DHW Voice
Latest Post
It’s National Foster Care Month. Can you help support families in Idaho?
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 address issues until they can provide a safe home for their child.
When children can’t remain safely with their parents, placement with relatives or close family friends is the preferred option because it
Older Posts
Older Posts
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
Sexually transmitted infections (STI) are passed from one person to another through sexual activity. They can also be passed from one person to another through intimate physical contact.
They don’t always cause symptoms or may only cause mild symptoms, so it is possible to
In recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, I am continuing my blog series on the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect.
In Idaho, workers in the child welfare program with the Department of Health and Welfare
Idahoans are well-known to be dog lovers – many households have more than one dog, and parks and trails are full of our canine buddies. It’s important to keep in mind that even though our pups are outdoor adventure companions and indoor snuggle-buddies, they are still animals