After a slight delay, DCYF is excited to launch their first-ever Prevention Connect Webinar! Join on Tuesday, June 2 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. to connect and learn from colleagues and community members in Washington State’s child abuse prevention system. Our first webinar is all about how access to concrete goods is a protective factor for strong families. DCYF staff, community partners, and anyone interested is welcome to join. Register Today!
Discussion Topics:
- Successful strategies to strengthen families and support children
- Strengthening Families Protective Factors
- Projects that build concrete supports for families, including the Concrete Goods funds that DCYF offers in partnership with the community
- Help Me Grow Washington, a free statewide service that connects parents and caregivers to resources in their community
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DCYF is recruiting interested and qualified individuals to serve on the agency’s Parent Advisory Group (PAG). As an agency, we believe parents are their children’s first and most important teachers and their experiences offer valuable insight to the agency.
We are recruiting for parents or guardians of a child or children between the ages of 0-17 who reside in the State of Washington and have experience with one or more services provided by DCYF or other state agencies. These include but are not limited to; Juvenile Rehabilitation, Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), Head Start, Child Care, Foster Care, Child Welfare, TANF, etc.
View application
Developmental Milestone Height Chart
Help Me Grow WA, in partnership with the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, has co-created a fun, free, bilingual height chart for children ages 2 months to 5 years. It highlights key developmental milestones and simple ways families can support learning and growth. Questions about development? Call Help Me Grow WA at 1-800-322-2588 for free support in your preferred language.
Not Forgotten: MMIP, Our Communities, and the Responsibility We Carry at DCYF
Adapted from an article By Nanette Star, Director of Tribal Relations
May 5 marked Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) Awareness Day, but this is not a single day or moment. MMIP refers to the disproportionate rates at which Indigenous people — especially women, girls, and Two-Spirit people — go missing or are murdered, often with limited media coverage, incomplete data, and delayed or fragmented responses across systems.
DCYF is part of the systems that support prevention, respond to concerns, and coordinate across partners. Strengthening relationships with Tribes, improving information sharing, and ensuring culturally grounded approaches are essential to doing this work responsibly. Read the full bulletin and visit the Washington State MMIWP Task Force.
May is Mental Health Month which includes mental well-being for children
Washington Thriving is a statewide strategy co-created by young people, caregivers, families, providers, community leaders, and government partners to improve behavioral health for people before birth to age 25. View a read the full plan.announcing the plan or read the full plan.
Governor Ferguson releases report showing children stuck in hospitals without a medical need are getting help faster
This press release and report describe how the governor’s Rapid Care Team is streamlining the process for families seeking help for children with developmental disabilities experiencing mental health crises.
New Early Childhood navigation tools: Cross-system Matrix and Provider How-to Guides
Health Care Authority (HCA) is sharing a bundled set of Early Childhood resources designed to help providers and partners understand how early childhood systems connect and how to apply that knowledge in real-world referral scenarios. These tools are intended to support early identification, reduce fragmentation, and help connect children and families to the right support at the right time.
We Are Still Here Webinar Series offers regular webinars for the early childhood policy advocacy community that center history, research, policy, and more. The goal of these is to help us see the way past and present policy decisions intersect with native culture and sovereignty. The next is on Wednesday, May 27: Communication and Collaboration: Cross-Cultural Communication, Protocol, and Consensus-Building. Register here
Capital Funding Available for Youth Recreational Facilities
The Department of Commerce is accepting applications for the 2027-29 Youth Recreational Facilities grant program. These competitive grants can fund 25% of eligible capital costs (up to $1.2 million) for non-residential facilities providing recreational opportunities for youth (grades K-12) if they are integrated with social and/or educational services. The application is due May 28.
Census Tract Designation Nomination
Opportunity Zones (OZs) are federally designated tracts meant to spur investment in undercapitalized communities. A revised program is being rolled out, and Commerce is accepting applications to recommend designating new OZs in Washington state, through 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 28.
Grant for Community Meals
This summer, Innovia’s Longest Table grants are helping communities across the region come together to share a meal and strengthen connections. Grants of up to $2,500 will cover organizing costs such as tables and chairs, permits, promotional materials, and youth activities for events taking place between June 1 and September 30.
Apple Health Community Connectors
It can be confusing for clients to know if they are eligible for Apple Health and how to navigate changes. The Health Care Authority (HCA) is looking for volunteers and representatives across the state from community organizations, schools, food banks, churches, and individual community leaders to help Washingtonians get the information and resources they need to maintain their coverage.
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