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Please note that there will be no issue of the ESIT Weekly sent out Fri., Nov. 29, in observance of Thanksgiving/National Day of Mourning (Thurs., Nov. 28) and Native American Heritage Day (Fri., Nov. 29). The ESIT Weekly will resume its regular schedule on Fri., Dec. 6.
Thank you!
National Day of Mourning 2024
Since 1970, Indigenous people & their allies have gathered at noon on Cole's Hill in Plymouth to commemorate a National Day of Mourning on the US Thanksgiving holiday. Many Native people do not celebrate the arrival of the Pilgrims and other European settlers. Thanksgiving Day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of Native people, the theft of Native lands and the erasure of Native cultures. Participants in National Day of Mourning honor Indigenous ancestors and Native resilience. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection, as well as a protest against the racism and oppression that Indigenous people continue to experience worldwide.
Learn more about the upcoming National Day of Mourning origins and upcoming events:
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“We have to do that. We have to be thankful. That's what we said. Two things were told to us: To be thankful, so those are our ceremonies, ceremonies of thanksgiving. We built nations around it, and you can do that, too. And the other thing they said was enjoy life.
That's a rule, a law - enjoy life - you're supposed to.”
-Oren Lyons, Haudenosaunee Faithkeeper of the Wolf Clan of both the Onondaga Nation and the Seneca Nation of the Six Nations of the Grand River
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:
What Does Thanksgiving Mean to Native Americans?
National Day of Mourning held next to Plymouth Rock on Thanksgiving Day
There were drums and dancing on the hill overlooking the Plymouth Rock monument as hundreds of people came together for what they call a National Day of Mourning (watch time 1:50):
In Our Words: An Indigenous Story of Thanksgiving
Highlights Native American and Wampanoag peoples' voices about Thanksgiving and the 1621 Harvest Feast. In this video, Danielle Greendeer (Mashpee Wampanoag), Linda Coombs (Aquinnah Wampanoag), and Chris Newell (Passamaquoddy and Wabanaki) describe the three-day feast between the English settlers and the Wampanoag in 1621. Nearly two hundred years later, the feast started to be labeled the First Thanksgiving. This video concludes with ways we can acknowledge and learn about Native American heritage during the time of Thanksgiving (watch time 10:53):
Sources
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Hello! My name is Michelle. I’m honored and excited to be involved in the PIE community. We are a family of four currently living in Bremerton, Washington. My partner Andrew and I have two daughters, Winifred and Eleanora. I have a background in Early Education and Sped Preschools.
Winifred has been receiving speech therapy since she was fourteen months old due to a severe speech delay. She is turning 3 in February and will go into a preschool setting; the consistent progress she has made may make her ineligible for further services. We are very proud of how far she has come.
I look forward to developing my leadership and advocacy skills while in the company of like-minded caregivers.
Welcome to PIE, Michelle!
Join the DCYF ESIT Team at the 2024 ASHA Convention!
The DCYF ESIT State Leadership Team will have an exhibitor booth at the ASHA convention, December 5 - 7, at the Seattle Convention Center and we would love for you to join us! With this year’s convention in our own backyard, we have a unique opportunity to recruit Speech and Language Pathologists (SLP), SLP-Assistants, SLP-Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY), and Audiologists for our statewide ESIT system, including your local program.
Our Goals
- Highlight early intervention Part C as an exciting and viable career path and showcase the ESIT program as a strong option for employment,
- Connect ASHA participants with ESIT Provider Agencies (PA) who have openings,
- Showcase the state of Washington as a quality place to live.
This recruiting opportunity is available at no cost to our ESIT Provider Agencies, both directly contracted through DCYF/ESIT or our County Lead Agencies. There are two levels of participation available.
Participation Options
1) Participate in person.
Present your program at our booth with up to 3 staff people from your agency. We have 2-hour time slots available (sign up required) where you can present your program’s information, location, current job openings, and even do On-The-Spot interviews. Logistical and detailed information will be shared at sign up.
2) Post your job announcement on ESIT Job Dashboard.
We will be handing out postcards with a QR code to our ESIT Job Dashboard. If you would like your job opening to be included, complete this:
You can go to the current ESIT Job Dashboard to check out all the current posting for job openings at ESIT Provider Agencies.
If you have previously posted a job and it is now filled, just let your Service Delivery Technical Assistance (SDTA) Specialist know so they can update the job dashboard to ensure accuracy of statewide openings.
Questions?
Please email DeEtte Snyder, Workforce Development Manager, at DeEtte.Snyder@DCYF.wa.gov or your program’s SDTA Specialist.
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As we move deeper into the fall season, the ESIT Data Systems and Analysis Team is hosting regular ACORN training sessions on a number of topics. You can sign up for the following training sessions today!
ACORN for Beginners
This session is ideal for those users who haven’t began exploring the ACORN platform. We’ll cover user roles, the login process, basic navigation skills, and more. Click below to register:
Intake & Referrals in ACORN
This session is designed to teach Intake Coordinators, FRCs, and Lead FRCs how to add a newly referred child in ACORN. Topics of this training will include the lookup process and a screen-by-screen tutorial. Click below to register:
Don’t worry if you aren’t able to make it to one of these sessions. The Data Systems and Analysis Team will be sending out additional training topics and dates soon!
