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This past year, the Administration for Children and Families, the Administration for Native Americans, and the Office of Early Childhood Development, in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, led a series of meetings with tribal leaders with the goal of building a Blueprint for Action, which was released in January.
Read the full article here: Tribal Input for a Tribal Early Childhood Blueprint for Action.
DCYF is soliciting applications for appointments to the Washington State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. SICC is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C and established through the Governor’s Executive Order 14-03. As such, the Governor appoints the members of the Council. Council members advise and assist DCYF in implementing the ESIT program per the federal requirements of IDEA Part C.
Applications are currently sought for representation in the following vacancies on the Council:
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Parent/Caregiver of an infant, toddler, or child with a disability aged 12 or younger, who has knowledge of or experience with programs for infants, toddlers, and children with disabilities
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Tribal Leader (any Washington Tribe)
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Tribal Part C Provider (Bureau of Indian Education funded)
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Early Intervention Service Provider (from one of the six DCYF regions not currently represented on the council – prioritize rural community)
- Washington Head Start Representative
Interested individuals are encouraged to apply by completing the application on the Governor’s website. In the drop-down list, the SICC is titled Infants & Toddlers with Disabilities and their Families.
If you have questions, please email Valerie Arnold at valerie.arnold@dcyf.wa.gov.
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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 term is: Trust Responsibility
The federal government has a general trust responsibility toward the tribes, meaning that it should look out for the welfare of tribal members. The general trust concept has become solidified in law and policy, and has become a keystone of decisions regarding American Indians reflected in congressional policies, executive branch directives and decisions, and judicial opinions. This derives first and foremost from the many treaties entered into by the tribes and the U.S. government. In addition, the underlying perception of Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries was that Native Americans were not able to look after their own affairs, and needed to be looked after.
Source: The Origins of our Trust Responsibility Towards the Tribes, Sept. 29, 2016, Friends Committee on National Legislation.
Learn More
Other Items of Trust Responsibility that is happening today, keeping the government accountable:
Interior Department Takes Steps to Restore Tribal Homelands, Empower Tribal Governments to Better Manage Indian Lands:
Read article here
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on the dark history of Indigenous boarding schools:
Read article here
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Please join us in welcoming Will Moncrease, Jr., in his new position as the ESIT Partnership and Collaboration Manager (previously titled Stakeholder Engagement Manager). Will is a decorated Army Veteran and dynamic early learning professional with the compassion to see in others what they are not able to see in themselves. He is dedicated to representing communities most directly impacted by the social injustice of education inequality. Will believes people are our foundation, and what we seek in our communities is what we find in ourselves. Relationship building is at the heart of what Will continues to prioritize as a means to strengthen intentional collaborations with local, state, and tribal partners to build systems that actively support each and every child and their family to excel.
He brings with him an aerospace engineering background, and prior Boys & Girls Club Board leadership where he co-chaired the Imagine Eastside Project, now a $31 million community center located on the eastside of Tacoma. Will holds strong convictions that recognizes best practices in equity, diversity, and inclusion are more than just mere words. They impact lives and have excellent outcomes when organizations intentionally implement them into their business goals and objectives.
These attributes, characteristics, and values will help Will as he takes on responsibility for leading the development, design, and sustainability of a statewide family, community, and stakeholder engagement system to support ongoing statewide systemic improvement efforts leading to implementation of effective systems of services and programs that will improve outcomes for young children and their families. We are very blessed and excited to have Will assuming these new responsibilities on August 1.
Congratulations, Will!
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ESIT is recruiting for the Parent Institute for Engagement (PIE) program. PIE is a 12-month leadership program for parents and caregivers of children who have received early intervention services through ESIT. We will help you build your skills and allow you to become better leaders, advocates, public speakers, and active members in your state. Download flyer here.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit an application by August 20:
English Application
Hindi Application
Vietnamese Application
Chinese Application
Spanish Application
We will notify selected individuals the week of August 23.
