Director-Ombudsman
Welcome to the web site for the Office of the Family and
Children's Ombudsman (OFCO). This new office within the Office of the Governor
was established by the 1996 Legislature to serve as an independent voice for
families and children who are placed under the state's supervision due to
allegations or findings of child abuse or neglect. OFCO also serves as a health
and safety monitor for children who are in the state's custody.
In addition to describing OFCO and how it can help families
and children, this site provides examples of the types of complaints our office
will investigate and its powers. It also describes how to access our services as
well as other places to go for help.
OFCO is an important ally in efforts to help our state's
families and children, and I hope you will call upon our office when you believe
that a family or child would benefit from our assistance. I also hope that you
will assist us in spreading the word about our office and the services we
provide. Please feel free to disseminate the information on this page or call
our office to let us know where we should send informational material. Finally,
I encourage you to share your views on what OFCO should strive to accomplish and
the issues that you believe are the most important ones for our office to
address. Your input will be helpful to us as we continue to develop our goals
and priorities for the next two years.
Sincerely,
Vickie Wallen
Director-Ombudsman
The Office of the Family and Children's Ombudsman (OFCO)
was established by the 1996 Legislature to serve as an independent voice for
families and children who are placed under the state's supervision due to
allegations or findings of child abuse or neglect. OFCO also serves as a health
and safety monitor for children who are in the state's custody.
As an independent office within the Office of the Governor,
OFCO is responsible for ensuring that the needs of abused or neglected children
for protection, care, and permanency are not overlooked by the Department of
Social and Health Services (DSHS) or by other government agencies that serve
them. OFCO also speaks up for families who are under state supervision to ensure
that their right to appropriate family preservation and reunification is
fulfilled by DSHS and by other agencies. A key element in OFCO's overall charge
is to improve the system that serves families and children who are under state
supervision by articulating their interests and needs to agency officials, the
Governor, the Legislature, and the citizens of Washington State.
Specifically, OFCO helps families and children by:
Independence
OFCO's most important feature is its independence, which
allows the office to advocate freely for the interests and needs of families and
children. The director of the office reports only to the Governor, and OFCO's
work is conducted with complete independence from the Department of Social and
Health Services (DSHS). The director-ombudsman is appointed to a three-year term
and can be removed only for cause, thereby further guaranteeing the office's
independence.
Confidentiality
OFCO works in accordance with specific statutory provisions
that protect the confidentiality of the office's investigations. OFCO's
investigative files are exempt from public disclosure requirements.
Organizational Structure
OFCO is located in Tukwila and consists of the director-ombudsman and three ombudsmen. The office is assisted by a multidisciplinary team of clinical professionals and receives guidance in developing its mission, goals, and priorities by advisory committees in western and eastern Washington.