Welcome Kristin Talbott, Supervisor ICW/CFWS - Lincoln County
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, I am Kristin Talbott. I joined the Office of Tribal Relation’s (OTR) Indian Child Welfare (ICW) Compliance Team as an Active Efforts Navigator on March 1, 2024.
As a child I grew up in a family with five siblings in a suburb of Los Angeles, California, called Granada Hills. I loved the beach, loved the Santa Ana winds (we lost more than one fence in my lifetime), but I had never seen snow before I visited my family here in the Inland Northwest in 1999. I never looked back!
I joined DCYF -- then called DSHS -- in the Child Welfare division in 2014. I have 16 years' experience as a social worker, program director, and housing manager working with homeless youth and families in the homeless housing field. I was privileged to work in both the non-profit and public sectors of housing homeless families with supportive services.
In 2014 I felt the need to reconnect with my direct service work as a social worker. I had spent eight years as a manager and director of programs. I wanted to work in child welfare and was lucky enough to be hired as a CPS investigator in the ICW Section in Spokane.
Over the past nine years I have learned so much about working in the field operations teams. I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a part of all sections of our child welfare programs. I was a line worker in the Spokane ICW section in all programs for a little over three years. Then I was promoted to supervisor. I worked in Intake, Adoptions/Legally Free, and finally in Lincoln County and the ICW Section in Spokane.
It is my hope that these experiences will allow me to bring a unique but informed perspective to quality Active Efforts practice in our state. I look forward to learning my new role at OTR, working with our Tribal Partners and collaborators to grow our workforces’ Active Efforts knowledge and network with Quality Practices for those we work with in Washington State.
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Region 1 Spotlight: Spokane RAIO putting CJAA funds to work!
Article by Arturo Caballero,
JR Tribal Liaison
Native Project Leadership Camp
The Indian Youth Leadership Camp started in 1987 and continues to welcome youth from local and regional middle and high schools, tribes, and urban areas. Native Youth Leadership Camp is held during a weekend in April with over 100 + Indigenous youth students who are from all over the PNW region. The youth have an opportunity to engage in prevention, cultural, and traditional activities such as drug and alcohol violence-free lifestyles, sweat lodge, tipi buildings, and drying salmon which promotes NATIVE Project’s vision of community bonding and partnerships.
The NATIVE Project has a vision of community that promotes balance and harmony in the pursuit of:
- Drug and alcohol-free lifestyles.
- Spiritual, cultural, and traditional Native values
- Wellness and balance of mind, body, and spirit for each person
- Respect and integration of all healing paths to wellness for self and others.
- Lifestyles which encourage and are supportive of prosperity.
- Education and awareness
By creating a circle of care using one team and one voice, individuals, staff, families, and agencies will utilize skills, leadership, cultural and spiritual consciousness to give back to his or her community by living as: WARRIORS, NURTURERS, SCHOLARS, AND COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS!
Quote from leadership participant:
“Native Youth Leadership Camp is my FAVORITE time of the YEAR! We get to hang out with Native kids from all over Spokane, Idaho, Montana, and Washington! We make friends from all over this area! We get to hang out with our family members living on the reservations and cities! It’s so fun!”
– Francis Dressler, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, age 13
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Caregiver Supports Project Roundtables
Phase 2 of the Caregiver Supports Project is the implementation of a new Caregiver Supports Contract to provide placement supports to both licensed and unlicensed caregivers. Tribes will have the option to serve their own tribal jurisdiction caregivers through collaboration with DCYF in the development of a tribal-specific Caregiver Supports Agreement. If tribes choose not to enter a Caregiver Supports Agreement, tribes will have the option to have the catchment area provider awarded the contract serve their tribal jurisdiction families.
The general Caregiver Supports Contract will be awarded through a bidding process with contracts being executed by catchment areas starting in mid-2024. DCYF anticipates that all catchment area contracts will be executed statewide in 2026.
