My Reason

In November of 2022, four-year-old Kannin Voag died after being returned to his biological mother after a long term foster care placement. Kannin was a medically complex child who needed specialized care and had spent the majority of his life in foster care. Even with his difficult diagnoses, Kannin thrived in foster care from infancy until nearly 4 years of age. Despite the odds, he learned to run, climb, dance, talk, and sing.

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He is lovingly described as a happy, curious little boy with a big smile who loved to give hugs and brought joy to everyone he met. When it was announced that Kannin would be returned to his biological mother, concerns were repeatedly shared to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families regarding Kannin's safety and his biological mother's ability to meet his specialized medical care. Sadly, just four and a half months after Kannin was returned to his biological mother, and still under the watch of the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families, Kannin ended up at Seattle Children's Hospital on full life support. Days later, Kannin died. Kannin's death was tragic, preventable, and at the hands of the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families who did not protect this sweet, vulnerable, little boy.

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