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End-of-Legislative Session Webinar Shares Updates from 2025 Legislative Session
In late April 2025, the Legislature passed a budget, which includes recommendations to address the state’s $16 billion budget deficit.
The following End-of-Legislative-Session Webinar is hosted by Director of the Office of Public Affairs, Allison Krutsinger, and Chief Financial Officer, Rene Newkirk, and shares the latest updates from the 2025 legislative session.
Please view the Webinar Recording and Webinar Slides.
One persistent voice expressing frustration toward the status quo can change the way history is remembered. Case in point: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The observance now takes place every May in the U.S. and is marked by communities within the country’s 22.2 million Asians and 1.6 million Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders. And yet, despite that scale, the seeds for the commemorative month originated from one woman, a former Capitol Hill staffer, Jeanie Jew. Read full 2019 article, by Kat Moon:
The Creation of AAPI Heritage Month
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“Until America begins to build a moral record in her dealings with the Indian people she should not try to fool the rest of the world about her intentions on other continents. America has always been a militantly imperialistic world power eagerly grasping for
economic control over weaker nations.”
-Vine Deloria Jr., author, theologian, historian, activist for Native American rights
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:
Rethinking Protections for Indigenous Sacred Sites
Scholars concerned about government failure to protect Indigenous sacred sites on government property have generally agreed that the problem stems from the unique nature of Indigenous spiritual traditions as being too distinct from non-Indigenous religious traditions familiar to courts and legislators, and therefore eluding protection afforded to other traditions. By contrast, this Article approaches the problem from an entirely different angle: we focus instead on the similarities between government coercion with respect to Indigenous religious exercise and other non-Indigenous religious practices.
Rethinking Protections for Indigenous Sacred Sites
Time of its Own
A rare 1997 interview with the renowned, beloved Native American intellectual Vine Deloria Jr. (1933-2005). Vine is well known for his books, Custer Died for Your Sins and God is Red (watch time 5:03):
Time of its Own
Book Recommendation
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Uneven Ground: American Indian Sovereignty and Federal Law, by David E. Wilkins and K. Tsianina Lomawaima, discusses how the political rights and sovereign status of Indian nations have variously been respected, ignored, terminated, and unilaterally modified by federal lawmakers as a result of the ambivalent political and legal status of tribes under western law.
Sources
The ESIT FAQ document is a joint initiative between DCYF's ESIT State Leadership Office and the King County Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Division.
The purpose of this document is to help families understand what information does and does not need to be collected to participate in services. The ESIT FAQ is now available on ESIT's parent page.
The May edition of the ESIT DMS Known Issues document is now available on the ACORN Data Management System webpage, located under Training & Technical Support, ESIT DMS Known Issues.
Questions? Email dcyf.esithelp@dcyf.wa.gov.
On April 1, the ESIT State Leadership Office began the soft rollout of this new credential. ESIT professionals in these roles provide developmental services (special instruction) on Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs).
Join us to review the credential requirements and application process. There will be an opportunity to ask questions.
Choose one of the following:
Accommodation Requests
To request language interpretation services, or other accommodations to fully participate in this webinar, please request Training and Event Access Support at least two weeks prior to the event.
Questions?
Contact ESIT Workforce Development Specialist, Lori Holbrook, at dcyf.ESITtraining@dcyf.wa.gov or (360) 999-7558.
The ESIT State Leadership Office is pleased to announce the 90-day training and technical assistance period for the revised Transition Policy: Parental Opt-Out option, beginning April 1. The revised Policy will give families the opportunity to opt-out of the notification to Part B Special Education services during the transition window.
The ESIT Accountability and Quality Improvement team has scheduled two statewide orientation webinars in May where participants (administrators, fiscal staff, FRCs, direct EI service providers) will be provided an overview of the revised policy and process for parents to opt-out.
Please join ONE of the following Orientation webinars:
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May 20 | 9 – 10:30 a.m. | Join Meeting
Meeting ID: 817 7548 7092 Passcode: 042149
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May 21 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. | Join Meeting
Meeting ID: 847 7992 9959 Passcode: 685353
Open Office Hours:
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June 5 |Noon –1 p.m. | Join Meeting
Meeting ID: 810 0705 9062 Passcode: 198482
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June 10 | 9 – 10 a.m. | Join Meeting
Meeting ID: 810 0705 9062 Passcode: 198482
The Parent Opt-Out policy will be available to parents starting July 2025.
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A research study at the University of Washington is currently investigating how mobility aids can support independent play and exploration for young pre-ambulatory children with Down Syndrome (12-36 months).
Participating children and their families will engage in play sessions while using a partial bodyweight support system (PUMA, Enliten LLC), a powered mobility device (Permobil Explorer Mini), or no mobility device. Families will be asked to attend 3-5 in-person visits at the University of Washington and will receive compensation for their participation. Free parking or bus passes are provided.
Read and download the flyer and project summary:
Learn more:
If you have questions, or know families who might be interested, please text Mia Hoffman from UW Mechanical Engineering, at (614) 561-7793 or email at miahoff@uw.edu.
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Finding community as an LGBTQ family can be transformational and we know love is the foundation of ALL families. Creating connections and nurturing belonging helps build and strengthen that foundation. This series provides an opportunity for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer parents and caregivers and their allies to explore some of the critical issues and challenges parents face every day, sharing solutions and successful approaches while strengthening our community — one conversation at a time.
Episode 2: Protecting Your LGBTQ+ Family
Understanding the benefits and importance of legally secure parent-child relationships is vital in today’s shifting cultural and legal landscapes. Our conversation will lift up these benefits and provide an overview of the various paths to legal security throughout the United States for LGBTQ+ families.
Register today, learn more about the speakers and upcoming conversations in the series:
Monday, May 19 | Noon–1 p.m.
Episode 2: Protecting Your LGBTQ+ Family
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Find Apple Health (Medicaid) information for stakeholders, providers, community-based organizations and other interested parties on our newly reorganized outreach toolkit page.
What's in the toolkit?
Check out Apple Health resources now!
For more updates, subscribe to these newsletters:
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