Kinship Care Services
Relatives caring for children of an incarcerated parent can access a range of DSHS services and supports including financial and medical resources.

Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Family members affected by alcohol or other drug abuse can apply for treatment services. To find out what to say to someone who needs help, get treatment referrals, or get information about preventing young people from using alcohol or other drugs, see the website or call 1-800-562-1240.

Foster Parent Resources
Are you a foster parent with a child in your home with an incarcerated parent?  This link summarizes DSHS supports for foster parents.

Mental Health Division

• Crisis Lines: Service Referrals for those in need. If you or a family member are in mental health crisis
• A Parent's Guide to mental health services for children

Infant and Toddler Early Intervention Program (ITEIP)
Helps young children who may be experiencing developmental delays and supports families in accessing services for their child and family

Juvenile Rehabilitation Services
Information on JRA’s treatment models and aftercare services

Division of Child Support

Provides information on how non-custodial parents can work with child support to help manage their debt, and how custodial parents and relative caregivers can work with child support to help assist their families.

• Division of Child Support Services

• Read more in the pdf pamphlet: "Do I still have to pay child support if I am in prison?"

Apply for DSHS services - Find you local DSHS Office
You can apply for a range of DSHS services including health care, income support, food stamps and treatment services through the Community Services Office (CSOs) in your area.  The above link will help you locate your local DSHS offices.

Health Care Assistance

The state now provides medical assistance to all children in families with incomes up to $51,625 for a family of four.  Read about this and other health care services and how they can be accessed.

DSHS Publications
DSHS has developed several free publications to help families understand how to access DSHS services, including:

"A Parent's Guide to Child Welfare Services,"

"A Guide to Navigating DSHS,"

"A Relative’s Guide to Child Welfare Services" and

"Relatives as Parents Program."
 

Children and Families of Incarcerated Parents: Understanding the Challenges and Addressing the Needs.

Beyond the Walls: A Guide to Services for Families Affected by Incarceration

Department of Corrections (DOC), Washington State
Friends and Family Services: Services offered by the DOC through the prisons, including family support activities.

• Family and Friends Services  offered by the DOC through the prisons
• Community Corrections Offices Services offered by DOC including parenting classes and family support programs.

Department of Early Learning (DEL)
Includes information on child care and early childhood education.

Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)

• OSPI's Children of Incarcerated Parents Information and Projects
• Center for the Improvement of student Learning  - Family focused information about education and the schools.

Employment Security Department - Assists ex-offenders in finding employment. Links to a number of resources for ex-offenders and their families.

Washington State Department of Veteran’s Affairs

• The Veteran’s Incarcerated Project - Washington State Veteran’s Affairs works with incarcerated veterans in King County, providing resources and support.
• Washington State Veteran’s Affairs - provides counseling to children of veterans for PTSD, including children of incarcerated veterans.

DSHS and the Statewide Mentoring Partnership

• Kids Never Forget a Mentor - This partnership coordinates and provides funding and mentoring resources to families and agencies in order to serve children facing parental incarceration.
• Mentor - Information on the funding available to support mentoring for children of incarcerated parents.

Big Brothers, Big Sisters
Offers many mentoring programs state-wide, including the Children of Incarcerated Parents Mentoring Program.

Girl Scouts

Girl Scouts Beyond Bars: This program works with girls with incarcerated mothers, providing support and transportation to visit and maintain contact.

Volunteers of America (VOA)

Mentoring Children of Promise - A mentoring program serving children of prisoners.
World Travel - VOA program that works with incarcerated parents and their children to help tape parents reading books to their kids.

IWASIL Boys and Girls Club

Provides mentoring to Native American children with incarcerated parents in the King County area, for more information call the program coordinator at (206) 436-1857.

Powerful Voices - This Seattle-based organization provides mentoring to young women in juvenile justice facilities, including young mothers.

Mentoring Children of Promise - A multi-agency program based in Spokane to provide mentoring to children of incarcerated parents.
 

General support:

• Parent Help 1-2-3  - helps connect families to food and health resources in their area.
• Washington Information Network 211  - brings together information on a range of social service providers, and helps refer individuals and families to needed services.
• Family Help Line  - Parent Trust for Washington Children. Provides resources and assistance to parents who are facing challenges in their families, or with their children.
• Within Reach  - helps link families to healthcare, food and related services.
• Washington PAVE  - offers services and supports to families with a disabled child.

