|
Fall Findings by Jahla Brown, DCYF ESIT Partnership & Collaboration Specialist
“The point is not to pay back kindness, but to pass it on.”
-Julia Alvarez, American New Formalist poet, novelist, and essayist
Sec. Haaland on healing from the indoctrination, dehumanization at Indian boarding schools
"[...] we want to make sure that the families get the answers that they need and they want. The federal government has a trust obligation to Indian tribes. That is in exchange for all the land that essentially became the United States. This was all Indian land at one time."
Watch the video (9:49) and read the full transcript:
Sec. Haaland on healing from the indoctrination, dehumanization at Indian boarding schools
|
"I believe that our nation will benefit from a full understanding of the truth of what took place and a focus on healing the wounds of the past".
-Debra Anne Haaland, Pueblo of Laguna Nation
Orange Shirt Day, Sept. 30
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:
Why Orange Shirt Day Is More than Just a Fashion Statement
September 30 is Canada’s National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, also known as National Day of Remembrance, or more familiarly, Orange Shirt Day, established to commemorate the missing and murdered children from residential schools and honor the healing journeys of residential school survivors. It was created by boarding school survivor Phyllis Webstad (Canoe Creek, Dog Creek), whose story symbolizes the enduring connection between the color orange and her sense of insignificance and neglect. Read to learn more:
Why Orange Shirt Day Is More than Just a Fashion Statement
-
With Our Orange Hearts by Phyllis Webstad, illustrated by Emily Kewageshig: Listening is a first step towards reconciliation. It’s never too early to start. “Every child matters, including you and me. With our orange hearts, we walk in harmony.” As a young child, your little world can be full of big feelings. In this book, I, Phyllis Webstad, founder of Orange Shirt Day, show how sharing my story with the world helped me to process my feelings. My true story encourages young children to open their hearts when others share their feelings and be more comfortable sharing their own feelings, too.
Sources
To: County Lead Agencies and DCYF-Contracted Early Intervention Provider Agencies:
*Please share this information with your direct service providers and Family Resources Coordinators.*
As many of you know, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) team has contracted with Washington State University (WSU) to launch and analyze the results of the Family Outcomes Survey. ESIT uses this survey to measure Indicator C4: Family Outcomes.
Family outcomes include:
- Family knows their rights.
- Family effectively communicates their children's needs.
- Family helps their children develop and learn.
Please review the sample cover letter and survey that families will receive.
Additional Family Outcomes Survey Information:
- WSU will contact families by email and postal mail by the first week of October. Families contacted will be those served between July 1, 2024- June 30, 2025, who have at least six months of service and have an annual Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or have exited the program in the past six months.
- 12,989 families in the sample will get a paper survey, with the cover letter and a return envelope. Families will also have the option to complete an online version of the survey.
- A reminder postcard is scheduled to be mailed in mid-October.
- The survey response window will be open for approximately seven weeks. All responses will need to be received by Jan. 11, 2025.
- The survey is translated into 15 languages: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Farsi, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
- The survey is available online in English, Bengali, Chinese, French, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
- Every family who is mailed a survey will receive it in English and one of the 15 translations, depending on the primary language listed in the ESIT data management system.
What should I say to families that fit these criteria?
- You may receive a survey in the mail and email from WSU
- DCYF is responsible for ensuring high-quality early support services are provided across programs and they want to hear about your family’s experience.
- DCYF will share grouped responses with us (providers) – but they will not share your identity with us.
- Please take a moment to complete either the paper version or the online version (you do not need to complete both).
- Families may also complete the survey online by logging into www.opinion.wsu.edu/ESIT and entering their family’s unique identification number, which is listed on the bottom of their paper survey or in the letter. The online survey is active for Bengali, Chinese, English, French, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
Questions?
For additional information or questions about the survey, contact:
Kim Hopkins, ESIT Data Systems and Analysis Manager at kim.hopkins@dcyf.wa.gov or Kent Miller, WSU Project Manager, at sesrc.ESIT.survey@wsu.edu or 800-833-0867.
Mark your calendars! Join us for the upcoming October SICC meeting:
Wed., Oct. 15| 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Meeting Link
Agenda TBA
For Review
SICC Direct List
Sign Up for SICC DL to receive meeting materials in advance of upcoming SICC meetings.
Accommodation Requests
Please submit the request form by Monday, Sept. 29. DYCF may not be able to fulfill requests made less than two weeks in advance.
|
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. The September session will include resources, discussion, and reflection with the Family Separation Rapid Response Team.
Who should attend?
Any Provider who works with immigrant and refugee families! We recommend any ESIT staff, especially those who support the intake/referral, service coordination, and evaluation/assessment process, to attend. Registration is open now!
Monday, Sept. 22 | 9:30 – 11 a.m.
Supporting Providers Working with Immigrant and Refugee Families
Questions?
Contact Technical Assistance Specialist, Molly Stryker, at molly.stryker@dcyf.wa.gov or King County Program Manager, Norma Renteria Lobo, at nrenteri@kingcounty.gov.
|
*CLAs and ESIT Provider Agencies, please widely share with your ESIT contractors*
ESIT's Resource and Sustainability Team is hosting several Fiscal Learning Opportunities! Priority registration will be given to budget/fiscal staff.
