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Fall festivities by Jahla Brown, DCYF ESIT Partnership & Collaboration Specialist
"There are two lasting gifts we can give our children - one is roots, the other is wings."
-William Hodding Carter II, American progressive journalist and author
When you are brave it changes everything. There is power in being brave. Step into your bravery by facing your fears, overcoming challenges and inspiring others and this will lead to the most exciting life. Sofia Sanchez, a Ukrainian-American sensation, soared into fame with her viral video "Down Syndrome Is Not Scary," launching her into acting and advocacy (watch time 7:33):
The Power of Bravery
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“First, they came to take our land and water, then our fish and game. …Now they want our religions as well. All of a sudden, we have a lot of unscrupulous idiots running around saying they’re medicine people. And they’ll sell you a sweat lodge ceremony for fifty bucks. It’s not only wrong, it’s obscene. Indians don’t sell their spirituality to anybody, for any price. This is just another in a very long series of thefts from Indian people and, in some ways, this is the worst one yet.”- Janet McCloud (1934-2003), prominent Native American and indigenous rights activist
The Nisqually River and Mt. Rainier, 1909
Each week, DCYF ESIT Tribal Program Consultant, Brian Frisina, provides a key topic to help us get to know our Tribal Nation Partners better.
This week’s term is:
Reclaiming the Rivers: Indigenous Defiance and the Fish Wars
The late Billy Frank Jr., a Nisqually Tribal member, environmentalist and treaty rights advocate, emerged as a key leader in the “fish-in” protests that unfolded during the Fish Wars of the 1960s and 1970s. Coordinated by the newly formed Survival of the American Indian Society (SAIA), a group in which Frank was a founding member, the fish-ins were inspired by the civil rights protests in the southern United States. However, they were adapted to address the specific issue of fishing rights and reflected Native American rejection of cultural assimilation.
Read full article by NDN Collective:
Reclaiming the Rivers: Indigenous Defiance and the Fish Wars
The Civil Rights Struggle of the Pacific Northwest—The Fish Wars
It was the struggle that pitted people steeped in their fishing traditions against the power of the state, helped launch national movements for Indigenous rights, and created one of the landmark rulings in Indigenous treaty law. Join me in exploring the Fish Wars of Washington and Oregon (watch time 1:48:56):
The Civil Rights Struggle of the Pacific Northwest—The Fish Wars
Book Recommendation
Indians of the Pacific Northwest: From the Coming of the White Man to the Present Day by Vine Deloria Jr., Steve Pavlik (Afterword), Billy Frank Jr. (Foreword): Prior to the onslaught of the Europeans, the Puget Sound area was one of the most heavily populated regions north of Mexico City. The Native Americans who lived there enjoyed a bounty of seafood, waterfowl, and berries, which they expertly collected and preserved. Detailing the associated culture, technologies, and techniques, Vine Deloria Jr. explains in depth this veritable paradise and its ultimate demise.
Sources
The ESIT State Leadership Team is thrilled to welcome our new Senior Administrator, Tutrecia Baker! We asked some fun "getting to know you" questions as a chance to learn a little more about our newest team leader and member.
What is your favorite food?
I’m originally from the South, so catfish, collard greens, fried okra and just about any other Southern comfort food will always be my favorite. My grandmother and great grandmother were incredible cooks who made everything from scratch. Living in Washington has given me the opportunity to explore a great variety of dishes. Chicken pot pies, sushi, soup dumplings, lumpia and pho have a special place in my heart.
If you had a time machine, what year would you visit?
If I had a time machine, I’d like to visit the future, hopefully one that looks a bit like an episode of Star Trek! I'd love to see a world where we moved past today’s struggles and reached true equity and equality. A place where everyone could be their authentic selves (kindly, without harming others), no boxes, no barriers, just acceptance and understanding.
What drew you to work at DCYF, on the Early Support for Infants & Toddlers Team?
