Every year, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) partners with the Research and Data Analysis (RDA) Division of the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to gather feedback from kinship and foster caregivers in the State of Washington. Between October 2024 and June 2025, DSHS surveyed 666 kinship caregivers and 350 foster caregivers who had a child in care in the past 12 months. The response rate was 77%. Surveys were completed over the phone (63%) or online (37%).
Satisfaction was high in 2025, with most caregivers giving positive responses to all structured questions. Both kinship and foster caregivers were more positive in 2025 than in 2024 on several questions. In addition, kinship caregivers were more positive than foster caregivers on most questions. In their open text comments, caregivers noted the hard work and support provided by DCYF staff and expressed appreciation for available resources. Caregivers who participated in trainings found them helpful. Caregiver comments also identify some areas that need work, including service coordination and timeliness. Many caregivers also commented that they thought DCYF needed additional staff.
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Related Publications:
- 2012 Foster Parent Survey (11.188)
- 2013 Foster Parent Survey (11.207)
- 2014 Foster Parent Survey: DSHS Foster Parents Speak (11.215)
- 2015 Foster Parent Survey: DSHS Foster Parents Speak (11.227)
- 2016 Foster Parent Survey: DSHS Foster Parents Speak (11.239)
- 2017 Foster Parent Survey: DSHS Foster Parents Speak (11.243)
- 2018 Foster Parent Survey: DCYF Foster Parents Speak (11.246)
- 2019 Caregiver Survey Report (7.118)
- 2020 Caregiver Survey Report (7.123)
- 2021 Caregiver Survey Report (7.125)
- 2022 Caregiver Survey Report (7.126)
- 2023 Caregiver Survey Report (11.270)
- 2024 Caregiver Survey Report (7.127)
- Characteristics and Service Use of Young Adults in Extended Foster Care (11.266)
- Children's Services Needs Assessment (7.21a)
- Family Foster Care Update (7.26)
- Foster Care Expenditures Study (7.66)
- Housing Status of Youth Exiting Foster Care, Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Systems (11.240)
- In-Home Service Use and Family Risk for Child Welfare Involved Families: Findings from Washington State (7.116)
- Independent Living Services for Foster Care Youth (11.183)
- Independent Living Services for Foster Youth (7.111)
- Informing the Placement Continuum: Classifying Children in Out-of-Home Placement Using Integrated Administrative Data (7.124)
- Predicting Homelessness among Emerging Adults Aging Out of Foster Care ()
- Pregnant and Parenting Youth in Foster Care in Washington State: Comparison to Other Teens and Young Women who Gave Birth (11.202)
- Substance Use Disorder Treatment Penetration among Child Welfare-Involved Caregivers (7.121)
- Transition to Adulthood (7.104)
- Transition to Adulthood: Foster Youth at 19 (7.107)
- Transition to Adulthood: Washington State Foster Youth at Age 17 (7.108)
- Washington State's Fostering Well-Being Program: Impacts on Medical Utilization (9.105)
- Youth Aging Out of Foster Care (7.109)
- Youth at Risk of Homelessness (7.106)