Washington's Child Welfare System Shows Progress, But Audit Reveals Gaps in Safety Oversight

Washington state has seen a dramatic drop in child deaths within its welfare system, but a new audit reveals persistent weaknesses in how the state investigates abuse and manages key programs. The findings arrive as the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) prepares to request more funding from the governor.

An accountability audit released Monday found that DCYF generally complied with state law and its own policies. However, state auditors, reviewing activity from July 2024 through June 2025, flagged specific problems in gift card spending, forensic interview training, and investigations of unlicensed childcare centers.

What did the audit find about child safety investigations?

The most concerning findings involve how the state handles reports of abuse. In two of the 33 Child Protective Services investigations reviewed, workers who had not completed required child abuse interview training conducted interviews. Auditors noted this breaks state law and could compromise the quality of forensic interviews.

Separately, the audit examined 25 investigations of unlicensed childcare centers. In less than a quarter of those cases, complaint responses and unannounced visits were initiated late. In three investigations, the department gave providers advance notice before visits that were supposed to be unannounced. The department also failed to post public notices about unlicensed providers in five cases.

Why is the gift card program under scrutiny?

DCYF runs a gift card program to cover food costs for children in state custody, as well as transportation expenses for medical appointments and visitations. The department is responsible for tracking card use and inventories, but some offices failed to complete inventories or adequately document distribution. The audit specifically called out the MLK Jr. office in Seattle for lacking a proper system to store and locate gift card records.

The department says it is hiring a purchase card administrator to strengthen oversight.

What is the state doing to address these weaknesses?

DCYF officials told The Seattle Times they take the recommendations seriously and have already started making changes, including additional staff training and stronger internal controls.

In its budget request for 2027-2029, the department plans to ask for a specialized unit with 17 positions focused on licensing accountability and compliance. This comes as the number of licensed childcare providers has grown by 27.5% since the end of 2021, while the department has not received additional funding for more licensing staff.

Why does the department say it is struggling?

Department officials attribute many of the failures to a lack of resources, a refrain echoed by child welfare workers. The same explanation was offered in response to a July audit of juvenile rehabilitation, which found that nearly half of front-line staff at youth detention facilities left within one year.

Secretary Tana Senn has said the issues demand additional funding or policy changes from the Legislature. The department points to the