The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) has requested an increase of $233.7 million from the general fund–state (GFS) for the 2024 supplemental operating budget. That would increase GFS spending for the agency by 7.6% over enacted 2023–25 appropriations.

DCYF was created in 2017. It took over responsibility for children and family services, juvenile rehabilitation, and early learning—programs that had previously been administered by the Department of Social and Health Services and the Department of Early Learning. (To provide a longer term history of spending on those programs, the chart below includes what was spent on them by the other agencies.)

The request for $233.7 million in additional funding for 2023–25 would cost $257.7 million in 2025–27. However, it includes several placeholders that would add to the total:

• Mandatory caseload adjustment placeholder, which will be based on the November caseload forecast (which is happening today).
• Lease adjustment placeholder, for “funding to support either existing approved relocations to new facilities or increases to exiting leases when up for renewal.”
• LifeSet placeholder, “to cover full costs related to maintenance of three teams and implementation of a fourth team” in the LifeSet program (which serves youth who have been in the foster care, juvenile justice, or mental health systems).
• Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System placeholder, to implement a new case management information system.
• Social Services Payment System replacement placeholder, to replace the current system. (The replacement was funded in 2021–23 but delayed.)

Additionally, the request includes several costs related to legal settlements:

• $94.6 million in 2023–25 for settlement payouts that are not covered by the state agency self-insurance liability program. Specifically, $91.3 million would be for the Powell v. State of Washington agreement (I think they mean this case) and $3.4 million would be for the Aroni v. State of Washington agreement.
• $3.4 million in 2023–25 and $2.6 million in 2025–27 “to provide hearings for individuals under age twenty-­five that are transferring to the Department of Corrections” from DCYF. DCYF is in settlement negotiations with plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit on this issue.
• $4.5 million in 2023–25 and $5.1 million in 2025–27 “to continue to meet the agency’s obligations under the Settlement Agreement in the D.S. lawsuit.” (More information about the case is available here.)

Other notable DCYF GFS requests include:

• $37.0 million in 2023–25 and $82.1 million in 2025–27 to prepare for the beginning of the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) entitlement in FY 2027. “This funding will support sustainable slot rates to cover actual provider service costs, funding to cover quality requirements related to expanding slots, and funding for additional slots in Fiscal Year 2025.”
• $12.6 million in 2023–25 and $35.4 million in 2025–27 to align “eligibility rules across ECEAP and WCCC [Working Connections Child Care] while also further supporting WCCC eligibility when families are participating in ECEAP, Early ECEAP, Head Start, and Early Head Start.
• $23.7 million in 2023–25 and $47.4 million in 2025–27 “to increase provider participation in Working Connections Child Care and support increasing family eligibility,” in part by increasing certain provider rates.
• $11.7 million in 2023–25 and $23.5 million in 2025–27 to increase rates for emergent placement service providers (with whom DCYF contracts “to receive children and youth with high levels of support needs for up to 15 days”) and “develop additional placement options for emergent circumstances.”
• $7.7 million in 2023–25 and $15.4 million in 2025–27 to increase foster care maintenance rates to caregivers and provide a housing supplement for youth in extended foster care.

(Previous posts on agency 2024 supplemental budget requests are here.)