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Honoring the heart and soul of child welfare
March is National Social Work Month, a time to recognize the extraordinary people who dedicate their lives to protecting and uplifting children and families. In child welfare, our work is challenging, emotional, and complex—but it is also incredibly meaningful.Every day, our caseworkers, supervisors, and support staff show up with compassion and determination. They navigate difficult
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When a teenage boy had nowhere else to turn, he turned to his friends, hoping one of their families might take him in. One family did, opening their home and hearts to
Since starting my job as director of the Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) in June, I’ve signed 95 adoption papers for children being adopted from foster care into new families and waived adoption fees to help make adoption through the department easier.Signing adoptions is
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) has introduced a new Continuum of Care Bureau to enhance support for youth and families in the state’s foster care system. Its goal is to ensure that congregate care placements are appropriate while optimizing the use of funding
Treasure Valley resident Shane Hanson has been providing for kids in foster care for more than a decade, but he just became a foster father for the first time this
Foster parents play a vital role in creating a safe and nurturing environment for children and youth in their care, and it is the Department of Health and Welfare’s
Nearly 100 Treasure Valley-area foster kids gathered on the BLUE turf at Albertsons Stadium Thursday night to run, kick, catch, throw, and flip with 75 Boise State
A Treasure Valley foster mom wants Idahoans to consider how meaningful it can be to make a difference for a family in crisis. In the past four years she and her family
Idaho’s kinship families came together last month to celebrate Idaho Kinship Family Day, which recognizes and honors families in which relatives or adults with a significant relationship with a child take on the responsibility of parenting when parents aren’t able to
Crisis prevention training paying off for SWITC; new video helps residents and families get oriented
Crisis prevention training is paying off for staff and residents at the Nampa-based Southwest Idaho Treatment Center (SWITC), a department-run home for adults with intellectual disabilities.
Treasure Valley foster families converged on Lucky Peak State Park last Sunday to take advantage of a new program offered jointly by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Health and Welfare (DHW). In all, more than 100 people gathered in the park to
The Department of Health and Welfare is chalk full of unsung heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes to improve the lives of others they will never meet. One of those heroic groups is our child welfare workers, who protect vulnerable children, support families, and foster