Revenue/Expenditure Year-End Report Sessions
Year-End Revenue/Expenditure Report Sessions will include guidance on completing your organization’s FY24 ESIT Revenue & Expenditure Year-End Report using the updated instructions and template within the Fiscal Workbook.
Dates and Times
- Tuesday, Sept. 23 | 10 – 11 a.m. | Registration
*For County Lead Agencies and their affiliated ESIT Provider Agencies.
Fiscal Workshops
Fiscal Workshops will include guidance on the following topics:
- Part C Purpose and Fiscal Requirements,
- State Lead Agency (SLA) Responsibilities, and
- ESIT Fund Sources and Contracts.
* Workshops are two hours. All workshops will cover the same material (no need to attend all four).
Dates and Times
Accommodation Requests
ASL, live captioning, and other accommodations to fully participate in this webinar are available to you upon request. Please submit the Training and Event Access Support request form at least two weeks prior to the event. DYCF may not be able to fulfill requests made less than two weeks in advance.
Questions?
Email ESIT Resource Allocation Manager, Kali Wraspir, at kali.wraspir@dcyf.wa.gov.
|
Are you a parent or caregiver of a child, or children, receiving early intervention services through the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program?
Do you want to grow your leadership, public speaking, and advocacy skills, to help tell your lived-experience story and influence systems of support for infants and toddlers with disabilities across Washington state?
Join the Department of Children, Youth, and Families’ (DCYF) Parent Institute for Engagement’s (PIE) cohort 8!
As an incentive, DCYF provides reimbursement to PIE cohort members for child care, travel, and lodging costs.
Applications are due: Sept. 25, 2025.
Chosen applicants will be notified: the week of Sept. 29.
Follow the link below to apply:
PIE Cohort 8 Application
Flyers are available for providers and partners to distribute to families. To request flyers, application links, or for any questions, please contact Vanessa Allen, Family Engagement Coordinator. For more information about PIE, visit the ESIT Parent Rights page.
Let’s continue building strong family leaders, one cohort at a time.
|
ESIT is proud to share the PIE Cohort 7 Graduation Video, where members reflect on their powerful journeys and share what PIE has meant to them—in their own words (16:38):
Parent Institute for Engagement (PIE) Cohort 7 Graduation
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.
|
ICYF Conference Agenda Now Available
The agenda for the upcoming 2025 Indigenous Children, Youth & Families (ICYF) conference is now available online. Taking place on Oct. 15-16, this virtual event gathers caregivers, Tribal partners, caseworkers, early learning providers, and juvenile rehabilitation staff to learn together and improve our shared practice.
To view the agenda and to register, read the web article.
|
DCYF 2026 Legislative Session Webinar
DCYF is hosting a webinar from 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, to provide updates on our Agency Request Legislation and Decision Package submissions for the 2026 Legislative Session.
To learn more, read the web article.
|
Spread the Word about Free/Low-Cost Child Care
Many families living in Washington state qualify for free or low-cost child care, but they may not know about it. You can help by sharing information with parents, caregivers, and your community.
The Washington state Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) has put together a toolkit with ready-to-use materials that make spreading the word easy!
Visit www.dcyf.wa.gov/childcare/toolkit to access printable flyers, sample social media posts, and email templates.
Whether you work directly with families or want to help your community stay informed, these resources make it easy to connect families to the support they need.
Want to know more about the Working Connections Child Care Subsidy Program? Visit www.dcyf.wa.gov/childcare or call 844-626-8687. Help is available by phone in multiple languages.
|
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 & 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 0 to 3
Please complete this form to participate in a Community Conversation about Centering Black Excellence within Early Support for Infants & Toddlers (ESIT):
ESIT Centering Black Excellence: Community Conversations
Virtual & In-Person Community Conversations
- Saturday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m. - noon, Rainier Beach
- Monday, Sept. 29, 6 - 8 p.m., Kent
- Wednesday, Oct. 8, 6 - 8 p.m., Bellevue
- Saturday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m.- 12 p.m., Northgate
- Wednesday, Oct. 29, 6 - 8 p.m., Virtual on Zoom
View and download the flyer for more information. Participants will receive a $75 stipend upon completing a session.
For any questions or support, please e-mail bsk-wested@wested.org.
|
The Washington State Department of Health, Early Hearing Detection, Diagnosis and Intervention (EHDDI) program worked with ESIT, OSPI, early support providers, and school district personnel to create a training module. The training module provides Part C (birth to three) and Part B (school aged) providers with information and resources that can be helpful when a child who is deaf or hard of hearing transitions from early support services to school district services.
To access the training and other helpful trainings, please visit the EHDDI WaPortal webpage.
|
The current cohort of Tribal Early Learning Initiative (TELI), which started in early 2022, will end in December 2025. In addition to providing universal technical assistance to 41 TELI Network Tribes, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has been partnering with 8 TELI Collaborative Tribes to provide intensive support to assist them in planning and carrying out their priorities to improve efficiencies and be more responsive to the needs of young Native children and their families. The new TELI cohort will run from January 2026 to December 2028 and will emphasize food security and nutrition. To learn more about TELI, view the TELI informational flyer.
To apply to participate in the TELI Collaborative, please fill out the Statement of Interest and submit to TribalECD@acf.hhs.gov by Friday, Oct. 31.
|
For more updates, subscribe to these newsletters:
|