Questions?
If you have specific questions about ACORN development and support activities, please contact ESIT Data Systems and Analysis Manager, Kim Hopkins, at Kim.Hopkins@dcyf.wa.gov.
For technical assistance with accessing and/or navigating the ACORN training environment please contact ESIT.Help@dcyf.wa.gov.
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You are invited to ESIT's upcoming Special January SICC Annual Performance Review (APR) Meeting!
Wed., January 15, 2025
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Meeting link & Agenda TBA
Posted
The updated October SICC Meeting Materials packet has been posted to ESIT's SICC Meetings page for review. The draft October Meeting Minutes will be posted and ready for review soon.
SICC Direct List
If you would like your email added to the SICC direct email list to receive the agenda and meeting materials in advance of upcoming SICC meetings, email ESIT Interim Partnership & Collaboration Manager, Tammy McCauley, with the subject: Add me to SICC DL.
Upcoming 2025 SICC Meeting Dates
- Wed., Feb. 19 | Virtual
- Wed., April 16 | Virtual
- July 15 – 16| In person, Seattle area (location TBD)
- Tues., July 15 – PIE Graduation
- Wed., July 16 – SICC Meeting
- Wed., Oct. 15 | TBD
Questions?
Please contact DCYF ESIT Interim Partnership & Collaboration Manager, Tammy McCauley.
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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).
Principles
- Families are equal partners who bring to the team skills, experience and
knowledge about their child; and, are the final decision makers as to what
will work best for their family.
- Early intervention recognizes that family relationships are the central focus in the life of an infant or toddler.
- Infants and toddlers learn best through everyday experiences and interactions with familiar people in familiar settings.
- The early intervention process, from initial contact to transition, must be responsive, flexible and individualized to reflect the child’s and family’s priorities, learning styles and cultural beliefs.
- All families, with the necessary supports and resources, can enhance their children’s learning and development.
- The role of the service provider is to work in a team to support Individualized Family Service Plan functional outcomes, based on child and family needs and priorities.
- Early intervention practices must be based on the best available current evidence and research.
Read and download ESIT's Guiding Concepts.
Submit Your Nomination!
To make a nomination, please complete the form linked below:
As 2025 is quickly approaching, we are gearing up for our annual Unsung Hero campaign in honor of Parent Recognition month (February) and we are hoping you can help us spread the word far and wide.
Since 2011, with your help, we have honored 366 parents and caregivers in Washington for the roles they have taken with their families, schools and communities. They have been recognized because they have shown strength, courage and empathy in their communities. Parents and caregivers around Washington State are supporting their children, families, and communities in exceptional ways and we want to show our appreciation. Please help us in honoring 28 more in February 2025 by nominating a parent/primary caregiver/guardian/community members for the Unsung Hero award. The nomination form is available in three languages (English, Spanish and Somali). A parent panel will select an honoree for each day in February and then all honorees (including their family or supporters) and their nominators will be invited to an in-person celebratory dinner event in Olympia.
All nominations must be submitted by January 3, 2025. The nominations can be emailed to strengtheningfamilies@dcyf.wa.gov.
Save the Date
We hope that you will join us for the 2025 Infant and Early Childhood Conference (IECC), May 5-9, 2025 hosted completely virtual via Zoom.
Call for Presenters
IECC is currently seeking proposals for its 2025 conference. The IECC Conference is well known within the State of Washington for providing high quality, evidence based training for families and professionals working with young children (ages birth to eight) and their families.
- If you or someone you know may be interested in submitting a proposal - please submit proposals no later than Monday, January 13, 2025. To apply online, click here.
- IECC will be evaluating session proposals using a Rubric developed by DEC - we encourage presenters review our selection criteria before submitting their proposal.
IECC Partnership Opportunity
IECC is so thankful for its many community partners. Due to their support IECC has been able to shift its platform and offer the conference registration complimentary for all attendees the past few years. If your organization would be willing to partner with us please email the conference coordinator, Amanda Cardwell directly at amandacardwell@frontier.com.
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 Dr. Stroud will be offering BIPOC Reflective Groups in the coming months. If you are interested, please complete this participant’s survey:
Should you have any questions, contact Dr. Stroud at drbarbarastroud@gmail.com.
Join us for listening and brainstorming sessions and contribute your expertise! Anyone providing support to young children and families in Washington State is invited to participate, including infant mental health specialists, home visitors, child care providers, community health workers, early intervention specialists, and other trusted community members. There are two opportunities to participate, based on your role.
Direct Service Providers
This group is for individuals who directly engage with families, infants, or communities.
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Format: Two, 2-hour sessions over Zoom (4 hours total)
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Session A: Listening and storytelling about your experiences working in the infant and early childhood mental health field.
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Session B: Brainstorming solutions to expand, diversify, train, and retain the workforce.
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Requirement: Participants must attend both sessions.
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Compensation: Participants will receive a $100 gift card after each session, totaling $200.
Program Directors and Administrators
This group is designed for directors, program administrators, and supervisors.
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Format: One, 2-hour session over Zoom.
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Focus: Discussing workforce challenges, current solutions, and generating new ideas for workforce development.
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Compensation: Participants will receive a $100 gift card for attending this session.
Important Note: Individuals may only participate in one focus group.
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