DCYF is hosting two roundtable sessions to seek input from tribes regarding the development of a new Indian Nations Caregiver Support Agreement. Please join DCYF on the following dates:
- Tues, March 19, 2024, from 2 to 4 p.m. | Zoom link
- Wed, March 20, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Zoom link
For questions, please contact Mandy Morlin, Tribal Foster Care Licensing Consultant, at mandy.morlin@dcyf.wa.gov.
Federal Recommendations from the Commission on Native Children
The Alice Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children submitted its official report to the United States Congress on Feb. 20, 2024. Established by Congress in 2016, the Commission was tasked to conduct a comprehensive study of the programs, grants, and supports available to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians from birth through age 24.
Many Tribal leaders, academic scholars, and tribal members from across Washington State contributed to this report, including Tleena Ives, DCYF Tribal Relations Director.
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The report includes the Commission’s recommendations about how the overall system could be strengthened, improved, and/or transformed to better ensure that Native children and youth can thrive. The report proposes changes to federal policies and practices that would improve the education, child welfare, health, and justice outcomes for Native children and youth.
The report shares several recommendations that impact DCYF’s work specifically, including:
- 1: Enhance the capacity of Tribal social services and Tribal courts.
- 2: Ensure compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act.
- 3: Strengthen advocacy for Native children and youth in child welfare cases.
- 4: Follow local community standards for Native foster and kinship placements.
- 7: Keep track of Native youth in Federal, state, and local juvenile justice systems.
- 8: Expand access to the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program.
- 9: Support Native culture/language learners in early childhood programs & K-12 schools.
To access the report: https://commissiononnativechildren.org/reports/TheWayForward.pdf.
Image above: Painting created by
Joe Ives Senior, Port Gamble S'Klallam
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Round 2 WSDA Farm to School Purchasing Grant
The WSDA Farm to School Purchasing Grant is a competitive reimbursement grant available to school districts, childcare centers, and summer meals providers for the purchase and use of Washington-grown foods in child nutrition programs.
Who Can Apply:
- Active program operators of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP - childcare), and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or Seamless Summer Option (SSO).
Tribal Schools and Tribal Early Learning Centers.
- Grant Period- July 1, 2024- June 30, 2025
- Application opens- March 4, 2024
- Applications closes- Monday, April 15, 2024, by 5 p.m.
For information and to apply: wsda-farm-to-school-rd2 (webportalapp.com)
March Events | Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA)
Office Hours for Farmers
WSDA Regional Markets offers information, resources and grants, training and technical assistance, and regulatory guidance to farms and local buyers of Washington agricultural products.
Farm to School Networking for School Buyers & Local Farmers
Join WSDA for a facilitated networking hour to learn about successful farm to school partnerships and meet one-on-one with interested school buyers and local farmers.
March 2024 Locations, Dates and Times
- Walla Walla: Wednesday, March 13, 2024
For information and to register, visit WSDA (office.com).
NIWRC Research & Evaluation: Indigenous Care for the Caregiver Study
The National Indigenous Women's Resource Center (NIWRC) is seeking interview participants for a caregiver study. NIWRC is looking for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian caregivers with at least 5 years of experience caring for trauma survivors. For information, please visit their Interest Form.
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Help Me Grow Specialist (PS4) - Olympia (Project Limited)/DCYF
Position closes: March 13, 2024, 11:59 p.m.
Apply online: Help Me Grow Specialist (governmentjobs.com)
Child Welfare Early Learning Navigator (SHPC4) - Tumwater/DCYF
Position closes: March 16, 2024, 11:59 p.m.
Apply online: Child Welfare Early Learning Navigator (governmentjobs.com)
Regional Exceptional Placement AA (WMS2) - Centralia/DCYF
Position closes: March 31, 2024, 11:59 p.m.
Apply online: Regional Exceptional Placement AA (governmentjobs.com)
Collaborative Courts Coordinator - ECC and ICW/Administrative Services Division
Position closes: March 25, 2024, 11:59 p.m.
Apply online: Collaborative Courts Coordinator (governmentjobs.com)
Collaborative Courts Coordinator - FTC/Administrative Services Division
Position closes: March 25, 2024, 11:59 p.m.