Support while a family member is incarcerated or detained:

• Rebuilding Families, Inc.  - western Washington-based organization works with female offenders, assisting them in maintaining contact with their families while incarcerated, and helping them transition from incarceration back to their families.
• First Place  - Seattle-based organization assists families facing challenges in a number of areas, including parental incarceration or history of incarceration.  They offer family supports, job readiness programs, and a school for homeless families.  They also assist families in finding housing.
• Volunteers for America (VOA) - organization helps families with housing, crisis management and emergency services for families in:
  • Western Washington
  • Eastern Washington
• Washington Law Help  - assists families in finding legal resources to address civil issues.
• DSHS Special Commitment Center  - provides support and information to families who have a family member housed at the Special Commitment Center.
• Parent Information and Support - Skamania Klickitat Community Network - is affiliated with the Family Policy Council: Provides support to families in Skamania and Klickitat counties, including families facing parental incarceration.
• Matthew House  - is a supportive center for those visiting loved ones at the Monroe Correctional Complex.

Support when a family member transitions home:

• The STAR Project - (Successful Transition and Re-Entry) - Walla Walla-based organization works with male and female ex-offenders, helping them successfully transition back to their families and community.
• Post-Prison Education Program  - provides scholarships and support to ex-offenders pursuing continuing education.
• Crisis Clinic  - Offender Resource Packet: King County. This packet lists information on housing, employment, treatment and other services available to ex-offenders re-entering the King County community.

Washington Basic Health
Provides health coverage to children or families in need (income limited).

Community Health Access Program
Identifies free or low cost health insurance programs for children and
families (considers a range of incomes).

DSHS's Domestic Violence Program - lists services available to survivors
of domestic violence, and treatment programs for perpetrators.

Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED)
Office of Crime Victims Advocacy: Assists victims of crimes in obtaining protection and services.

Reporting Child Abuse or the Abuse of a Vulnerable Adult
Children and vulnerable adults deserve safety. This link explains how you can report known or suspected abuse to DSHS.

DSHS Victim/Witness Notification Program
This program provides notification to victims or witnesses of sexual and other violent crimes as to the location of the perpetrator.

Washington Violence Against Women Network
Summarizes services available in various Washington State counties to women who have survived violence or abuse.

The Center for Children of Incarcerated Parents (CCIP)
This Center is based in California and offers training, technical assistance
and local programs to assist families facing parental incarceration.

Families and Corrections Network (FCN)
FCN hosts the National Resource Center on Children and Family of the Incarcerated, a National Resource Center previously managed by the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA).  They offer training opportunities, supportive email lists for families, multiple links to support groups and a reading room including research and relevant information.

Children of Prisoners, Children of Promise
Videoconference, June 18^th 2003

Children of Incarcerated Parents Forum Segment: A
Children of Incarcerated Parents Forum Segment: B
DOC forum, June 19th 2006

Chapin Hall: Thursdays's Child (audio conference)
Broken Bonds: Understanding and Addressing the Needs of Children with Incarcerated Mothers, February 2008

San Francisco Children of Incarcerated Parents Partnership
This organization offers training, information and resources, including ordering information for a DVD they developed featuring the voices of children affected by parental incarceration and the Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of rights.

Location an Incarcerated Parent and Determining Visitation and
Contact Options:

• Department of Corrections:
  Search for a person in a DOC facility - Look up a person by name or DOC number. Once you have pulled up the individual, there will be a link provided to the facility, including information on visitation.
• County Jails:
  Look up a person by name or DOC number. Once you have pulled up the individual, there will be a link provided to the facility, including information on visitation.
  • Washington State Courts - Search for an individual by name, and the person’s court records will be listed, including incarceration orders.
  • King County Jail Inmate Search
  • King County Jails - This link contains information on King County Jail, Renton City Jail and Yakama County Jail, including visitation/contact information.
  • Pierce County Corrections Jail Roster
  • Clark County Jail Inmate List
  • Cowlitz County Jail Inmate Roster
  • Jefferson County Jail Inmate Roster
  • Kitsap County Jail Inmate Roster
  • Lewis County Jail Inmate Roster
  • Mason County Jail Roster
  • Okanogan County Jail booking Log
  • Thurston County Jail Inmate Search
  • Whatcom County Jail Inmate Search