I was drawn to DCYF and the ESIT team because the mission truly speaks to my heart, helping every child get the best possible start in life. Years ago, my own son received services through an early support program, and I saw firsthand how much it strengthened his learning and development. That experience inspires me to commit to this work. Joining DCYF felt like a natural step to continue supporting families and building systems that help children thrive across Washington.
Welcome, Tutrecia, we are so glad you're here!
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Olympia School District (OSD) demonstrates exceptional commitment to the ESIT Guiding Principles through their investment in professional development, strong collaboration, and creative, equity-focused problem-solving that makes early supports more accessible for all families.
Professional learning is central to their work. The full team engages in research-informed training opportunities that translate directly into practice. For example, every provider participated in Hanen and language access training, followed by team reflection and evaluation to determine what worked best for families. This approach ensures that services are individualized and responsive to each child’s and family’s unique culture, strengths, and needs.
Collaboration defines OSD’s program. The entire team participates in programmatic decision-making, valuing diverse perspectives and shared ownership. This teamwork extends into the broader community through partnerships with the local Children’s Museum and YMCA, where the team hosts toddler and swim groups in natural, inclusive environments. As one provider shared, “Collaboration opportunities for interaction are a really great thing that we do… I’m proud of our team for seeking out ways to do that and for working with community organizations to make it happen.”
These partnerships have a lasting impact on families. One caregiver reflected, “We love going to the play time at the museum. I never felt comfortable going to activities in the area until I saw that [child] was having fun and was able to play well with the other kids. It’s been a big deal for us.”
OSD’s team also exemplifies initiative and shared accountability. Team members come to meetings with ideas and solutions rather than problems, reflecting a culture of professionalism and respect. Looking forward, OSD is strengthening their Primary Service Provider model, expanding referral sources, and continuing to remove access barriers. Their work powerfully models the ESIT Guiding Principles in action—cultivating inclusive, confident, and connected communities for children and families.
Submit Your Nomination
The ESIT state leadership team plans to highlight individual providers or ESIT provider agencies that are demonstrating one or more of the Seven Key Principles in their work in a new section of the ESIT Weekly titled Key Principles in Action. This new section will help us recognize the high-quality agencies and efforts of individual providers across the ESIT statewide system. Nominators will remain anonymous (though we may contact you for more details about your nomination). To make a nomination, please complete the form linked below:
Nominate an ESIT Program or Colleague
Guiding Principles in Action
Read and download ESIT's Guiding Concept to learn ESIT's Seven Key Guiding Principles!
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Thanks to everyone that was able to join the ESIT State Leadership Team for the October SICC meeting! The draft October Meeting Minutes and materials have been posted on ESIT's Meetings page.
For Review
2026 SICC Meetings
- Wednesday, Jan. 21 | Virtual, 9 a.m.–Noon
Starting February 2026, the first hour (9 – 9:50 a.m.) of the SICC meeting is for SICC members only. The SICC Meeting will be open to the public from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Wednesday, Feb. 18 | Legislative | Virtual | 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 15 | Statewide System | Virtual | 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 15 | Innovative Programs & Practices | Virtual | 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 21 | Families | Virtual | 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
SICC Direct List
Sign Up for SICC DL to receive meeting materials in advance of upcoming SICC meetings.
Questions?
If you have questions or edits to the SICC draft minutes, please contact ESIT Community Collaboration Coordinator, E Renae` Antalan.
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DCYF and King County are partnering to host an ongoing meeting space to support ESIT Providers who work with immigrant and refugee families. The space will provide best practice training, guidance, resources, and reflective practice to ESIT Providers, in response to the evolving needs of families. Providers will have the opportunity to process, connect, and reflect with one another.
This statewide group will be held on the fourth Monday of each month, 9:30 - 11 a.m. In October, providers will engage in small-group collaboration to discuss scenarios and explore the use of resources from previous sessions in real-world practice.
Registration
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Register now!
Monday, Oct. 27 | 9:30-11 a.m.
Supporting Providers Working with Immigrant and Refugee Families Monthly Group
Questions?
For questions or to request access accommodations contact Technical Assistance Specialist, Molly Stryker, at molly.stryker@dcyf.wa.gov or King County ESIT Policy and Language Access Lead, Norma Lobo, at nrenteri@kingcounty.gov.
