What is the Caregiver Survey?
Since 2012, the Research and Data Analysis Division has worked with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to collect feedback from kinship and foster caregivers. The feedback is shared with DCYF leaders so that they know what they are doing well and how they can improve the caregiver experience.
How do I know if I am selected to participate?
If you are selected to be a part of the Caregiver Survey, you will receive an email or a postal letter from DSHS that briefly describes the survey and provides instructions on how to complete it over the phone or online. If we don’t hear from you, we will call you to get your feedback over the phone.
The Caregiver Survey is ongoing. Every quarter, participants are randomly selected from all caregivers who have recently cared for a child though DCYF or a Child Placement Agency.
Why should I participate?
The survey collects feedback directly from you and shares that feedback with DCYF leaders so that program improvements can be made. DCYF relies on your feedback so they know what they are doing well and what areas need to improve.
How is my data protected?
RDA has several safeguards in place to make sure your data and feedback are protected:
- Data is collected, analyzed, and summarized by professional researchers in RDA.
- DCYF staff do not know who participates in the survey or how individual caregivers responded to the questions.
- RDA staff summarizes question responses before sending reports to DCYF. Your individual responses will not be shared.
- Our survey software meets a rigorous set of security standards, ensuring your responses are protected.
- Though survey responses are protected in most cases, RDA staff are required to report any suspected abuse or neglect of a minor or vulnerable adult to the appropriate authorities.
Survey Participant FAQs
Do I have to participate in the survey?
You are not required to participate, but your feedback is important and can help improve services. You have the option to skip any questions you do not want to answer. You can also decline to participate in the survey. Whether or not you participate in the survey will have no effect on your status as a caregiver.
How long does the survey take?
We estimate the survey will take about 10 minutes, depending on how much information you choose to share.
What types of questions will I be asked?
We will ask you about interactions with staff, access to support, and satisfaction with DCYF and partners. You can also share additional experiences in the open-ended comment part of the survey.
What happens with my survey responses?
Every 12 months, RDA analyzes and summarizes the survey responses and shares those summary results with DCYF.
We also publish a public report that summarizes caregiver feedback on their experiences. You can see highlights from the most recent report here: 2025 Caregiver Survey Highlights.
You can read the full narrative report, including a detailed description of research methodology, at the following link: 2025 Caregiver Survey Report.