The majority of Kathy Taylor’s career has been spent working in child welfare, where she has used her organizational, management and teaching skills to advance the professional development of social work practitioners. For more than twenty years she has worked in a variety of capacities with the Department of Social & Health Services, (now known as DCYF). Her more recent positions in DSHS were as a social-and-health program manager, family voluntary services supervisor, area administrator, and regional and statewide disproportionality program manager. 

Initially, she joined the UW School of Social Work's Child Welfare and Training Program (CWTAP) as a teaching associate/field faculty instructor and served in that position from 2007 to 2010. In this position, she supervised students in their field placement, provided trainings in child welfare practices and guided their practicum experience while mentoring the students. 

In 2015, Kathy returned to the School of Social Work as a teaching associate/field faculty advisor for CWTAP. She supports and advises the CWTAP students in the MSW program, addressing any needs that may arise. Kathy develops curriculum and teaches classes and the child welfare integrated seminars. Recruiting DCYF employees and students interested in child welfare is also part of her work with CWTAP. Kathy was promoted to full-time field faculty lecturer and was the recipient of the SSW 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Recognition Award. Kathy has served the community for years through her work with nonprofit organizations. In the fall of 2022, Kathy was promoted to the position of assistant teaching professor.

Kathy Taylor obtained her bachelor’s degree in sociology with an emphasis in health care education from the University of Washington. Later she returned to UW and completed her MSW.