News Housing restrictions are leaving more PNW sex offenders homeless Laws in Oregon and Washington can be counterproductive to public safety by keeping registrants on the streets, where they are more likely to reoffend. by Kelsey Turner InvestigateWest / May 25, 2023
Equity Low-income domestic violence survivors still lack support in WA While the state has expanded its full protection-order policies, advocates say funding for housing, shelters and legal services is still needed. by Kelsey Turner InvestigateWest / July 4, 2023
Equity How programs for homeless youth pivoted in the pandemic Upended by COVID-19, some service providers went online, took to the road or otherwise found new ways to aid homeless youth and young adults. by Allegra Abramo & Sam Leeds Youth Today / February 7, 2022
Politics WA lawmaker moves to fix system for child sex trafficking victims A 2020 law was supposed to create two trauma-informed treatment centers for exploited children. They still haven’t opened. by Kelsey Turner InvestigateWest / October 26, 2023
Investigations Washington’s new youth homelessness ‘Lifeline’ service lags The $750,000 pilot program has struggled to meet promises after state officials chose a lobbying firm to build the hotline service from scratch. by Elizabeth Whitman & Sam Leeds Youth Today / October 25, 2023
News Why convictions lag compared to sex trafficking reports in the PNW While Washington has some of the toughest trafficking laws in the nation, law enforcement in Seattle and Portland struggle to put policy into practice. by Kelsey Turner InvestigateWest / December 8, 2023
News WA school districts aren’t following up on their truant students Laws on unexcused absences are meant to keep kids safe, but a lack of resources and fear of court have kept districts from completing necessary steps. by Kelsey Turner InvestigateWest / March 5, 2024
Investigations Researchers team up with court staff to help WA homeless youth H-SYNC — Housing Stability for Youth in Courts — has piloted using evidence-based surveys to identify teenagers in need of support services. by Elizabeth Whitman & Sam Leeds Youth Today / November 14, 2023
Investigations ‘Home was never a place’: One woman’s life in WA foster care Now 30, Janell Braxton says she continues to reckon with the separations and instability stemming from her time in the foster system. by Elizabeth Whitman & Sam Leeds Youth Today / November 21, 2023
Politics Should cops be involved in all Washington human trafficking cases? Some advocates say that legislation requiring law enforcement endangers survivors at risk of retaliation. by Kelsey Turner InvestigateWest / January 22, 2024