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DCYF Prevention Dashboard 2024 Updates: September Webinar
Join us for an upcoming webinar to share and answer questions about the DCYF Prevention Dashboard, DCYF's first-ever data dashboard specifically to support the agency’s efforts to prevent child maltreatment. This year's update includes three new sections, which offer new insights to DCYF's child welfare intakes and out-of-home care placements, as well as updates to the existing sections in response to community input. Register to receive slides and a recording, even if you can’t attend.
What have we been hearing from community? In the SFL Project, we are building up our final report and recommendations, so that the insights gained in this 5-year project can continue to enhance and support child welfare and family support systems. Based on feedback from community, I will use this space in the coming weeks to highlight some of the great ideas that have surfaced from our conversations with community through Sensemaking, Community Cafes, and SFL Convenings.
Providing for Basic Needs as Prevention: One theme that has emerged from community stories is the importance of families’ access to concrete supports in times of need. Challenges in providing food, shelter, healthcare, and education for their children can lead families to experience undue stress and impact parent-child interactions. Through state and federal funding, we were able to support SFL sites with Concrete Goods funds, and additional SFL Priority Project funds went to support families by providing food, household goods, and family activities. We heard from sites that this helped decrease family stress, easing tension between parents and their children and leading to fewer behavior and discipline issues. Also, by providing concrete supports our service provider partners were able to start relationships with families, so when other challenges came up the family is more likely to turn to the same provider for help. This can help families access other needed services like evidence-based programs and behavioral health supports. Communities in the SFL project have been very grateful for opportunities to help families meet their basic needs and have reported the benefits of this approach.
Spokane: Join the DCYF Community Child Care Forum. DCYF is hosting community child care forums across the state. These forums will give providers an opportunity to meet with DCYF Leadership, connect with their local Child Care Licensing Administrator and Licensors, learn about new updates and opportunities, and ask questions or share their experiences. The next forum will take place later this month in Spokane. Please see details below.
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Date: July 29, 2024
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Time: 6 to 7:30 p.m.
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Location: Spokane Community College
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Registration: Registration Form
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Other: Light refreshments provided
For questions, or if interpretation is needed, please contact dcyf.communityengagement@dcyf.wa.gov.
Check here for news and opportunities specific to our Strengthen Families Locally communities. Send opportunities to strengtheningfamilies@dcyf.wa.gov.
Olympia Peninsula: Regional Care Coordinator Convening - The next Regional Care Coordinator meeting will be 9 to 11 a.m., July 31. This event is for the on-the-ground health and human services workforce who connect people with resources they need to lead healthy, thriving lives. Participants will engage in a collaborative environment to enhance care coordination, resource sharing, and workforce support. OCH will host this event at the Jamestown S'Klallam Red Cedar Hall in Blyn. We hope to see you there. Register here
Check out these local resources on Facebook!
Connect (Events and Opportunities)
Explore the Building Blocks of Healthy Development and Coping Strategies: Social, emotional, and relational development is an intertwined process that happens across the lifespan beginning at birth. Ongoing support for social-emotional development and well-being enhances the relationships necessary for everyone’s mental health. The cumulative stresses of our times affect everyone’s mental health: infants, children, families, and providers. This three-part interactive workshop series explores the building blocks of healthy development and offers strategies to cope and heal through relationship-based care practices. Relationship-based Practices for Enhancing Family-Child Relationships and Mental Health, July 23, 2024 | Building our Own Resilience and Mental Health, July 30, 2024 | Register here
Mental Health Assessment for Young Children provider spotlight series: In recognition of the complexity of implementing new policies and programs, HCA committed to hosting a Provider Spotlight series as a part of our quarterly Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Office Hours. Mental Health Assessment for Young Children (MHAYC) can involve a lot of different pieces across your organizations, this year’s Provider Spotlight series will support providers like you in putting the puzzle together. Each Provider Spotlight will focus on different aspects of implementation and feature organizations who are putting it into practice. Dates: July 25, 2024; Oct. 24, 2024; Jan. 23, 2025; April 24, 2025. Learn more and register
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): MBSR is a scientifically supported program to reduce stress and increase well-being. You will engage in guided meditations, gentle stretching, mindful movements, and inquiry exercises to heighten everyday awareness. Research consistently shows that MBSR yields positive results across various challenges, from high-stress environments to sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Facilitated by: Jennifer Hogge, MS, LMFT. Class Dates: Mondays, Sept. 23 - Nov. 18, 2024 (No Class on November 11 for Veterans Day). 6 to 8:30pm PT (Via Zoom). Retreat: Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. 9:30am-3:30pm PT. Details and Registration
Parent-Child Self-Compassion: Life can be stressful, and as caregivers, we want to help our children deal effectively with adversity. This Parent-Child Self-Compassion live online training, lasting six weeks, helps caregivers and children ages 7 to 11 practice mindfulness and self-compassion together. Endorsed by the MSC program creators, this adaptation incorporates playful metaphors and content from the Path to Resilience training. Research shows self-compassion improves emotional well-being, coping skills, and personal relationships. Facilitated by: Blair Carleton. Class Dates: Wednesdays, Oct. 23 - Dec. 4 (There will be no class on Nov. 27, the day before Thanksgiving). 6:30-7:30pm PT (Via Zoom). Details and registration.
Learn (Educational Resources)
Crime and Overdose Death are Starting to Trend Downward: Murder and violent crime in Washington fell slightly in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the annual Crime in Washington report published this week by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC).
How to Launch a 100-year-old Startup with Dave Newel. In this episode The Proximity Process talks with Dave Newell who is the CEO of Akin in Seattle, WA. Akin is a new organization (kind of) that formed as the result of a merger of two 100+ year old organizations, Children's Home Society of Washington and Childhaven. Listen here.
Act (Ways To Engage Right Now)
Child Trend’s State-Level Data for Understanding Child Welfare in the United States. This comprehensive child welfare resource provides state and national data on child maltreatment, foster care, kinship caregiving, permanency, and older youth in care. The data are essential to help policymakers understand how many children and youth come in contact with the child welfare system, and why. States can use this information to ensure that their child welfare systems support the safety, stability, and well-being of all families in their state. Access the data tool here.
PEAR S.T.A.R. Awards will be Closing Nominations on Aug. 1, 2024. The journey towards equity is a lifelong one. Part of that walk is acknowledging (or "giving flowers to") those we know in our lives who are uplifting what it means to be Pro-Equity Anti-Racist. If there is someone who has come to mind when you get these reminders... a coworker or a changemaker (big or small) ... a friend doing work in community ... those are the people we encourage you to nominate below. Nominate someone here.
Grow (Funding and Resources)
Meeting the Basic Needs of Crime Survivors in Underserved Communities. Office for Victims of Crime. Deadline: July 29. These grants will help address the basic needs of crime victims, such as transportation, temporary or transitional housing, clothing, food, and other items for their well-being, healing, or safety. Through this funding opportunity, we hope to support culturally specific victim-serving organizations that understand the complex, multilayered, and specific challenges that crime victims from underserved communities face when attempting to access services. View here.
If you have suggestions for what to include in this newsletter, email Joy Lile.
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