Health Ministers Meeting

Join us Wednesday, April 6, 10-11 a.m. for our Health Ministers/Black Infant Health meeting.

Join us on Zoom from your computer, tablet or smartphone. You can also dial in using your phone: tel:+12532158782,,94132471470#,,,,*108595#

Meeting ID: 941 3247 1470 Passcode: 108595

Contact Taleema Love if you have agenda items to add, questions about the agenda or would like to present your agency at an upcoming meeting.

Couldn’t attend the March Health Minister’s meeting? Read the highlights here.

Celebrate Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month. Join us as we reflect on the role of women in society and celebrate the fight for gender equity. 

Women face health problems every day. Women and girls face unintended pregnancies and sexual diseases that could lead to HIV or cervical cancer. Access to health information helps reduce these inequities.

Leaders in Women’s Health are committed to making life safer for women and girls in Pierce County. Read more about its work and other ways to close the gender equity gap in our first Women’s History Month blog.

Family Resources

Education

• Together We Rise partners with the Fund ll Foundation to provide the Family Fellowship Scholarship, a scholarship program dedicated to propelling youth in foster care into higher education through financial assistance and family-like emotional support. The scholarship provides up to $12,000 per year for up to 5 years to help students earn a 4-year degree. Learn more and apply.
• Goodwill announces Goodwill Connect, a statewide collaboration to promote their new Connect Hotline. Call 1-844-GWCONNECT (1-844-492-6663) to access free digital technology help. Learn more.
• Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center (MCHFC) teamed up with WorkForce Pierce, Answers Counseling and Korean Women's Association to provide employment services for low-income, young adults who live in Pierce County. Work Advising for Youth helps youth ages 16-24 reach employment/career goals through case management, supportive services, employment and internship opportunities. Interested? Email kceabenites@mcfhc.org. Note “Young Adult Employment Program Inquiry” in the subject line.
• Greentrike’s 2022 summer camp is a collaborative learning experience for preschoolers ages 3–5 years old and school-age learners ages 5–9 years old. Join classes throughout the summer that feature art, science, engineering, storytelling and adventure. Learn more and register.

Family activities

• If you’re a Black Infant Health participant (or were in the past), join us April 10 at 3:30 p.m. at our first 2022 Celebration of Life. We will honor families with children who have turned 1 of age since our last celebration. If you’re a Health Minister who serves a family that wants recognition for their milestone, contact RaTanya Ozolin.
• Pierce County Library System offers a calendar full of events for kids and families. These are a few great programs for parents with young children:
  • Virtual baby and toddler time—every Monday at 10 a.m.
  • Move to learn—every Monday at 11 a.m.
  • Family storytime with Miss B, Mr. Bob and Miss Holly—every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.
  • March’s theme is food.
  • Click or tap for more events.
• Find all sorts of useful information and family activities at Tacoma Public Library’s kids & families web page and register for unique craft projects or special events.

Food

• Need help with a meal? Contact Lasagna Love! They connect neighbors with neighbors through homemade meal delivery. Lasagna Love seeks to feed families, spread kindness and strengthen communities.
• Abbott Nutrition announced an infant formula recall for Similac, Alimentum and EleCare brands. Learn about this recall. DO NOT use these brands of powdered infant formulas if:
• the first two digits of the code are 22 through 37; and
• the code on the container contains K8, SH or Z2; and
• the expiration date is 4-1-2022 (APR 2022) or later.

Return it to the store or contact Similac, (800) 986-8540.

• Washington State Department of Health and Safeway partnered to make SNAP/EBT shopping even better! Now, you can use SNAP benefits to buy groceries online at Safeway.com for pickup or home delivery! When you buy at least $10 of fresh fruits and vegetables—online or in your local grocery store—you get a coupon for your next trip! Use your SNAP Produce Match coupon to buy more fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) offers FREE online nutrition classes for families and children. Learn more and register.

Housing

• Need help with rent? If you haven’t already applied for Pierce County Rental Assistance, apply on the Rental Assistance Portal.

Pregnancy support

• Are you in your third trimester of pregnancy? Help University of Washington understand how regular texting can support expectant and new parents in their new study. Researchers will text you parenting information to learn what supports work best to maintain wellbeing in pregnancy and postpartum. For each 30-minute assessment, you’ll get a $25 gift card, a total of $125 for 5 surveys. Questions? Contact mcmh@uw.edu.

Parenting

• The Positive Parenting Program—or Triple P—gives you tips and ideas to bring out the best in your children. Triple P is free and open to families with children ages 0-17. Speak Spanish? No problem! Join a group with a Spanish-speaking practitioner. Each group is 8 weeks, 1-2 hours per week. And a bonus: After you complete all 8 sessions, we'll give you a $50 gift card! Don’t let this opportunity pass you up—decide which Triple P Group is best for you and reserve your spot today! Get a Triple P Group flyer to help us promote this great opportunity!  English | Spanish. Questions? Contact us at fspartnership@tpchd.org or (253) 649-1012.
• Join Healthy Native Babies webinar April 13, 11 a.m.-noon. Honor the past and learn for the future in this live-streamed webinar series.
• Dad’s Connect is a great opportunity to meet other dads, form relationships, and make connections. Have a conversation with fathers and father figures. Learn more and register for a session:

• April 20, 6:30-8 p.m.
• June 15, 6:30-8 p.m.
• Aug. 17, 6:30-8 p.m.

