Funding is provided for the ongoing cost of unsigned leases in alignment with the agency's leased facilities plan. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State)

General Fund-State is provided for expenditures previously made from the Washington AutoTheft Prevention Account. The account is structurally imbalanced and there is no longer sufficient revenue to fund this expense. (General Fund - State, WA Auto Theft Prevention Auth Acct - State)

The November 2022 caseload forecast projects a decline in the Child Protective Services (CPS) caseload, which would result in a reduction in the number of FTEs needed for fiscal year 2023. However, the forecast also projects a caseload increase in 2023-25, which would require additional FTEs to maintain caseload ratios. Funding is provided to retain the number of CPS FTEs in fiscal year 2023 equal to the number of additional FTEs needed in the 2023-25 biennium to avoid staffing reductions and maintain caseload ratios. (General Fund - Family Support/Child Welfare, General Fund - State)

The federal Families First Coronavirus Relief Act authorized additional federal matching funds (FMAP) for the duration of the public health emergency. State funds are reduced and Medicaid funding is increased to reflect an additional 6.2% federal Medicaid matching rate from April through June 30, 2023. (General Fund - Family Support/Child Welfare, General Fund - State)

In January 2021, plaintiffs filed a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court (D.S. v. DCYF) on behalf of youth experiencing placement instability through night-to-night placements and hotel and overnight stays in DCYF offices. In June 2022, DCYF and plaintiffs reached a settlement agreement, which requires the agency to make system improvements and offer services and supports to class members. Funding is provided to comply with the settlement agreement. (General Fund - State, General Fund - Family Support/Child Welfare)

DCYF delivers court-ordered visitation services known as "family time" for children placed in out-of-home care. Visit-supporting functions such as court-required reports and the work associated with cancelled or no-show visits are not paid as separate items. DCYF self-funded all of these "separate billables" from November 2021 through September 2022; it then pared them down to only court-required reports from October 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. Funding is provided for the separate billables DCYF paid from July 1, 2022 through April 30, 2023. In addition, funding is provided for the agency to pay for all separate billables, effective May 1, 2023. (General Fund - Family Support/Child Welfare, General Fund - State)

DCYF is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide or arrange for housing support services for any child welfare-involved family receiving a Family Unification Program (FUP) voucher provided by HUD. A grant is expiring, which allowed King County to provide the housing support services. Funding is provided for DCYF to provide housing support services associated with the King County FUP. (General Fund - State)

In the 2022 supplemental budget, the Legislature directed the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to cease operating Naselle Youth Camp as a Juvenile Rehabilitation institution by the end of fiscal year 2023. Funding is adjusted to reflect the reduced costs of maintaining facility stewardship rather than full operations. (General Fund - State)

Funding is provided to establish and implement two play-and-learn groups for families in Grays Harbor County. (General Fund - State)

The department identified an error in its assumption related to the amount of Title IV-E that could be claimed, which has resulted in a funding shortfall in program support. The correct Title IV-E reimbursement rate is 14%, not 48%. Federal funds are reduced and General Fund-State funds are increased to fill the agency's shortfall and align assumptions with the correct Title IV-E reimbursement rate. (General Fund - Family Support/Child Welfare, General Fund - State)