Dependency Practice Tips
Family Law Orders in New Dependency Cases
June 17, 2026
A small but important number of cases arise where an existing family law order no longer fits once a dependency case opens. While these situations represent only a handful of cases, changing family circumstances and new dependency facts can leave existing family law orders clearly in need of modification.
Critical Incidents
March 18, 2026
Critical incidents – child fatalities and near fatalities – are the most tragic events that can occur in the child welfare system. While most of these incidents occur when families are not under court jurisdiction, they still provide valuable insights for the bench.
2026 Welcome to Dependency
January 21, 2026
Serving as a dependency court judicial officer is an immense responsibility. These judicial officers oversee cases involving children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned, ensuring that their safety and best interests are prioritized. This infographic provides basic information and resources for dependency court judicial officers.
Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)
November 19, 2025
Judicial decisions in ICWA cases require careful, culturally informed analysis that honors tribal sovereignty, ensures active efforts, and protects the rights of Indian children, parents, and tribes at every stage of the dependency process. This infographic provides some basic information and considerations for judicial officers in applying ICWA.
Best Interest Determinations in Domestic Violence Cases
October 15, 2025
When domestic violence is present in a dependency case, determining what is in a child’s best interest requires a careful balance of safety, stability, and support for both the child and the non-offending parent. This infographic provides some basic information and considerations for judicial officers in making these determinations.
Caregiver Reporting
September 17, 2025
In dependency cases, caregiver reports can significantly influence the court’s understanding of a child’s daily experiences, progress, and needs. Knowing how to encourage, consider, and weigh caregiver reports at different stages of a case can directly affect long-term outcomes for families. This infographic provides basic information on caregiver reporting.
Mental Health Assessments & Psychological Evaluations
August 13, 2025
When questions arise about a parent’s mental health in a dependency case, ordering the right type of evaluation is essential. This infographic compares mental health assessments and psychological evaluations.
MOUD Infographic
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) are an evidence-based treatment that supports recovery and reduces both relapse and overdose risk for parents involved in child welfare cases who are struggling with opioid misuse. This infographic provides an overview of MOUD and its applications in the child dependency court system.
Judicial Ethics in Dependency Cases Infographic
Dependency court judicial officers must demonstrate impartiality, fairness, and integrity, ensuring decisions are grounded in law and focused on the best interests of the child. This infographic provides an overview of judicial ethics in dependency cases.
Incarcerated Parents Infographic
Incarcerated parents in the child dependency system face major barriers to reunification, including limited access to court proceedings restricted communication, and difficulty completing required services. This infographic reviews some of the major challenges and barriers facing incarcerated parents navigating the dependency system.
Hope Science Infographic
By integrating hope-based practices, dependency courts can help children, families, and system professionals envision positive futures, identify realistic pathways to stability, and develop the capacity to overcome adversity. This infographic provides an overview of Hope Science and potential applications in child dependency courts.
Welcome to the Bench Infographic
Being a dependency court judicial officer places you at the heart of some of the most challenging and impactful decisions within the judiciary. This infographic provides an overview of what it means to be on a dependency rotation and the tools, training, and resources available.
High-Potency Synthetic Opioids Practice Tip
High-potency synthetic opioids (HPSO), like fentanyl, pose serious risks in child welfare involved families. In 2024, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released Public Health Guidance on High Potency Synthetic Opioids in response to the legislative mandate passed in SB 6109. Check out this Dependency Practice Tip infographic to learn more about HPSOs.
Fact-Finding Dependency Practice Tip
The purpose of the fact-finding timeline is to help ensure timely resolution of cases. Check out this Dependency Practice Tip infographic to learn about the importance of timely fact-finding hearings and newly created court codes for tracking exceptional circumstance findings.
Supporting Transitions for Infants & Young Children Practice Tip
Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of stress instability that accompany forced removal by child welfare. Check out this Dependency Practice Tip infographic to learn how child dependency courts can help ensure smooth transitions and reduce developmental harm.
Protein for ALL Infographic
This infographic contains information about Protein for ALL, which helps alleviate the stress and anxiety that families involved with child welfare often experience by offering high protein snacks. Click to learn more.
SIJS Infographic
This infographic contains general information about Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) in WA and was adapted from content contained within the Washington State Court Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) Classification Bench Book and Resource Guided, created by Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). Click to learn more.
Ten Recommendations for Making Findings of Fact Infographic
This infographic contains ten recommendations that judicial officers can use to help ensure adequate findings of fact in child dependency and termination cases. Full guide created by retired Judge Beth Andrus and retired Judge Helen Halpert.