For more information on how to apply, contact Vanessa Allen, ESIT Family Engagement Coordinator, at Vanessa.allen@dcyf.wa.gov.
ESIT Providers:
As many of you know, ESIT has transitioned all required training to the DCYF Training Portal. This is also a place to access training that may not be required for you but could be beneficial for the work you do. As of July 1, there are trainings required for all new staff based on your role. Check out these new opportunities on the training page of the ESIT website and even watch a recorded overview.
Each ESIT Provider Agency and County Lead Agency has an Admin User for the Portal; they are your first stop for questions about what is required and how to access it. We encourage each agency to make that contact information available for all new staff.
Thank you, ESD 112!
Many of you have grown accustomed to the amazing support of the ESD 112 (Jenny Taisacan-Vilante specifically) for FRC training. DCYF will now be working with Admin Users to support providers completing training and answering any questions you may have. Jenny and the ESD will no longer be your point of contact. We are so grateful for the support ESIT has received from Jenny and the ESD and are committed to continuing that same level responsiveness.
Please reach out to your agency’s Training Portal Admin User for questions.
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Virtual Parent Town Hall with the U.S. Department of Education
Thursday, July 29 | 5-6 p.m.
Register here
Will my child(ren) be safe at school? After a year and a half of grappling with the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, students across the country are slated to return to school in-person this fall. However, for many, especially parents, the return to in-person instruction has brought with it a variety of worries, hesitations, and questions:
- What COVID-19 precautions should I look for in my child's school?
- How will schools take my child's social and emotional well-being into account?
- Is the vaccine safe?
- Should I get the vaccine?
- Should my child(ren) get the vaccine?
While one of the Biden Administration's top priorities is to have all students back in-person this fall, they recognize that this goal will not be met if parents' voices are not heard, and their concerns taken into account. This Parent Town Hall is a unique opportunity for parents to share their ideas and concerns, and to get their questions answered.
During the event, panelists from the U.S. Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will answer parents' questions and address concerns around the return to in-person instruction.
Parents are invited to submit questions about the return to in-person instruction on the registration form. Pre-submitted questions will help plan the content of the session. Time will also be reserved for live questions and answers at the end of the event.
The announcement is being sent on behalf of National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFCSE).
Updated SBHS fee schedule
The SBHS fee schedule has been updated and is available now on HCA's SBHS webpage under Resources. Updated rates are effective for dates of service on or after 7/1/2021. SBHS rates are adjusted annually and are based on values established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Note: Rates for telephone codes 98966, 98967, and 98968 (which are still billable at this time) can be found on the COVID-19 fee schedule.
Telehealth reminder
This is a reminder that effective 7/1/2021, school districts participating in the SBHS program must ensure providers use HIPAA-compliant platforms when billing for IEP/IFSP services provided via telehealth. Services provided via non-HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms between 3/1/2020-6/30/2021 are billable per the SBHS COVID-19 FAQ.
Note: The Zoom licenses provided by OSPI are not HIPAA-compliant. School districts currently using one of OSPI's Zoom licenses to provide IEP/IFSP telehealth services must enter into a separate Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Zoom (or another vendor of the district's choice) in order to receive Medicaid reimbursement through the SBHS program.
Please contact the SBHS program manager with any questions regarding this.
For more updates, subscribe directly to these great newsletters:
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DCYF ESIT Subscription List Signup: Get the latest communications by signing up for DCYF ESIT's subscriber lists and manage your subscriptions.
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DCYF Office of Tribal Relations (OTR) Signup: Subscribe to DCYF's OTR newsletter, under DCYF Leadership, for information, updates, learning opportunities, and upcoming events.
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Stay up to date by subscribing to Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center.
Join MyPeers, created by the Office of Head Start (OHS) to connect with Head Start and early childhood colleagues around the country on this and other topics. The Teacher Time community currently has more than 1,300 members who are networking, sharing, and learning from each other. Find it under "All Communities" and select the blue "Join" button.
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Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center: Get the latest in your inbox and Sign up for the NRTRC Mailing List.
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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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