social services Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Support outside of the classroom: how one western Washington school district aims to help families

By Lauren Gallup July 10, 2023

Attendees of Pan con Café sit with Blanca Sagastizado during a spring meeting. (Credit: Claudia Miller)

Just minutes away from busy Pacific Avenue in Pierce County, the Franklin Pierce School district administration office sits inside a nondescript, gray building. Inside, a group of women are gathered in a conference room Thursday morning, eating brightly colored Pan Dulce, laughing and sharing their trials and tribulations. Blanca Sagastizado, a family resource navigator Read More

In Seattle, People Living In Their RVs Get Help From City Waste Pumper

By NWPB News January 4, 2021

With the help of a contractor, Chris Wilkerson makes monthly visits to RVs and motor homes around the city that don't have access to dumping stations.

Starting around 2010, there has been a significant increase in spills coming from RVs and other vehicles in Seattle. It was happening as the number of people living out of their vehicles was on the rise. By one count, 891 people lived out of their vehicles in Seattle and the surrounding area in 2010. Now that number is close to 3,000.Read More

To Address Homelessness, Spokane Is Starting To Put Relationships Before Punishments

By NPR News February 19, 2020

Julia Garcia started the nonprofit Jewels Helping Hands, which began by operating mobile shower units to serve Spokane's growing homeless population. CREDIT: Kirk Siegler/NPR

There's a growing consensus that a more punitive approach hasn't worked for Spokane. Nationwide, the homeless population is rising. In many communities, it can feel like an intractable problem. Yet cities like Spokane are starting to show some incremental progress with some prevention programs. Read More

Washington Mother And Advocate For Developmental Disability Services: ‘Move To Oregon’

By Austin Jenkins November 20, 2019

Lindsey Topping-Schuetz poses for a photo with her three-year-old son Owen before testifying about the challenges families face in obtaining state-paid developmental disabilities services.

Currently, nearly 14,000 people who meet the Washington state's criteria as developmentally disabled are not receiving services. They’re on what’s known as the no-paid services caseload.Read More