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DCYF ESIT is hosting two mental health focus groups to learn more about how Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) services are supported within the ESIT system.
You’re invited to share your IECMH experiences on how children and families within the ESIT system are supported through mental health services, such as, strengths within the system, barriers with offering services, and additional resources needed to better support children and families receiving IECMH ESIT services. This is not a webinar or training, but rather an opportunity for ESIT mental health providers and administrators supporting mental health services to participate in a focus group that will help guide recommendations for improvements within the ESIT system.
Register for the one group that best fits your role:
ESIT Agency Administrator Registration
Tuesday, Nov. 18 | 9-10 a.m.
IECMH Services in ESIT: Administrator Focus Group
ESIT Mental Health Provider Registration
Tuesday, Nov. 18| 11 a.m.-noon
IECMH Services in ESIT: MH Provider Focus Group
Accommodation Requests
ASL, live captioning, and other accommodations to fully participate in this event are available to you upon request. Please submit the Training and Event Access Support request form by Tuesday, Nov. 4. DYCF may not be able to fulfill requests made less than two weeks in advance.
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SICC Member Application
The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is recruiting members for two open positions on the State Interagency Coordinating Council:
- (1) Public or private provider of Early Intervention Services,
- (1) Member of the State Legislature.
Apply on the Governor's website, and under 'Board Information,' select Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and Their Families, State Interagency Coordinating Council:
Apply here for SICC board
SICC Sub-Committees Application
The SICC Data, Finance, Personnel & Training, Public Policy, and Service Delivery Committees are accepting applications from qualified and interested individuals:
Complete Sub-Committee Interest form
If you have any questions, please contact DCYF ESIT Community Collaboration Coordinator, E Renae` Antalan.
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2026 Unsung Hero Award Nominations Now Open!
The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is now accepting Unsung Hero Award nominations for 2026!
Do you know a parent, caregiver, guardian, or community member you’d like to recognize? Send us your nomination to strengtheningfamilies@dcyf.wa.gov.
Nominations must be received by Jan. 6, 2026. Nomination forms are available in English, Spanish, and Somali.
Twenty-eight new Unsung Hero Award recipients (one for each day of the month) will be honored at an in-person “Parent Recognition Month” dinner event in February.
Since 2011, nearly 400 parents and caregivers across Washington have received the Unsung Hero award.
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Federal Government Shutdown Impacts on Families
Although the federal government shutdown is not currently impacting DCYF services and programs, we are very concerned about disruptions to other federal supports that affect the families we serve.
The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) recently announced that, if the federal government shutdown continues and if there is lack of federal funding to support the SNAP program, clients will not receive their food benefits on Nov. 1.
Read DCYF Secretary Tana Senn's full message.
Help Me Grow Washington Early Care Education Provider Referral Pathway
Help Me Grow Washington and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) are continuing to partner to offer free online developmental screening and technical assistance to Early Care and Education (ECE) providers across Washington. Funded through the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), this project is designed to expand developmental screenings across all early learning settings and strengthen relationships with providers statewide. By offering access to ASQ Online, our shared goal is to help more providers complete developmental screenings and connect children and families to resources and support.
From Summer 2024 to Spring 2025, we piloted the program with 19 (ECE) providers across Washington. Through this cohort, 255 child development screenings were completed. We continue to support these providers who are still actively using ASQ Online through Help Me Grow Washington.
We’re now expanding and actively recruiting ECE providers, especially in rural communities. If your organization works with ECE providers who may be interested or you can help us spread the word, we would really appreciate your support with sharing this opportunity.
To make outreach easier, I’m sharing our new ECE provider flyers. We have also developed provider outreach toolkits available in both English and Spanish if you would like more detailed information.
Washington State Hands & Voices is pleased to invite you to participate in a short Plan-Study-Do-Act (PDSA) cycle aimed at enhancing how we share information about early intervention rights with families of Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) children.
