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DCYF updates: home‑visiting account swept; agency seeks account restructure and begins rate and grant actions
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Summary
DCYF staff told HVAC that accumulated state home‑visiting funds were swept into the state deficit, DCYF plans a decision package to restructure spending authority, and DCYF is routing rate amendments and preparing a limited Spokane expansion and federal grant (McVIE) application with new reporting requirements.
Jennifer Personius, senior policy adviser for government affairs at the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), told the Home Visiting Advisory Committee that the recent legislative session left DCYF in a "holding pattern" after the legislature swept accumulated balances from the home‑visiting account to cover a deficit. "We saw our funding get swept," Personius said, and DCYF is reviewing a possible legislative decision package to restructure the account so that spending is clearer and future sweeps can be prevented.
Laura Alfani (Strengthening Families Washington team administrator) said the legislature removed accumulated state dollars from the state home‑visiting account and DCYF now projects the account balance will be near zero at the end of the fiscal year. "That should be 0 at the end of state school year '26," she said, and DCYF will update slides and follow up with materials.
DCYF reported programmatic follow‑up on HVAC’s February recommendation vote: based on members’ feedback, staff pursued the option a majority supported (referred to internally as “option 2”) and then updated rate workbooks for NFP and PAT, which increased the cost estimates. Nicole (program specialist) said updated case‑rate targets now aim closer to about 80% of model‑informed rates rather than the previously discussed 90%, and DCYF has begun routing amendments and notifying local implementing agencies about increases.
DCYF also described a planned limited procurement to add two Parents as Teachers home visitors for Spokane County, with procurement expected to open in June and a contract start as early as September if schedules hold. Neli reported the agency recorded a McVIE (federal home‑visiting) budget increase of $741,089 that was passed to local implementing agencies for rate increases.
Malia Lindsey (home visiting program and policy analyst) described changes required by federal reporting (APR) effective FFY2026, including a required anxiety screening and referral, combined race/ethnicity reporting that will add a Middle Eastern/North African category, and a two‑week look‑back period for safe‑sleep questions; DCYF and model offices are coordinating updates to data systems.
Members raised concerns about transparency and the optics of a sweep when prevention funding is cut; DCYF said it will seek input and provide follow‑up and encouraged members to email staff with questions. Several members asked about state matching obligations for federal grants; Laura said DCYF is not currently concerned about match levels under the present authorization but noted uncertainty at reauthorization.