Organizations that help coordinate visits with families:

• There are a few organizations that help provide transportation for children and supervision of children during visitation with incarcerated parents.
  • Rebuilding Families, Inc
  • Girl Scouts Beyond Bars

Department of Corrections: Services for Parents and Families, and Contacts
Contacts and service information when a person is in prison:

Social workers and staff can contact the Community Partnership Program Coordinators (CPPCs) to determine the currently available services to parents and families at each prison, and the types of programs they offer.

• Airway Heights Corrections Center
  Molly Peringer
  PO Box 1899
  Airway Heights, WA 99001
  (509) 244-6752

• Ahtanum View Corrections Center
  Ronald Farino
  2009 South 64th Ave.
  Yakima, WA 98903
  (509) 573-6361

• Cedar Creek Corrections Center
  Sue Sheldon
  PO Box 37
  Littlerock, WA 98556
  (360) 753-7278 x601

• Clallam Bay Corrections Center
  Tanja Cain, acting CPPC
  LeAnne Fletcher, CPPC
  1830 Eagle Crest Way
  Clallam Bay, WA 98326
  (360) 963-3203

• Coyote Ridge Corrections Center
  Maggie Edler
  PO Box 769
  Connell, WA 99326
  (509) 543-5906

• Larch Corrections Center
  Nancy Simmons
  15314 NE Dole Valley Rd.
  Yacolt, WA 98675
  (360) 260-6300 x215

• McNeil Island Corrections Center
  Kim Govreau
  PO Box 88900
  Steilacoom, WA 98388
  (253) 512-6589

• Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women
  Patricia McGill
  3420 NE Sand Hill
  Belfair, WA 98528
  (360) 277-2400

• Monroe Correctional Complex
  Marjorie Petersen
  PO Box 514
  Monroe, WA 98272
  (360) 794-2627

• Olympic Corrections Center
  Dan James
  11235 Hoh Mainline
  Forks, WA 98331
  (360) 374-6181 x343

• Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women
  Patricia Gaimari
  PO Box 300
  Medical Lake, WA 99002
  (509) 299-2341

• Stafford Creek Corrections Center
  Dawn Taylor
  191 Constantine Way
  Aberdeen, WA 98520
  (360) 537-2029

• Washington Corrections Center
  Judy Mayo
  PO Box 900
  Shelton, WA 98584
  (360) 427-4599

• Washington Corrections Center for Women
  Vicki York
  9601 Bujacich Road NW
  Gig Harbor, WA 98335
  (253) 858-4653

• Washington State Penitentiary
  Karen Gleason, Interim CPPC
  1313 North 13th Ave.
  Walla Walla, WA 99362
  (509) 525-3610 x1232/1239
  

Contacts and service information when a person is under correctional supervision in the community:

DOC has family specialists located at Community Justice Centers that work with families in their region, including providing parenting classes and other resources.

• Family Specialist: Seattle Community Justice Center
  Michelle Kaiser
  (206) 516-7625

• Family Specialist: Spokane Community Justice Center
  Kathy Lamb
  (509) 363-2737

• Family Specialist: Family Services Unit
  (Peninsula region and southwest Washington)
  Liz Weinandt
  (360) 485-8218
  

For further information regarding these projects, please contact:

Miriam L. Bearse
Correctional Policy Analyst, DSHS
PO Box 45011
Olympia, WA 98504

Phone: (360)902-8250

DSHS is part of a multi-agency and multi-organization effort to evaluate the services and policies available to children and families of incarcerated parents, develop and analyze data available regarding families facing incarceration, and make recommendations regarding service and policy needs.

DSHS is also participating with multiple partners, including the Department of Corrections, Employment Security Department, Washington State Veteran’s Affairs, the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, the National Governor’s Association and the Governor’s Office in the Washington State Re-Entry Partnership; to strengthen families and communities through the effective re-integration of people under correctional supervision.

These efforts within DSHS are housed within the administration of Planning, Performance and Accountability (PPA), led by Assistant Secretary Jody Becker-Green.