‘It is shocking to me the state is still deflecting’: Center Square reporter keeps pressure on DCYF

Carleen Johnson, a reporter at The Center Square, is keeping pressure on the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) on multiple fronts.

Johnson discussed DCYF’s gender policy and gave an update on her investigation into the agency’s daycares on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

“Last time we chatted, you were being singled out by some of the legislators because they don’t like the fact that you’re knocking on doors of daycare centers. Are you still doing that?” Curley asked.

Johnson said an investigative story and long-form video will be coming out next week with the help of citizen journalists. She noted the state is still denying any wrongdoing at DCYF.

“It is shocking to me that this many months into this, the state is still deflecting and dodging, and I still have the state auditor, the attorney general, the governor, DCYF, nobody willing to say this is a problem,” Johnson said.

DCYF moves to revise gender policy after court rules it violates First Amendment

Johnson also published an article Wednesday on a lawsuit challenging DCYF’s gender policies for foster parents. She said in 2022, DCYF told nine-year foster couple Shane and Jennifer DeGross that if they wanted to renew their contract, they had to sign a document that they would push gender ideals that went against their beliefs.

“The state came to them in 2022 when their license was up for renewal, and said, ‘Yeah, you can continue to be foster parents, but we want you to sign this document here that says, ‘If we place any kids in your home that Bobby wants to be called Susie, that you’re going to be good with that,'” Johnson explained. “‘And if they want to go to school and make sure that everybody at school calls them their preferred pronouns, you’re going to push that agenda.’ And they said, ‘But wait a minute, we’re Christians, and we’ve got a problem with that.’ So they refused to sign that policy, and then ultimately filed a lawsuit in 2024.”

According to Johnson, a federal district court ruled last month that a rule requiring foster parents to socially “transition” foster children violates the First Amendment.

“The Federal District Court has said, ‘This is a First Amendment violation. You can’t make foster parents sign this document.’ And so now this lawsuit is moving forward,” she explained. “And now, boom, what do you know? DCYF, all of a sudden, says, ‘I think we’re gonna make a policy change this month.'”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

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