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(See above for the SFL Retreat and Child Abuse Prevention Month.)
Tribal early learning champion| Unsung Hero
Nigel Lawrence, Suquamish
Washington's Tribal communities, deeply rooted in family and tradition, prioritize teaching young ones their ancestral ways. Early learning programs, though vital for health, family support, and education, often lack the resources to meet their unique cultural needs.
Enter Nigel, a passionate advocate who convened tribal early learning directors in 2022. Throughout the year, he diligently met with them, tribes, and community members, shaping a proposal for a groundbreaking "Tribal Early Learning Fund" (TELF).
Nigel spearhead this effort, tirelessly engaging communities, tribes, lobbyists, and lawmakers. He championed TELF's emphasis on language revitalization, culturally-sensitive mental health support, nutritious indigenous meals, culturally relevant books and materials, and enriching experiences like storytelling, drumming, and traditional arts.
In 2023, thanks to Nigel's leadership, the Governor proposed and the Legislature approved $7.5 million for TELF, a monumental achievement impacting nearly 4,000 tribal children.
Nigel's tireless work aligns perfectly with the five pillars of strengthening families, making him an unsung hero. He didn't just advocate for his own, but opened doors for thousands of children across Washington to access culturally relevant early learning and strengthen their protective factors. His humility in the face of such impact only amplifies his heroism. - April Messenger | Read about more Unsung Heroes on Seattle’s Child.
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
Help Me Grow Specialist Position: The Family and Community Supports Section within the Partnership, Prevention, and Services Division at DCYF is hiring for our new Help Me Grow Specialist role. This project position is integral to implement recently funded agency work through the Preschool Development Grant (PDG) and builds momentum and infrastructure for Help Me Grow Washington, a network of state and community-based systems to link families with young children to high quality early childhood and family support services, supports and information. This role supports the establishment of the Help Me Grow Stewardship Council, facilitates communication across the Help Me Grow governance bodies, and supports active program and grants management. We look forward to bringing on another team member who is committed to advancing racial equity. Closes: March 13, 2024. Posting: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4407892/help-me-grow-specialist-ps4-olympia-project-limited
Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention Funding: Strengthening Families Washington, at the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), is pleased to announce that funding will be available for organizations to provide community-based Child Abuse and Neglect prevention programs and to increase their program evaluation capacity.
The Request for Application instructions and access to an informational webinar will be available on March 1, 2024 at https://dcyf.wa.gov/services/child-dev-support-providers/home-visiting/funding-opportunities. An informational webinar will be hosted from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Friday March 15, 2024 and a letter of intent to apply will be due April 22, 2024. The full application will be due on May 1, 2024.
Successful applicants will be offered a maximum funding of $45,000.00 for the initial contract year with the possibility of continued funding for up to an additional two years with a base funding award of at least $45,000.00 per year.
Check here for news and opportunities specific to our Strengthen Families Locally communities. Send opportunities to strengtheningfamilies@dcyf.wa.gov
Check out these local resources on Facebook!
Connect (Events and Opportunities)
A Place to Play: Working Towards Fairness of Place for All Children. Mar 5, 2024 09:00 AM. Play and access to safe green spaces – like parks and playgrounds – support a child’s healthy growth and development. Yet access to safe, stimulating, and joyful play space is not equally distributed. Structural forces, such as zoning regulations and funding gaps, have led to inequitable access to quality play spaces in communities across the US. Join our panel of experts for a one-hour discussion to learn more about the importance of having quality places to play. Panelists will share examples of community-led solutions to address gaps in play space equity, as well as discuss what still needs to be done to ensure our built environments support child development and lifelong health. Register here.
Innovia Foundation 2024 Community Leadership Summit: March 18-19, 2024 at the Spokane Convention Center. Join us for our 5th annual Community Leadership Summit. We’ll gather together with local volunteers, community leaders and philanthropists to celebrate and strengthen our communities across Eastern Washington and North Idaho. Register Here.
Parenting While Black - Episode 1: Looking Back, Being Present, and Flourishing Forward. Monday, March 18, 3 – 4:30 PM ET / 12 – 1:30 PM PT. Join our Spring 2024 virtual conversations as we discuss culturally grounded, liberating, and joyful strategies to guide and support our Black children as they reach towards their unique destinies – releasing and breaking free from the past generational strongholds on their futures. Come share your hopes and dreams for our Black children, families, and communities - the collective experiences of Parenting While Black. Learn More and Register.
Paid Family Leave & the Business Community: Lessons from Advocacy and Implementation. Wednesday, March 27, 2024, 8 am – 9 am PT. Evidence shows that paid family leave is a critical and cost-effective part of a comprehensive prenatal-to-3 system of care. So, we are excited to explore statewide paid family leave programs from a business perspective in our upcoming webinar, Building the Business Case for State Paid Family Leave: Lessons from Advocacy and Implementation. Join us for this webinar to elevate state-level experiences around advocating for and implementing statewide paid family leave programs. We'll delve into concerns voiced by businesses, and we will share strategies to alleviate these concerns in policy development and implementation. You will hear from a panel of experts highlighting successful messaging and coalition-building efforts with the business community. Register here.
Learn
Read the Children, Youth, and Young Adult Behavioral Health Access Report. 1 in 3 children, youth, and young adults who needed mental health services did not receive them. Young children (0-5 years) and young adults (18-25 years) were even less likely to receive needed services, compared to older children and youth. 3 in 4 youth and young adults who needed substance use disorder (SUD) services did not receive them. Even after an SUD-related emergency department visit, most youth and young adults did not receive any services within 30 days. Read the full report from HCA here.
Innovate (News and New Insights)
We Want to Make Working with Washington State Government Easier! In this survey, we will ask anonymous questions about you and about your experience with Washington State government services to uncover statewide trends so that we can represent and serve everyone better. Please take this 15-minute survey for a chance to win a $200 gift card! All responses are anonymous. The survey shouldn't take longer than about 15 minutes and will be open until at least March 11, 2024.
Grow (Funding and Resources)
Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention Funding: Strengthening Families Washington, at the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), is pleased to announce that funding will be available for organizations to provide community-based Child Abuse and Neglect prevention programs and to increase their program evaluation capacity.
The Request for Application instructions and access to an informational webinar will be available on March 1, 2024 at https://dcyf.wa.gov/services/child-dev-support-providers/home-visiting/funding-opportunities. An informational webinar will be hosted from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Friday March 15, 2024 and a letter of intent to apply will be due April 22, 2024. The full application will be due on May 1, 2024.
Successful applicants will be offered a maximum funding of $45,000.00 for the initial contract year with the possibility of continued funding for up to an additional two years with a base funding award of at least $45,000.00 per year.
Announcing Community Heart & Soul!
Innovia is pleased to announce the launch of Community Heart & Soul® at our Community Leadership Summit next month! The program will be available to communities throughout our 20-county service area in Eastern Washington and North Idaho. Community Heart & Soul will provide funding and program support to rural communities with a population under 30,000 to initiate a resident-driven process to engage the entire community in identifying what they love most about their community, what they want for the future and how to achieve it. Communities interested in the program must have one or more representatives at the Summit to learn more and be eligible for funding. Learn more here.
If you have suggestions for what to include in this newsletter, email Joy Lile.
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