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We need your help to double the rate of foster families in Idaho
If you’re willing to open your heart and your home to a child in need, we need your help.
This month, I’m thrilled to join the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) team. It is an honor to work alongside department staff and the dedicated, compassionate Idahoans who make a difference for Idaho kids every day.For over two decades, I’ve dedicated my career to supporting youth and families, most recently serving as director of the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections.
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The Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) has engaged with our Strategic Plan as a “living” document. Each week, the senior leadership team discusses real-time updates. This work is informed by subject matter experts and the staff throughout the department.
As
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expanded and strengthened its recommendation for COVID-19 booster shots.
CDC expanded booster recommendations to children 5 through 11 years old. As cases increase in Idaho and across the country, a
Idaho is doing some incredible work to expand and connect the behavioral health system in the state. The recent addition of crisis centers and recovery centers has moved the behavioral health system forward, however, there is still much work to do.
As you may have read in a
It truly takes a village to raise a child, even in the best of times. But when a family is struggling to provide a safe and nurturing home for their children, it sometimes becomes necessary for a child to be placed with a foster family so they can be safe while their parents
Although winter is loosening its grip gradually in Idaho, the beginning of the next fiscal year on July 1 will arrive all-too quickly. One of the key annual milestones we work to achieve at that time is submission of our annually-updated five-year strategic plan
It is no longer a federal mandate to wear a mask on public transportation and in transportation hubs, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued updated COVID-19 guidance about masks and travel to help people assess their risk for infection so they can
One of the many hats I wear as director of the Department of Health and Welfare is co-chair of the Idaho Behavioral Health Council. The council was established by all three branches of government via a proclamation from the Idaho Supreme Court, a concurrent resolution from the
During the pandemic, many of us postponed or missed important wellness checkups and medical care with our healthcare providers because of the spread of COVID-19. As COVID-19 cases have decreased and normal activities resume, now is a good time to review the vaccines recommended
The Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) uses our strategic plan as a roadmap to define and share who we are as an agency, what our goals are, and how we plan to achieve them. Over the past year, we have worked diligently to follow our roadmap toward our mission of
Domestic poultry, including chickens and turkeys, infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (also called bird flu) were first detected earlier this month in Idaho, in Gooding, Caribou, and Madison counties. They were likely infected by migrating geese or ducks.
A type of
Making progress toward Strategic Goal 4: Strengthen the public’s trust and confidence in the Department of Health and Welfare
No matter what the weather looks like in Idaho’s ever-changing economic climate, the department is committed to providing services to help Idahoans live