Alert date January 2, 2026

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CCHC partners have flagged a dangerous and rapidly escalating situation since Sunday 12/28: masked individuals and groups are “hunting down” Somali family home child cares, knocking on doors, and demanding that they show them the children to prove legitimacy of their child care business; some incidents have involved a person with a weapon. Somali providers are fearing for their safety and the safety of their children. Somali-serving community organizations are also being targeted.

Here are some actions you can take/guidance to share with providers:

Please do wellness checks for Somali providers in your network and support them with safety planning. We recognize that the Somali community has a history of trauma from war and displacement and these recent incidents are triggering.

Partners have recommended encouraging providers to install video surveillance (e.g., Ring doorbell camera) to know when dangerous individuals are outside; they do not need to answer the door and can keep doors locked to protect children.

Share information with providers on how to change their settings in DCYF’s public-facing Child Care Check database to opt out of sharing their full address if they’ve previously opted in—see email from DCYF below.

Providers can report incidents to local law enforcement; Somali-serving CBOs like Supportive Childcare Provider Alliance, Somali Health Board, and Voices of Tomorrow are also compiling reports they’re hearing from community members into a database.

Also contact the Office of the Attorney General to report hate crimes and bias:
• 1-855-225-1010 (interpreters are available Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
• https://www.atg.wa.gov/report-hate