Areas of Focus

Family Well-Being Community Collaborative - The Family Well-Being and Community Collaborative (FWCC) is a multi-disciplinary workgroup of the Commission of Children in Foster Care, staffed by the Administrative Office of the Courts' Family and Youth Justice Programs. The FWCC is currently focused on supporting effective implementation of the Keeping Families Together Act (E2SHB 1227) and the Strengthening Parent-Child Visitation law (E2SHB 1194), with particular attention paid to ensuring that courts understand and are prepared to apply the new laws.

Children's Legal Representation Workgroup - In response to the Legislature's 2021 request in
HB 1219, the CCFC convened the Children's Representation Workgroup, comprised of legal experts, people with lived expertise and child welfare partners. The workgroup was co-chaired by the director of the Children's Representation Program at the Office of Civil Legal Aid, and an alum of the foster care system. The workgroup was charged with reviewing and updating the standards of practice for attorneys representing children and youth in dependency cases, and developing recommendations to the Legislature regarding the appropriate model of representation for children under eight years old.

In May 2022, the workgroup produced the report, Representation for Children Under 8 Years Old in Child Welfare Cases. And they finalized the revised practice standards for representation of children and youth in dependency cases, including caseload limits and training requirements, in September 2022.