Prenatal and Postpartum Substance Use Disorder Infographic
This infographic provides information on the complex needs of women who are pregnant or post-partum and have a Substance Use Disorder (SUD), along with resources that support dependency court systems in improving outcomes for these families.
Initial Licensing for Kinship Caregivers
This infographic provides information on the initial licensing process for relative and suitable other caregivers created by the Keeping Families Together Act (HB 1227).
Data-Informed Dependency Infographic
Data is an essential component of child dependency court systems. This infographic provides a brief overview of the importance of using accurate data in dependency court system improvement, along with the data sources available to courts that allow access to performance metrics and case-level data.
Educational Stability Infographic
Students in foster care face significant educational challenges and have worse outcomes than peers on every academic measure, including achievement, attendance, and graduation. This infographic provides a brief overview of dependency law in WA and the resources available to support dependency court judicial officers.
Recent WA Supreme Court Case Law Decisions Infographic
In recent years, the WA Supreme Court has handed down a number of decisions that have added additional clarification and guidance to the practice of reasonable and active efforts. This infographic focuses on these significant decisions and how they impact practice in dependency court communities.
ICWA Dependency Practice Tip
ICWA is vitally important to Native children and families. When ICWA is applied properly it helps lead to better outcomes. ICW Courts are dedicated dockets of child welfare hearings involving Native children.
Dependency Practice Tip: Helping Foster Children Succeed in School–COVID Edition – August 2020
Over 5,700 Washington State children and youth in out-of-home care will be starting school soon – in person, online, or with a combination of both. For all students and families, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the stability and routine that school provides, along with important social connections to friends and teachers. For children and youth in foster care, this loss of predictability, connection, and educational support is especially devastating.
Domestic Violence in Dependency Cases Infographic
The co-occurrence of domestic violence and family involvement in the child dependency system can take many different forms. This infographic contains information on how dependency courts can effectively address domestic violence within child dependency cases.
Guardianship Infographic
The eligibility standards, procedures, and available support for the child and family differ between types of minor guardianship (Title 11 vs. Title 13). Understanding these intricacies helps courts more effectively and efficiently engage families in the guardianship process. Check out this infographic on the basics of minor guardianship in WA and the importance of kinship.
Termination Settlement Conferences Dependency Practice Tip
One of the most underutilized, and undervalued, tools to address these backlogs is the use of settlement conferences to resolve termination cases without the need for trial. Not only does this tactic help decrease case backlogs – it often results in less trauma to the family and decreases time to permanency for children.
Docket Management Practice Tip
For many judicial officers, large workloads and complex cases can make giving each family enough time and attention feel impossible. Effective docket management can make a real difference in the ability to engage families and children, make informed decisions, and strengthen dependency systems.
Judicial Leadership Dependency Practice Tip
The role of the dependency court judge involves leadership responsibilities including on-the-bench judicial leadership via strong judicial oversight of cases and off-the-bench leadership which involves working with court, system, and community stakeholders to address the needs of the children and families who appear before the court.
Dependency Practice Tip: Strengthening Parent-Child Visitation During Child Welfare Proceedings – HB 1194 Changes to Law and Practice
HB 1194 makes significant changes to the court’s role in ordering visitation with the goal of providing the maximum parent, child, and sibling contact possible, while keeping the child safe. A statute-by-statute overview of these changes is provided, along with resources and implementation information.
Dependency Practice Tip: In-Person Family Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic – August 2020
In-Person Family Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic Family Time and Washington’s Pandemic Response to Date In response to the COVID-19 health crisis, Governor Inslee signed Proclamation 20-33 on March 26, 2020, waiving RCW 13.34.136 family time visit requirements that DCYF provide the “maximum” contact “possible” and permitting the Department to limit, but not entirely suspend visits without court approval.
Dependency Practice Tip: Parents for Parents Program – January 2020
Early engagement of parents in dependency cases is important for successful reunification, however, parents often feel blame and shame as they deal with the trauma of removal and find it difficult to trust those working in the child welfare system. Some of you are aware of Parents for Parents (P4P), which is an early engagement and education program for parents involved in the child welfare system.
Dependency Practice Tip: Family Reunification – June 2020
June is National Reunification Month. Last year eighteen counties held Family Reunification Celebrations. This year we face many difficult realities. Although they may look different this year, a county’s reunification day can serve as an opportunity to instill hope and remind us all why we do this work. Please consider organizing a Family Reunification Celebration in your county.