s social security number (SSN) as quickly as possible, if one had not already been issued. Please provide a child’s SSN when requested by the caregiver for tax purposes. A written request from the caregiver is not necessary. It is particularly critical this year to give caregivers the necessary information so they can claim foster children, if allowable, as 2020 tax filings will likely be used to determine who should receive a stimulus payment should additional stimulus be issued during 2021. Please remember that staff cannot provide tax advice to caregivers. Resources:Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 1-800-829-1040 or at www.irs.gov. IRS publication 501 provides information on exemptions related to dependents and qualifying children. DCYF Finance Office, Tax Desk (833) 725-3502 or [email protected], can help providers and vendors with: Requests for copies of tax documents sent by DCYF to the provider Adjusting tax documents to reflect repayment of overpayments IRS correspondence the provider has received about DCYF payments Thank you for offering your support and assistance to our caregivers.
 Read the Memo from Kwesi Booker, Assistant Secretary

Dad Overcomes Obstacles, Children Returned to His Care

dadDespite a criminal history and prior CPS cases, one father worked hard to overcome great odds to have his children returned to his care. Domico has a very long history with DCYF. He has had many children in care and has even lost custody of some of them. He also has a long criminal history and was in prison when his two youngest came back into care. Their mother had relapsed, and very early in her second dependency, she disappeared, stopped visiting with her children, stopped participating in services, and stopped contacting the caseworker. The two siblings ended up in separate placements. As soon as Domico learned that his children were back in care, he contacted DCYF through his attorney, and insisted on having JPay visits as soon and as often as possible. The court subsequently ordered that he have two JPay visits per week until he was released from prison. He was very consistent in being present for his children, never missed a visit when it was in his control, and cooperated with the DCYF and the visit supervisor. He participated in different activities during the visit to help his children engage with him, such as coloring pictures and playing with Play-Doh. Read More

Coordinated Care Offers Families Access to Health Care Services

cc logoCoordinated Care of Washington, Inc.’s Apple Health Core Connections (AHCC) is an original program delivering health care services for Washington’s children and youth in foster care, adoption support, young adult alumni of foster care (up to age 26), and children reunified with their parents. Children and youth entering foster care are automatically enrolled in AHCC. American Indian/Alaska Native children may choose to opt-in at any time. AHCC’s primary goal is to make health care easier. Their healthcare coordinators work with caregivers, caseworkers, bio parents, adoptive parents, and the youth they serve to ensure AHCC members get the care they need. This includes access to primary care, behavioral health, vision, dental, specialists, durable medical equipment (DME), Home Health, and more.  Call the AHCC team at 1-844-354-9876 and dial 2 for help with:A member ID numberFinding a provider/specialistIssues with a pharmacyCare management requestsBenefit informationHelp with the website24/7 Nurse Advice Line For care management and other help, you can also email [email protected]. For eligibility and enrollment into the AHCC program, call the Foster Care Medical Team at HCA, 1-800-562-3022 ext. 15480, or email [email protected].