Apply online: Collaborative Courts Coordinator - FTC (governmentjobs.com)
Submit comments to strengthen ICWA implementation
The federal Administration for Children and Families has announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would establish new data elements that track key Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) requirements for Native children in state child welfare systems.
The Administration for Children and Families is seeking comments on the establishment of these new data elements by April 23, 2024.
NICWA strongly encourages tribes, states, and ICWA advocates to submit public comments in support of the proposed rule.
MMIWP Cold Case Unit
In 2023, in part in response to recommendations from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) Task Force, the Washington Legislature created and funded an MMIWP Cold Case Unit within the AGO. The purpose of the team is to assist federal, municipal, county, and tribal law enforcement agencies in solving missing person and cold homicide cases involving persons of Indigenous ancestry who go missing and are murdered at a higher rate than other demographics. It is the first unit of its kind in the nation.
If you would like to contact the MMIWP Cold Case Unit, you may reach out to us at: crjmmiwp@atg.wa.gov
Integrated Eligibility and Enrollment Modernization Program
The Integrated Eligibility and Enrollment (IE&E) Modernization Program has recently launched an external website to keep customers, partners, and others informed about the program. The IE&E external website includes details on program goals, project details, anticipated benefits, FAQs, and more. Explore the website, take a short survey to provide feedback for future improvements, and share the link with others interested in or impacted by this work. You may also want to bookmark the website to easily access it in the future.
For any IE&E-related questions or for more information, please contact the IE&E Modernization Program team at IE&EProgram@dshs.wa.gov.
ASWSU Pah-Loots-Puu Pow Wow
March 30, 2024
Beasley Coliseum
925 NE North Fairway Rd., Pullman, WA, 99163
For more information, visit: Pow Wow Calendar (powwows.com)
The Nest | Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services
This is the first guaranteed income program to exclusively serve Indigenous communities in the United States! Over the next five years, Hummingbird will give up to 150 families $1,250 no-strings-attached monthly payments to Indigenous pregnant people until their child’s third birthday.
The application period is now open! Serving families in King and Pierce County and the Tulalip Reservation. If you have questions or need interpretation, please email support@hummingbirdnest.aidkit.org or text (206) 203-3418.
Tribal early learning champion| Unsung Hero
"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."
Nigel Lawrence Unsung Hero (seattleschild.com)
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Whole Child Initiative Report | National Indian Education Association
The findings presented through the Whole Child Initiative Report highlight the critical need for collective action to ensure that Indigenous youth have access to education systems that respect their cultural identities, languages, and traditions. By working together, we can continue to advance the cause of Indigenous education sovereignty and create a brighter future for future generations.
Download the full report: Whole Child Report (Dropbox).
Tulalip Tribes first Indian Nation to elect a Tribal designated crisis responder
Tulalip Tribes is the first Indian Nation in Washington State to designate a Tribal DCR for their community. Tribal DCRs are part of the Washington Indian Behavioral Health Act (2020) and Washington Administrative Code 182-125-0100 (2022). They represent a partnership between Tribes and the Health Care Authority (HCA) to offer culturally attuned care for Tribal communities.
Visit the Washington State Health Care Authority for the full press release.
Washington tribes look to Iceland for help getting teens off drugs
"Dubbed the 'Washington Tribal Prevention System,' Washington and five tribes will partner with Planet Youth, a nonprofit bringing the approach to other places. The model involves rethinking how to discourage drug use by placing responsibility on the community, rather than the individual."
Washington tribes look to Iceland for help getting teens off drugs (Washington State Standard)
Learning to Listen: Conversations for Change
The Learning to Listen: Conversations for Change series is returning on March 27, 2024, with three new conversations featuring inspiring leaders working on the frontlines of current and emerging issues for children and families. These conversations are for everyone who cares for and about babies and children, and the families, professionals, and communities that protect, nurture, and enjoy them.
Register by visiting Learning to Listen: Conversations for Change - Brazelton Touchpoints.
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