Baby’s Death Sparks Scrutiny of Washington’s Keeping Families Together Act

A 1-year-old Seattle boy's death is putting renewed scrutiny on Washington state's child welfare system, the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), and the Keeping Families Together Act. Seattle police and medics were called to a home shortly after midnight on August 23 for an unresponsive 1-year-old child, who was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the information discussed in this report, the child's mother, 39-year-old DeVita Tanglin, was subsequently arrested, while authorities investigated circumstances surrounding the child's death, drugs allegedly found in the home and other potential safety concerns. The case is now fueling a larger debate over Washington's Keeping Families Together Act and when DCYF should remove children from homes involving parental substance abuse. The state reportedly had previous contact with the family, including a DCYF caseworker visit earlier in August. Critics of Washington's child welfare policies argue the tragedy highlights the potential dangers of leaving children in homes where active drug use is occurring. Tim Emerson of We Heart Seattle, a recovering addict who now works to connect people living on the streets with treatment, witnessed the child's body being removed from the apartment complex. Emerson argues Washington's approach to drug addiction and child welfare is failing to adequately protect vulnerable children. Tracy Jefferson, president of Keeping Kids Safe and a foster parent, also criticized the Keeping Families Together Act and questioned whether its standard for demonstrating imminent physical harm makes it too difficult to intervene before a child is seriously injured or killed. The Center Square reached out to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families for additional information about the agency's involvement with the family but had not received a response at the time of this report. The heartbreaking Seattle case comes amid a broader debate over fentanyl, drug addiction, child protective services, foster care, parental rights and Washington state's approach to keeping families together while protecting children from dangerous environments. Watch Washington in Focus for continuing coverage of DCYF, Washington's Keeping Families Together Act, Seattle's fentanyl crisis, child welfare reform, public safety and government accountability across Washington state. #WashingtonState #Seattle #DCYF #ChildWelfare #KeepingFamiliesTogetherAct #Fentanyl #DrugCrisis #SeattleNews #WashingtonNews #PublicSafety #GovernmentAccountability #ChildSafety #WashingtonPolitics #WashingtonInFocus