Our new agency’s work with the federally recognized tribes in Washington is some of the most important we do. Our relationship has both legal and moral structure and is based on the sovereignty of the tribal nations and our formal government to government relationship with each.

I am pleased to announce that we’ve hired our Director of Human Resources for DCYF. Marcos Rodriguez comes to us from the Department of Corrections and will be starting his new position next Friday, Feb. 16. Having a strong leader in this position is critical as we move forward with the transition process, and I am very excited to have Marcos on board.

I am eager to share with you a brief update on our progress toward building an organizational structure for the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. As with many of the tasks we face, there are relentless deadlines pushing us to make decisions.

Up until now, merging into the Department of Children, Youth, and Families has seemed like a far-off prospect, something happening “next” year. Well, that year is now upon us. In six short months we will come together to form a new agency, an agency with a relentless focus on outcomes for children and fueled by deep respect for each other and the families we serve.