This cycle will run from Oct. 1 through Jan. 31, 2025, and is open to Family Resources Coordinators, DHH Specialists, Audiologists, and other professionals who support families of DHH children from Birth to 3 years of age.
The focus of this PDSA cycle is a new resource:
The 12 Key Rights: A Parent’s Overview to DHH Early Intervention. This tool is designed to help families better understand their rights and support more informed, confident decision-making during early intervention.
What We’re Asking
- Participate in a brief PDSA cycle (with just 3–5 families of DHH children per provider),
- Introduce and discuss the 12 Key Rights document during a regular session,
- Ask families a few short feedback questions (a set will be provided),
- Reflect briefly on how the conversation went (with separate feedback forms for families and professionals.)
A sample script and instructions will be included to help guide your conversations. Our goal is to learn how this tool can support meaningful family engagement and strengthen partnerships between families and professionals across disciplines.
To get started, each participant is asked to complete this Participant Registration form and a packet will be sent to you within 48 hours. Christine Griffin, Program Coordinator, will send each provider a packet to support implementation.
Contact
For questions or additional support, email Christine Griffin at gbys@wahandsandvoices.org, call or text at (425) 268-7087.
Thank you for considering this opportunity. Your participation and insights are vital as we continue working to improve tools and strategies that make a real difference for families.
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We are seeking to center black excellence for children and families in King County Early Support for Infants and Toddlers. Share your own story in a community conversation this fall!
We want to hear from Black and African American families who:
- Have children with delays or disabilities who are under age 8,
- Used Early Support services in the past 5 years,
- Didn’t know about or access services when children were Birth to 3.
Please complete this form to participate in a Community Conversation about Centering Black Excellence within Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT):
ESIT Centering Black Excellence: Community Conversations
Virtual and In-Person Community Conversations
- Thursday, Oct. 30 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Virtual
Participants will receive a $75 stipend upon completing a session.
For any questions or support, please e-mail bsk-wested@wested.org.
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A research study at the University of Washington is currently recruiting for a play-based research study investigating mobility aid use for young children who can sit independently (including prop sit) but are not yet walking. The study is open to children with genetic or neuromuscular conditions that affect mobility and muscle tone, such as Down syndrome, hypotonia, developmental delay, spinal muscular atrophy, Rett syndrome, Angelman syndrome, or cerebral palsy. Our goal is to explore how mobility aids can support independent exploration and play.
The Study Includes
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3–5 short visits to UW (under 90 minutes each),
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$25 compensation per visit, with free parking or public transit,
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Play-based activities using two mobility aids: a partial bodyweight support system and a powered wheelchair.
View and download the Early Intervention Mobility Aids Flyer.
Watch a short video about the study and mobility aids here: Get involved in mobility aids research!
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Go Baby Go UW (University of Washington) is excited to invite families to bring their kids to drive their Go Baby Go cars, use their mobility devices, and join in the fun! There will be Go Baby Go cars available for new families to try, a spin art activity, and other switch adapted toys to explore. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with the Husky ADAPT community, experience accessible play options, and enjoy a morning of creativity and movement. Parking is free!
Sunday, Nov. 2 | 10 a.m.–Noon
Location: UW Haring Center, Experimental Education Unit
RSVP Today for Ready, Set, Play!
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Caregivers of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) infants are at significantly higher risk of perinatal mental health challenges which can impact early relational health and infant development, particularly feeding – a complex, relationship-based process that can become a source of immense stress for families. Every family who leaves the NICU should have the support they need. Yet current post-discharge systems of care are fragmented and inequitable. Northwest Center’s Hospital-to-Home care model works to change this by integrating siloed services, reducing points of contact for families, and ensuring universal screening for resource and mental health needs alongside infant developmental and feeding therapy. This session will highlight both the need for this support and our ongoing efforts to create more equitable, coordinated NICU-to-home transitions that optimize outcomes for infants and their families.
Register and learn more about the session and presenters:
Monday, Nov. 3 | 9-10:30 a.m. | Free Zoom event
Strengthening Supports for NICU Caregivers and their Infants Post-Discharge
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