SPOKANE, Wash. — A nonprofit organization that helps foster children graduate high school has lost millions in state funding, leaving counties across Eastern Washington without a vital resource that supported vulnerable teens through graduation and beyond.
Treehouse for Kids announced it lost almost $7.5 million in state funding for its graduation success program, forcing the organization to cut half its staff in Spokane and suspend services in all Eastern Washington counties except Spokane. The organization says cuts affect up to 150 foster children in Eastern Washington who relied on weekly visits and educational support from the organization.
“The hardest part is our children suffer, our foster youth suffer from abandonment issues… and knowing that we have to say goodbye,” said Kathy Long, a Graduation Success Coordinator with Treehouse.
The funding loss comes as state data shows almost half of youth who have been in foster care don’t graduate high school on time. Treehouse for Kids has worked for years to change that statistic by providing consistent support throughout students’ education.
Long’s team typically works inside schools, visiting students weekly to help them work through barriers they face in their education. The personalized approach has yielded remarkable results.
“Some of our youth ended up being valedictorians who started out not having the ability to turn in a single assignment. It is such a beautiful thing to witness,” Long said.
At schools like North Central High School, Treehouse coordinators meet with foster students every week, helping them navigate challenges that could derail their education.
“We help them open their eyes to this is their future, and it is the one thing in their life that they’re currently in control of,” Long explained.
Dawn Rains, CEO of Treehouse, said the organization had been working toward expanding services to every foster child across Washington.
“We have been on this path for a decade to bring everything that we do to every young person in foster care across the state. And, to have to take a step back on that path has been really painful,” Rains said.
In response to the budget cuts, Treehouse has paused accepting new referrals for teens while the organization works to rebuild its capacity. Rains said she hopes to resume accepting new students soon.
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