WASHINGTON, USA — After the passage of a state law aimed at making it harder to take children away from their families, Washington state’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) has implemented a controversial safety measure: The organization provides lockboxes to families struggling with drug use.
Many child welfare advocates say these containers aren’t doing enough to protect children.
Danielle Steele of North Bend has spent the last 10 years gathering evidence, trying to prove to the state she should get custody of her two nieces and nephew. She said records of fractured bones, burns, and long stretches of missed school days show the kids are in danger.
“It's a pattern of neglect,” said Steele who has collected hundreds of pages of documents relating to the kids. “There’s so much evidence in here and the fact that, no, they weren't helped.”
Steele said an incident in the fall should have been the parents' last chance to keep their kids in the home. According to court records, her 3-year-old niece overdosed on tranquilizers. While CPS didn’t remove the kids from the home, they did give the family a tool aimed at keeping the home safe — a lockbox.
The KING 5 Investigators found early last year that DCYF started giving parents who use drugs like fentanyl a lockbox. The boxes have pamphlets, Narcan and other items tailored to the needs of each family and cost up to $100.
DCYF did not provide the number of boxes that have been given out but did say they are given out often. The goal is to keep the drugs out of reach, so the kids don’t accidentally eat the pills or powder. Child welfare experts say lockboxes are no match for the highly toxic nature of fentanyl.
“That is a true joke, and it's sad. It's so much bigger than that. It's so much bigger than a lockbox,” said Steele. The safety net of a lockbox was in the family home, but that didn’t prevent another crisis. Steele said three weeks ago, the dad overdosed on fentanyl. Right after, the kids got their hands on a bag of fentanyl and foil with fentanyl residue laying around the house and putting the kids at risk.
None of it was in a lockbox.
Despite laws and lockboxes, child deaths continue
In 2021, a new state law was passed aimed at making it harder to take children away from their parents. The law, called the Keeping Families Together Act, was implemented in 2023 but many municipalities around the state enacted it earlier.
In November, the KING 5 Investigators revealed since that law passed, more children in the state’s system are dying. State records show in the last four years, the number of kids in foster care has plummeted, down 28%. But deaths and near deaths of children involved with CPS went up by 114%.
The state agency charged with keeping children safe, DCYF, defends its family safety program.
The agency said it uses several tools to keep kids safe, like offering treatment to parents, housing, childcare, parenting classes, social worker visits, and, in the last year, a lockbox.
Dorene Perez is the deputy assistant secretary for DCYF and said the lockboxes are effective, stating, “I do believe that this is something that can be used in the way it's intended to be used, because, again, without it being available, there's no opportunity to do that. Although they may not be able, or even willing to use that initially, at some point they may be changing their mind.”
DCYF said the lockboxes are a success, but the KING 5 Investigators have found cases where, despite a box, kids have suffered dire consequences.
Pamela Andrews of Port Townsend took in baby Otis after he was born last Christmas with fentanyl in his system. The CPS safety plan called for the mom to go into treatment and the father to move in with Andrews.
Otis’ father was given a lockbox and required to do a weekly urine analysis. But Andrews said it wasn’t enough.
State and police records show Andrews called CPS repeatedly about the father “using drugs,” “buying urine” to fake drug tests, and “muffling the child’s mouth” when he was crying.
“In the end, I begged them. Aren't you supposed to do anything and everything? To try to save them? I don't understand where that fine line is for them. Why didn't you do something? Why?” said Andrews.
Three weeks after moving into Andrews's apartment, Otis was found dead. He was in his car seat, left in a bush on a nature reserve. A toxicology report found small amounts of amphetamine and methamphetamine in his system. Detectives also found drugs and paraphernalia on the father. None of it was in the lockbox.
"It's just beyond heartbreaking. How can you do that to someone? He deserves so much more. He was going to be great,” said Andrews.
According to the Jefferson County Prosecutors Office, Otis’ father was arrested and charged but those charges were later dismissed without prejudice. That means charges could be filed again. According to Prosecuting Attorney James Kennedy, there wasn’t evidence to support criminal charges in Otis’ death.
Child welfare advocates, social workers express concern
KING 5 spoke to two dozen child welfare advocates who were all surprised these lockboxes are part of a safety plan, especially given the death toll associated with fentanyl. Prosecuting Attorney Kennedy called it “shocking” that the solution to child endangerment is to provide a lockbox “as opposed to taking the kid out of the house.”
DCYF Supervisor Jeanette Obelcz said social workers also expressed concern to her.
“We can’t expect a parent who is actively using multiple times a day to remember to safely store their drugs and we can’t expect that to happen 100% of the time," she said.
Even a mother in recovery and currently using a lockbox said it would be hard to use while on fentanyl. “When it comes to fentanyl per se and that type of drug, I would have to say no, they're not good enough because they aren’t always used properly," the woman told KING 5.
Danielle Steele, whose niece overdosed on drugs last year, said the kids are still living with the parents. She’s constantly worried, even with a lockbox.
"Children have rights, too," she said. "They should have rights, and they should have somebody who's looking after them when the parents are not doing it.”
The Keeping Families Together Act went into effect the same time the lockboxes were implemented, though DCYF maintains they were created to combat the fentanyl crisis.
Lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill in the next legislative session that would change the current law.