Nearly 59% of children in Washington’s out-of-home care were living with relatives or other trusted adults as of June 2026, a level the state says places it among the national leaders in kinship care. The Department of Children, Youth and Families announced the figure Tuesday, compared with a national measure of 39% that the agency attributed to the federal Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.
Kinship care means full-time care by extended family members or “suitable others” who already have a meaningful relationship with a child. For children who cannot safely remain at home, the model is intended to preserve family, cultural and community ties while avoiding an unfamiliar placement. DCYF cited a systematic review of more than 100 studies finding lower rates of mental-health problems, poor overall well-being and disrupted placements among children cared for by kin.
The comparison needs context. A Child Trends analysis of federal fiscal-year 2024 data found that 30% of children in foster care nationwide were placed specifically with relatives, with state rates ranging from 2% to 56%. Washington’s newer 59% figure also includes suitable adults who are not relatives, so it should not be read as a like-for-like national ranking. It does, however, show that kin placements now account for a clear majority of the state’s out-of-home cases.
Washington’s shift is tied to policy changes as well as casework. The Keeping Families Together Act, which took effect July 1, 2023, tightened the standard for removing children from their homes and directed the system to support relatives when placement is necessary. DCYF says entries into out-of-home care fell 14% during the law’s first year. A later change taking effect in June 2024 told courts to give greater weight to the dangers of high-potency synthetic opioids; entries subsequently returned to roughly their pre-2023 level.
The agency has also been changing how it finds and supports relatives. A 2026 kinship-engagement implementation plan says DCYF added a centralized module to its FamLink case system so workers can record potential caregivers, their contact information, requested support and whether they should be contacted again. The plan also calls for better information about services, peer support and help navigating the child-welfare system.
For families, the practical significance is that a relative, family friend or other trusted adult is increasingly likely to be considered before a child is placed with an unfamiliar foster family. Placement with kin does not eliminate safety reviews, licensing questions or the need for financial and legal support. Washington’s DCYF contact page directs people interested in foster parenting or kinship care to 1-888-KIDS-414 and lists separate contacts for kinship services and relative-search questions.
The 59% benchmark is therefore both an outcome and a test: the state has moved more children into familiar homes, while its next measure of success will be whether those caregivers receive enough help to keep placements stable.
