The Foster Care Assessment Program (FCAP) was created more than twenty years ago as collaboration between the Division of Children, Youth, and Families; Harborview Medical Center; and Seattle Children’s Hospital. The goal was to provide the state child welfare system with ready access to expertise from the University of Washington and associated medical institutions to ensure effective interventions and best practices. The intent of such access was to improve permanency and well-being in the most difficult child-welfare cases. The Washington State Legislature created RCW 74.14A.050 to establish the program. Initially Harborview contracted with community partners across the regions to provide services. In recent years, the program has consolidated, and Harborview now serves all areas of the state by conducting the assessments through video and telephone.
