Politics Social workers fleeing troubled foster care system Lousy pay, a toxic workplace and excessive workloads are driving away the people who serve vulnerable kids and their families. by Susanna Ray for InvestigateWest / December 7, 2016
Politics Foster parents abandoning troubled system Washington state lost nearly one in five foster homes between 2008 and 2015 amid complaints of discord and disarray. by Susanna Ray for InvestigateWest / October 27, 2016
Politics 4 fixes for Washington’s foster-care crisis Brandon Fogg, who has experience both as a foster child and foster parent, says foster care needs a celebrity champion. by Susanna Ray for InvestigateWest / September 21, 2016
Equity State’s foster system sets kids up for failure When foster children spend the night in a hotel or in a foster home that agrees to keep them for only one night at a time, they typically don’t make it to school the next day. by Susanna Ray for InvestigateWest / September 20, 2016
Politics Foster Care Crisis More than a decade after the courts ordered the state to clean up its foster care program, kids are still left rootless, vulnerable. by Susanna Ray for InvestigateWest / September 19, 2016
Investigations 'The whole thing is broken': Temp staffing costs strain WA hospitals Amid a retention crisis, rural hospitals turned to pricey travel-nurse agencies with little oversight or transparency. Now they need a way forward. by Joy Borkholder / January 13, 2023
News Kirkland hospital uses COVID aid to trigger $1.9M in admin bonuses In a legal gray area, EvergreenHealth commissioners approved including pandemic relief funds in the hospital's financial performance. by Joy Borkholder / November 22, 2022
News WA wants to secure housing for youth exiting state care The state has renewed efforts to keep kids released from foster care and detention centers from becoming homeless. by Joy Borkholder Youth Today / August 22, 2022
News Pandemic relief funds may mask budget crises at rural WA hospitals Federal recovery dollars 'saved' some critical access hospitals — but many small facilities still struggle with staffing and rising costs. by Joy Borkholder / July 6, 2022
Equity Native American drivers are more likely to be searched by Washington State Patrol While the searches occur at five times the rate for white drivers, they are less likely to turn up drugs or other contraband. by Jason Buch & Joy Borkholder Investigate West / December 19, 2019