History

Juneteenth comes from combining "June" and "nineteenth," commemorating enslaved African Americans' emancipation. Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX, on Jun. 19, 1865,  and announced the end of the civil war and slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation came two and a half years earlier, on Jan. 1, 1863, many enslavers continued to hold enslaved Black people captive after the announcement. Juneteenth became a symbolic date representing African-American freedom.

The first Juneteenth in 1866 was celebrated with food, singing, and the reading of spirituals, and it commemorated newly freed Black people taking pride in their progress. Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.

Notable Figures

Opal Lee: An American retired teacher, counselor, and activist in the movement to make Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday. She is often described as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth."

Al Edwards: A civil rights activist and former Houston legislator who helped Texas become the first state in the country to make the abolition of slavery an official holiday. He is also known as the father of Juneteenth.

Rev. Jesse Jackson: A civil rights, religious, and political activist. He has played a pivotal role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality, and economic and social justice.

Books

When children and youth are placed into foster care, away from parents, siblings, and extended family—they can lose their cultural identity. That is why supporting, encouraging, and honoring a child’s race, ethnicity, and culture is so important. While this may seem hard, one way to support a strong cultural identity is through literacy!

Here are three books we recommend:

• Freedom, We Sing by Amyra Leon
• What is Juneteenth by Arlisha Norwood
• Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth by Alice Faye Duncan

The Mariners, DCYF staff, and over 2,500 guests celebrated foster and kinship families at We Are Family Day on May 7.

A highlight of the day was First Pitch Ambassador Davonte Robertson. Davonte joined KXLY Spokane's Robyn Nance on stage during her keynote address in an impromptu moment of connection. Davonte threw a great first pitch to his foster dad. After the first pitch, Davonte and family, as well as our first pitch nominee runner-up and their veteran foster family, watched the game from a suite provided by the Mariners.

Secretary Hunter greeted guests and welcomed the entire We Are Family group, who brought enthusiasm, games, gifts, and talents to recognize foster and kinship families and the difference they make in the lives of children and youth experiencing foster care and their families. The Mariners gave event ticket holders We Are Family blankets, and DCYF shared tote bags.

Thank you to our We Are Family partners: Washington State Parks, United Indians of All Tribes, the Northwest Adoption Exchange, Compelled to Care, the Alliance CaRES, Community and Family Services Foundation, Coordinated Care, FPAWS, and Treehouse.

DCYF also extends its thanks to all of our foster and kinship families, staff, partners, and guests who made the day a success!

Suicide Prevention

Provides an overview of the topic of suicide, its signs and symptoms, and how caregivers should respond in times of crisis. The training will dive into the rates of youth suicide, risk factors, and proactive steps to take for prevention. Training certificates will be provided to attendees.

Trainings Dates:

Jun. 29, 2023, 6-7:45 p.m.

Registration: https://centene.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMpfumhqjoiE9TTyNpHhhW4Ziw0_d0XSM8d

Jul. 17, 2023, 02-4 p.m.

Registration: https://centene.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctdOGurT0pHtxPreDfmqkcM9MhS7exK2eh

Sexual Health and Foster Care

Sexual Health and Foster Care examines reproductive and sexual health in relationship to the foster care system. Foster youth often have higher rates of risky sexual behavior, higher rates of negative sexual outcomes, higher rates of sexual exploitation, and become sexually active earlier than their peers. This training will help participants better understand the sexual health needs of foster youth and how they can help meet these needs.

Trainings Dates:

Jun. 15, 2023, 2-3:45 p.m.

Registration: https://centene.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwrcuqtrzIvGNDSbrGiZ1wZ1TUPa6KI051G

Jul. 12, 2023, 03-4:45 p.m.

Registration: https://centene.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIrdeuorD0jHdTBZQaRviAHmowSIJ9ZfbEo

For training questions, contact: CommunityEducation@coordinatedcarehealth.com

Brave Conversations are welcoming virtual spaces for conversations about building supportive relationships between parents and caregivers (both foster parents and relative/kinship caregivers) of children placed in out-of-home care.

Open to parents with children in out-of-home care and caregivers (kinship, foster, suitable other)

Conversations are held every other month. The next meetings are scheduled for Aug. 1 and Oct. 3.

Register for each session here: Building Family Partnerships - Amara (amarafamily.org). Caregiver training credits are available.

The Building Family Partnerships project was created with parents and caregivers in Washington State, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), Casey Family Programs, the Children's Trust Fund Alliance, and the Youth Law Center/Quality Parenting Initiative.

To learn more, visit amarafamily.org/building-family-partnerships/.