Each week, DCYF ESIT Tribal Program Consultant Brian Frisina will provide a key topic to help support us all in getting to know our Tribal Nations partners better.
This week’s topic is: General Principles of Federal Indian Law
Federal Indian law involves a distinct body of law that relates to the legal relationships between the federal government and Indian tribes. It is dynamic, evolving and encompasses several hundred years of federal policies and interaction with tribes. The sources of federal Indian law include principles of international law, the United States Constitution, treaties with Indian tribes, federal statutes and regulations, executive orders, and judicial opinions.
Source: University of Alaska Fairbanks, Federal Indian Law for Alaska Tribes, General Principles of Federal Indian Law.
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The ESIT State Leadership Team is thrilled to welcome Ciara Saalfeld as the new Special Projects Coordinator. Ciara will coordinate the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and other special projects in support of quality services for children and families.
Ciara comes to us with several years of experience working in the early childhood field. She moved to California to pursue her doctoral degree in Psychology. While earning her graduate degree, she pursued various training experiences that focused on supporting children and families. Ciara’s most recent position was the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) Center Coordinator for a local school district.
Ciara enjoys spending time with her husband, 6-month old daughter, and 6-year old dog. She also likes hiking, yoga, going to the beach, seeing comedy shows, and reading.
Welcome, Ciara! We are very happy to have you on our team!
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You are invited to register for a new series of TA interactive webinars.*
The next two are scheduled for March 10 and April 14. We will offer a new topic each month, ranging from discussion of newly released guidance to peer learning on topics of interest to providers. During March's session, we will focus on The Child Outcome Summary (COS) Process.
We are excited about this additional opportunity to learn together with our amazing field of providers and program staff.
March 10 | April 14 | 8 - 9 a.m.
Click here to register
“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.” -Margaret Fuller
*This series is optional.
All Washington early intervention providers are asked to complete a quarterly survey regarding their training on and use of the new ESIT COS Decision Tree. As a state early intervention system, our aspirational target is that by July 2021, 100% of providers will use the decision tree with 80% of their families when selecting a descriptor statement. This will increase the quality of our COS data and provide an avenue for meaningful engagement in the process for the families we serve.
Here is the Decision Tree Survey. If you already completed it in January, disregard this reminder.
The survey takes about five minutes to complete the first time and less each time thereafter.
Please complete the survey each quarter. By receiving your response each quarter, we will learn the following:
- How close we are moving toward the aspirational target (see above) over the course of the next year
- Challenges or barriers you encounter as you integrate the decision tree into your practice
- Successes and benefits of using the decision tree and training materials
- Potential edits to the decision tree or training materials
We appreciate your time and input in reaching this target together!
*Don’t forget, we have updated several guidance documents to reflect the changes and posted them to the ESIT website.
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Decision Tree: The new statements will appear directly on the decision tree. They appear in the bottom row of the tree. The tree is available in 16 languages.
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COS Descriptor Statements: Includes the statements, skill level definitions, and additional explanation of the seven-point scale.
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COS Reference Guide: Includes key information for understanding the COS process, including the seven-point scale, progress categories, and summary statements.
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Reaching Consensus on COS Descriptor Statements: Provides suggestions for IFSP teams reaching consensus on ratings, including conversation prompts.
Questions? Please reach out to your DCYF ESIT Regional Program Consultant.
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Health and Human Services (HHS) is excited to share an important opportunity to increase access to quality, affordable health coverage for maternal and child health (MCH) populations in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Individuals and families will have the opportunity in many states to apply and enroll in the health coverage they need through a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for Marketplace health insurance coverage. We encourage you, as partners in improving maternal and child health, to harness this opportunity to increase health coverage in the populations we serve and share this opportunity widely.
This SEP allows individuals and families in states with Marketplaces served by the HealthCare.gov platform to enroll in 2021 health insurance coverage from Feb. 15 through May 15. Eligible families can submit a new application or update an existing application. HealthCare.gov provides step-by-step guidance on how families can determine their eligibility, apply, and then enroll in a Health Insurance Marketplace plan.
Learn more about this new SEP:
Click Here for a quick guide to the Health Insurance Marketplace, to apply and enroll.
Hello Educators and Community Advocates,
Please spread the work on an upcoming Webinar for Educators on Working Effectively with Interpreters that Open Doors for Multicultural Families will be co-presenting with the Office of Education Ombuds and Interpreter Fanny Cordero.
This work is funded by the Inclusionary Practices Project (IPP) and will focus on strategies for working with interpreters in an IEP meeting to communicate effectively with families.
Webinar for Educators on Working Effectively with Interpreters
Register here
Date: Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Time: 3:30 - 5 p.m.
You can also learn more about the work of the IPP Family Engagement Collaborative.
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The IECC is currently seeking proposals for its 2021 virtual conference. On behalf of the conference planning committee, we would like to invite you to submit a conference session proposal.
The deadline to submit proposals is March 1. You can submit your proposal online here.
If you have any questions, please email the conference coordinator Amanda Cardwell at amandacardwell@frontier.com.
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For more updates, subscribe directly to these great newsletters:
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The DEC Update, Division for Early Childhood's Weekly Newsletter: If you're interested in receiving the latest news, offerings, and event updates from DEC, subscribe to the DEC Newsletter.
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Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) eNotes: ECTA eNotes newsletter shares the new resources from ECTA Center as well as news items related to early intervention and early childhood special education gathered from a variety of reliable sources. Subscribe to the ECTA Newsletter
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Washington Hands and Voices: To get updates, subscribe to the Washington Hands & Voices Newsletter by clicking at the very top left of the screen, then scroll down to the quick sign-up on the bottom right of the screen.
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Washington State Health Care Authority: For updates, or to access your subscriber preferences, click here for the Washington State Health Care Authority list.
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