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Over the next several newsletters we plan on highlighting a Strengthening Families Protective Factor that support families to stay strong and prevent child abuse and neglect. For more information, see the Protective Factors brief on our website, or visit the Center for the Study of Social Policy website.
This month we are focusing on Resilience as a protective factor.
The holidays can often feel overwhelming and stressful, even in the best of times.
There’s a saying, it’s just a bump in the road. But what happens when the road gets too bumpy? How do we keep pushing on when the bumps happen so fast we can’t catch our breath? For many of us, what keeps us going is our kids – even if they might be a big factor in our daily stressors too. So how do we help smooth the road so the ride evens out?
Resilience, especially parental resilience can help smooth the road. Parents know their families better than anyone else, and for each family, ways to alleviate stress may look different. It may be putting on show for the kids to watch while you move to a quiet area of the home. It may be scrolling through social media to find a funny video to start a conversation with a friend. It may be making a plan for the what ifs so that you feel prepared for whatever the future holds. It may be asking a friend to watch the kids so you can make an exercise class or take a walk.
Every parent, every family, has stressors. Parents can find their resilience by digging down and realizing just how much they are capable of, from healing generational trauma, to helping a special needs child thrive. Through managing their stressors, parents can create and strengthen the bonds with their children, and set up behaviors that can last generations.
Think about it – How have you coped with hardships in the past? Are there things you can learn from? Do better next time? Find what works best for you and remember that you are never alone, and you are the world to someone.
 The Strengthening Families Washington (SFWA) program at the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is celebrating Parent Recognition Month. DCYF, along with Seattle’s Child magazine, will honor extraordinary parents, caregivers, guardians, and community members through the 2024 Unsung Heroes campaign.
The Unsung Hero awards shines a light on the hard work of Washington state parents, primary caregivers or guardians who demonstrate tremendous leadership and compassion for their family and community. Their work helps to shape communities and influence programs and policies that impact them.
In an effort to acknowledge the powerful work and inspiration parents and primary caregivers have every day on their families and communities, February has been proclaimed Parent Recognition Month.
Each year, SFWA recognizes 28 or 29 (one for each day in the month of February) parents and caregivers in Washington for their demonstration of the protective factors known to reduce child abuse and neglect.
The Protective Factors research has found that these five Protective Factors reduce stress and promote the well-being of ALL families. Everyone has stress, but when families increase Protective Factors, they build and draw on natural support networks within their families and communities.
PARENTAL RESILIENCE: I can overcome hard times.
CONCRETE SUPPORTS IN TIMES OF NEED: I know where to turn for help.
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE OF CHILDREN: I know how to help my children talk about their feelings.
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS: I have people who know and support me.
KNOWLEDGE OF PARENTING AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT: I know where to go to find out about parenting skills and my child’s developmental growth.
Since 2011, with your help, we have honored 337 parents and caregivers in Washington for the roles they have taken with their families, schools and communities. They have been recognized because they have shown strength, courage and empathy in their communities. Parents and caregivers around Washington State are supporting their children, families, and communities in exceptional ways and we want to show our appreciation. Please help us in honoring 29 more in February 2024 by nominating a parent/primary caregiver/guardian for the Unsung Hero award. The nomination form is available in three languages (English, Spanish and Somali). A parent panel will select one honoree for each day in February and all honorees (including their family or supporters) and their nominators will be invited to an in-person celebratory dinner event in Olympia.
All nominations must be submitted by January 5, 2024. The nominations can be emailed to strengtheningfamilies@dcyf.wa.gov.
DCYF is hiring!
Come join the Strengthening Families Washington team at DCYF. We are currently hiring a Home Visiting Program & Policy Analyst (Management Analyst 5). You can read the full posting here.
In addition, the Prevention, Partnership and Services Division, within the Family & Community Supports Section is hiring a Help Me Grow specialist. You can find more about that here.
All survivors deserve access to health care regardless of immigration status!
Expanded healthcare options for undocumented survivors in Washington. Access to healthcare helps keep survivors and their families safer.
There are two important opportunities for undocumented individuals, regardless of immigration status, to sign up for healthcare coverage in WA.
First, from Nov 1, 2023 – Jan 15, 2024, undocumented individuals can buy low cost healthcare plans (Cascade Care and Cascade Savings plans) on the Washington Healthplan finder.
Second, starting July 1, 2024, the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) will offer limited enrollment into Apple Health (Medicaid) at no cost for undocumented adults.
Learn more about these critical Health Care options in this FAQ which is also available in several languages. If you want more information, start here to connect with a navigator or broker in your community.
En Español
¡Todas las personas sobrevivientes merecen tener acceso a la atención médica independientemente de su situación migratoria!
Ampliación de las opciones de atención de salud para las personas indocumentadas sobrevivientes en Washington. El acceso a la atención médica ayuda a mantener más seguras a las personas sobrevivientes y a sus familias.
Hay dos oportunidades importantes para que las personas indocumentadas, independientemente de su situación migratoria, se inscriban en la cobertura de atención médica en WA.
En primer lugar, del 1 de noviembre de 2023 al 15 de enero de 2024, las personas indocumentadas pueden adquirir planes de asistencia médica de bajo coste (planes Cascade Care y Cascade Savings) en el buscador de planes de salud de Washington (Washington Healthplan finder).
En segundo lugar, a partir del 1 de julio de 2024, la Autoridad de Asistencia de Salud del Estado de Washington (HCA) ofrecerá una inscripción limitada en Apple Health (Medicaid) sin coste alguno para las personas adultas indocumentadas.
