Families, foster parents and supporters hold rally for legislative changes for foster children

The Chronicle - 3/2/2024

Mar. 1—Families who have lost children, as well as foster parents and supporters, gathered at the Capitol in Olympia on Thursday in support of legislative changes for Washington state children who have been abused and children who have been put in harm's way due to House Bill 1227, the Keeping Families Together Act.

Organizers lined the steps of the Capitol with 85 pairs of shoes to bring awareness to the 85 children who died under the watch of the Washington state Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) in 2022.

"Organizers were grateful to Representatives Dent, Walsh, Cauldier, Corey, Griffey, and Couture who took time from their busy schedules to speak with the attendees and showed their commitment to the safety of the children of Washington," the Light the Way Missing Persons Advocacy Project, which helped organize the gathering, stated in an email to The Chronicle.

HB 1227, passed by the state Legislature in 2022, made several changes to state law regarding child dependency cases.

"The intent of the act was to safely reduce the number of children placed into foster care, reduce racial disproportionality in the child welfare system, and support relatives to take care of children when they must be placed out of home to protect their safety," DCYF states on its website.

Thursday's event was hosted by Ashlee Barnes, aunt to Hazel Homan, who was murdered by her father's girlfriend while under the watch of the DCYF, according to the event flier.

"The organizers' goal (was) to hold lawmakers accountable for the dangers children are exposed to because of HB 1227 and to make both the public and lawmakers aware of the 85 children who died under the watch of WA DCYF in 2022," the Light the Way Missing Persons Advocacy Project stated in an email to The Chronicle.

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