COVID-19

• COVID-19 testing helps protect you, your family, your friends, and your community. It's also more available than ever before. Find a testing location.
• Masks remain an important tool to keep us safe from infection. If you’re 5 or older, you must wear a face covering indoors in public spaces. Learn which mask is best for you.
• The COVID-19 vaccines are the most effective tools to limit the spread of COVID-19. Everyone 5 and older is eligible to get vaccinated. Find your free dose today at tpchd.org/vaxtothefuture.

Behavioral Health

• The People’s Gathering is a professional and personal development learning experience. Engage in open dialogue about race and racial disparities systemically present in work, school, and everyday life. Join local and national social justice scholars and leaders March 24, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. You must register by March 20 at 5 p.m.
• Learn about prenatal alcohol exposure and mental health disorders, in a new University of Washington study. The authors examine the connection between prenatal alcohol exposure and mental health issues later in life.
• Do you enjoy a drink now and then? Many of us do, often when socializing with friends and family. For anyone who drinks, the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism (NIAAA) offers valuable, research-based information. Learn about alcohol use disorder, what “counts” as a single serving or “standard drink,” how to recognize the signs of a problem, and what to do if you or someone you know is ready to change their use.

Employment

• Through March 31, high school seniors or recent high school grads can apply for Jim McDermott Summer Internships. Paid a per diem of $22 per hour up to 40 hours per week, the positions are June 13-Sept. 2. Staff will conduct interviews in April.
• United States Postal Service (USPS) is hiring. Learn about current career opportunities.
• Washington State Department of Health is hiring. Learn about current job opportunities.
• Hire Pierce County—Next Gen Edition (HPC—NextGen) matches Pierce County young adults, with businesses to intern up to 30 hours per week (up to 16 weeks) for $15 per hour. HPC—NextGen runs through June 30. Learn more if you want to:
  • Host a Young Adult Paid Internship.
  • Build up your work experience and earn up to $5,000.
• Do you dream of owning your own business? Enterprise for Equity wants to support your journey to entrepreneurship. Join an upcoming workshop or event and take advantage of this wonderfully unique opportunity.

Give back

• Join Tacoma Urban League March 27, 2-3:30 p.m. at Black Families Brunch. Bring your family and enjoy a free brunch buffet, family photos, a live DJ and more! Space is limited—Register today!
• Black Parents Alliance advocates for policies that improve the intellectual, social and emotional success of Black scholars and families. Want to get involved? Sign-up to join Black Parents Alliance monthly meetings.
• Join Amara March 30, noon-1 p.m. to discuss the role of foster care and foster caregivers in our collective work to restore and heal families in our communities. Learn more and register.
• Join Graduate Tacoma April 5-6 for the second annual Charting Our Future conference at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center. This year’s event empowers our community to address inequitable systems and be change agents for student success. Get your ticket.

Professional Resources

Training opportunities

• Join Creating an Equitable Recovery Environment for Clients of Color, March 30, noon-1 p.m. Learn about the Pillars of Connection team and the role they play in fighting systems of oppression and advocating for change, how to meet clients where they are, and what you can do to support a diverse team. Learn more and register.
• Learn how a health equity task force in Kansas helped mobilize services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sign up for Preventive Medicine Grand Rounds. Earn free CEs through Oct. 5, 2023.
• Cooper House invites BIPOC home visitors and other direct service staff to join a monthly FAN Community of Practice, which includes 4 monthly sessions. Each session is 90-minutes and has space for up to 8 FAN practitioners. You must identify as a person of color to participate in this Community of Practice. Each session is 10-11:30 a.m. the fourth Thursday of Jan.-April. Register here.
• Perinatal Support Washington is hosting Group Peer Support (GPS) consultation groups for those who have taken GPS training through Perinatal Support Washington. Attend these FREE virtual groups the second Tuesday monthly or the third Wednesday monthly, through June 2022.
• Join Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) April 7, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for a FREE home visitors training. Learn concrete strategies for supporting survivors and families. This training is only for people who have already attended WSCADV’s Domestic Violence Training.
• BUILD hosts many conferences, meetings, and webinars throughout the year–including the annual QRIS conference. See what's coming up at BUILD and from our partners. Upcoming webinars (11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.):
  • April 20—Head Start and Child Care for Children in Child Welfare.
  • May 19—Family First Prevention Services (FFPSA) Opportunities for Early Childhood Programs.
• Register today for Southwest Perinatal Education Consortium’s virtual conference We See You: Compassionate Strategies for Perinatal Nurses April 22, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• ECHO Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Wraparound connects community healthcare providers with children and young adults with IDD behavioral health specialists. To join, you must commit to 90-minute learning sessions on the second and fourth Wednesday monthly, 8:30-10 a.m. Learn more. Questions? Contact echoiddd@uw.edu.

Funding opportunities

• Are you an artist or cultural producer who lives in unincorporated King County? Apply for 4Culture’s recovery fund! Look for grant guidelines and application at 4culture.org/covid-19. 4Culture offers opportunities for other kinds of cultural funding and support in King County throughout the year.
• Search grants for Community Health Workers or the Public Health Scholarship Program (PHSP).
• The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) announced licensed and certified childcare providers can apply for the Child Care Stabilization Grant. Apply in the Compass Provider Portal by June 30 at 11:59 p.m. If you’re a license-exempt Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) provider, apply on the DCYF FFN Stabilization Grant website. Questions? Email dcyf.stabilizationgrant@dcyf.wa.gov.

Find more family and professional resources here.