Obtenga más información sobre estas opciones críticas de Atención Médica en esta sección de preguntas frecuentes: que también está disponible en varios idiomas. Si desea más información, comience aquí para conectarse con un navegador o intermediario en su comunidad.
Please join us for the Virtual Home Visitor Training Series with presenters from a wonderful team of experienced and wise home visitors and WSCADV staff!
The Domestic Violence Assessment and Response training is followed by the Safety Planning with Families training.
Please register for each event you wish to attend.
DV Assessment and Response
Jan. 30, 2024
Jan. 31, 2024
10:00 - 11:30 am both days
Register here!
Safety Planning with Families
Feb. 9, 2024
9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
(break from 12-1 p.m.)
Additional trainings will continue throughout the fiscal year and we will continue to post registration links as we get closer to events.
Hope
An unplanned pregnancy had a teenage girl feeling alone and isolated. With plans for adoption a traumatic birth changed her mind. Through the help of the Parents as Teachers program and her family she decided to keep the baby and raise the baby close to her parents.
Like this story? Share your own!
We hope to continue to build the story collection and make sense of the experience across Washington during the next year of Strengthen Families Locally. Please share a story today to center the lived experiences of families in Washington State:
Flyer | FAQ for collecting stories
Launch of new DOH WIC Interest Form and WIC Clinic Locator
The Office of Nutrition Services WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Nutrition Program is excited to announce the launch of the new online WIC Interest Form and Washington WIC Clinic Locator! A huge thank you to our state WIC staff, local WIC agency partners, PCH Web team and OIT for the success of this launch. During our soft launch in November, we received more than 700 referrals via the interest form!
The WIC Interest Form is a simple online form that allows individuals, health care providers, and community-based organizations to refer to Washington WIC. Referrals are sent automatically to our local WIC agency partners for follow up. The WIC Clinic Locator allows people to easily search for and connect with a local WIC Clinic.
WIC is for people who are pregnant, recently delivered a baby, breastfeeding/chestfeeding, and infants and children under age five. Dads, grandparents, foster parents, or other guardians may apply for WIC for their children. WIC helps improve the health of adults and children through:
- Monthly benefits to buy healthy food
- Nutrition education
- Breastfeeding/chestfeeding support
- Health screenings and referrals
- And more
We want to ensure people are connected to WIC when they need it. In Washington state, about 50% of people on Medicaid who are also eligible for WIC, are not enrolled in the program. These new tools are a part of a larger effort to modernize the WIC program to better meet the needs of Washingtonians.
We hope you share these new tools with the individuals, families, and communities that you work with.
Questions? Contact Monica Escareño, DOH Office of Nutrition Services, Outreach Coordinator, Monica.Escareno@doh.wa.gov
Working Families Tax Credit
The Washington Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) is a new annual tax credit for Washington residents with low to moderate income, including undocumented people and mixed status families.
The amount you can receive ranges from $50-$1,200, depending on your family size and income level.
You can find out more information here.
News
Protective Factors Framework in Practice: How A Trauma-Informed Approach Strengthens Families: As an educator, it’s one thing to understand terms like “trauma” and “adverse childhood events” when working with students. But when you witness those events, and the lasting impact they have on a child, it changes how you think about trauma forever. And many of us educators can recall an example of how trauma impacted everyday life, either in the students we serve or even in our own lives. Read the full article.
Updated Community Risk Profiles: Risk and Protection Profiles for Substance Abuse Prevention for Washington State and its Communities. A comprehensive time-series collection of data related to substance use and abuse, and the risk factors that predict substance use among youth. Data are organized and presented within a risk and protective factor framework used across the state by substance abuse prevention planners. Data are available at the school district, locale, county and state level. Download the data here.
DCYF News
2023-24 Child Care Complex Needs Fund: The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is pleased to announce that the 2023-24 Child Care Complex Needs Fund application is now available. Eligible licensed, certified, and certified-for-payment-only child care providers and eligible license-exempt Family, Friend and Neighbor (FFN) providers can apply for the Child Care Complex Needs Fund in the WA Compass Provider Portal. The application is open now and will close at 5 p.m. on Jan. 3, 2024. Before applying, all providers must have a WA Compass Provider Portal account to access the Child Care Complex Needs Fund application.
ICYF Conference Recordings Now Available: For those who were not able to attend the 2023 Indigenous Children, Youth & Families (ICYF) conference, recordings of the presentations are now available on DCYF’s YouTube channel: ICYF 2023 Playlist.
DCYF to Begin Investigating Allegations of Child Abuse, Neglect at Residential Facilities: Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, patients, students, and families with loved ones at behavioral health facilities, residential private schools, and host homes can now report suspected child abuse or neglect to DCYF. Under State Bill 5515, DCYF will have the legal authority to investigate alleged child abuse or neglect at these locations, which also includes substance use disorder treatment facilities, mental health facilities, or those integrated into another setting. The public may report suspected child abuse or neglect to child protective services (CPS) by calling 1-866-END-HARM (866-363-4276). To learn more about reporting suspected child abuse or neglect, visit https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/safety/report-abuse
Racial Equity Resources
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Race and Child Development
In "Understanding Racism's Impact on Child Development," the Harvard Center for the Developing Child examined how racism gets "under the skin" to impact children’s development as well as contributes to unequal access to opportunity in the places where children live, grow, play, and learn. Watch the webinar.
More information about federal Indian boarding schools out in January 2024
Second volume of Interior Department investigation will detail Indigenous children who attended the schools, burial sites, and schools’ affiliations with religious organizations.
Read full article by Austin Fisher, Dec. 1, 2023:
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