SEATTLE (AP) — A new federal lawsuit says Washington state is failing hundreds of foster children by shuttling them among placements, including short-term stays in hotels and state offices. Disability Rights Washington is suing the Department of Children, Youth and Families in U.S. District Court in Seattle. The organization alleges that the department has duty to protect and support children and help return them to their families if possible, but that instead the instability of the placements hurts them. One 13-year-old plaintiff reportedly has been placed in 30 different foster or group homes since 2016, and has been placed in hotels or state offices 20 times. The department has acknowledged the problem and says the state needs to come up with more money to fix it.
Lawsuit: Washington’s shuttling of foster kids fails them
