Office of the Family and Children's Ombudsman

The Family and Children's Ombudsman investigates complaints in Washington state about agency actions or inaction that involve:

• Any child at risk of abuse, neglect, or other harm.
• A child or parent involved with child protection or child welfare services.

We intervene in cases in which we have determined that an agency's action or inaction is unauthorized or unreasonable. In addition to addressing complaints, we work to identify system-wide issues and recommend appropriate changes in public reports to the Governor, the Legislature and agency officials.