Washington Dept. of Children, Youth, Family Services to pay $300k settlement to deaf families

The Seattle Times reported that the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Family Services has agreed to pay a $300,000 settlement to deaf families after a federal investigation found the DCYFS failed to provide appropriate services during meetings with social workers.

The investigation said DCYFS failed to provide ASL interpreters on over 100 occasions between 2017 and 2019. There were no interpreters provided for interviews during investigations that could lead to termination of parental rights.

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The investigation said caseworkers seemed to have “negative views about the willingness of deaf and hard-of-hearing parents to cooperate in the agency’s investigations when parents asked for services.”

The investigation also found that DCYFS had a lack of “legal required services for deaf family members during court-ordered treatments and counseling required for reunification with children.”

The DCYFS agreed to create new communications policies to follow requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and appoint an ADA coordinator.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/department-of-children-youth-and-family-services-to-pay-300000-for-not-providing-services-to-deaf-families-in-washington/