Idaho judge orders release of police employment records to InvestigateWest, Invisible Institute
The state began withholding the records following a 2025 InvestigateWest series about sexual misconduct by prison staff
Foster Care
Foster Care: A System in Crisis
Months of reporting by InvestigateWest shed light on a foster care system under strain and in disarray. Distributed via our partners KCTS 9 and Crosscut, as well as on our own website, reporters Susanna Ray and Allegra Abramo produced stories about social worker churn, systemic obstacles to academic success and emotional stability for foster kids, and the foster parent exodus -- but with a special focus on solutions. We plan to follow these issues in the legislature and in the coming years.InvestigateWest starts conversations that are urgently needed for the betterment of our society. In this Seattle Channel recording of the Town Hall event spurred by InvestigateWest’s reporting, panelists Snohomish County Prosecutor Adam Cornell, Representative Ruth Kagi (D-Seattle), former Department of Social and Health Services employee Dee Wilson, advocacy lead and Washington State Parent Ally Committee/Children’s Home Society of Washington staffer Alise Hegle, and Foster Parents Association of Washington State Executive Director Mike Canfield discuss paths forward with moderator and Town Hall Program Director Katy Sewall.
This project was supported by the Fund for Investigative Journalism and the Satterberg Foundation.
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Foster Care
Kids in Oregon’s rural counties more likely to spend time in foster care
Advocates and experts say that reflects the challenges rural families have getting health and social safety net services
A girl caught in a custody battle said she was raped. The court-appointed investigator didn’t believe her.
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Idaho judge orders release of police employment records to InvestigateWest, Invisible Institute
The state began withholding the records following a 2025 InvestigateWest series about sexual misconduct by prison staff
Audit finds Washington agency failed to respond in time to vulnerable adult safety concerns
As Washington Adult Protective Services works through a backlog of reports, investigators struggled to hit deadlines
An Idaho law targeted fentanyl dealers. Prosecutors are using it to charge users, too
An InvestigateWest review found at least 30 people charged with trafficking without evidence of selling or distribution. They face mandatory minimum prison terms.
A longtime Portland drug treatment center is shuttering as similar programs for moms face trouble
The closure of the 37-year-old Letty Owings Center comes as substance use during pregnancy has increased