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Child Care Background Check Update
Effective Jan. 1, 2024, all child care and early learning providers, including those not working directly with children or youth, who were previously allowed to work supervised after submitting their background application, must complete fingerprints and have a “Cleared” status in the Managed Education and Registry Tool (MERIT) to continue work at the child care facility.
New License Applications:
Any license application received by DCYF on, or after, Jan. 1, 2024, for child care and early learning providers, must have an approved background check clearance for each applicant, staff member, or eligible household member.
New Child Care Staff:
Any new child care staff, prospective applicants, or volunteers may be on the child care premises if they are not in licensed child care space AND not counted in ratio, not interacting with children, and not unsupervised with children.
To further understand the process, visit the Timeline for Submitting Background Check Applications. DCYF has started compiling questions and answers to background check questions and will update these Q&A’s monthly to post to our website.
If you have any questions, contact your licensor, or email backgroundchecks@dcyf.wa.gov.
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Update your WA Compass Provider Portal Address
In early March 2023, DCYF made updates to the WA Compass Provider Portal to increase security. As a result of this update, the URL (website address) used to log in to the WA Compass Provider Portal was changed. In early December 2023 DCYF deactivated the old URL, and it is no longer functional.
To ensure continued access to the WA Compass Provider Portal, please update your saved bookmark to the new login site. It is: https://wa-del.my.site.com/PP_LoginPage.
Your username and password have not changed.
If you have any issues with accessing the WA Compass Provider Portal, please contact the Provider Portal Support team at 866-627-8929 or by email at dcyf.providerportal@dcyf.wa.gov.
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The 2024 Legislative Session is almost here!
This year, we are focusing on three main issues:
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Increasing the number of Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants hired to reduce program waitlists and serve more children and caregivers statewide | |
Increasing care availability for families by expanding eligibility for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) and Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) | |
Increasing funding for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) so that all eligible children can be placed in a high-quality program | |
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Get involved!
Want to join our community of committed advocates and help us fight for policy that nurtures and sustains child-centered, antiracist early learning programs?
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Join an Advocacy Pod today!
Advocacy Pods consist of BrightSpark staff, family members, caregivers and providers, and other community members from the same legislative district.
Together, pod members meet with their local and state legislators to talk about their area of expertise - early learning!
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Save the date for our Advocacy Day!
Join us in Washington's State Capitol on February 1, 2024, to meet with legislators and share your stories, experiences, and facts to emphasize the importance of investing in early learning.
Sign up now for our Logistics meeting on January 11, which will help get you prepared for the big day!
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Your tidbit on
Food Brings Us Together!
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Eating and Sharing a meal together is fun AND can also be a learning experience. When adults and children eat together, kids have the chance to see good eating habits in action while being at the same level with the adults—literally. That’s important. This week we not only share tips on family style eating, but some recipes too!
Click below to read the tidbit, or hear it in your preferred language.
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Click below to view our video tidbits: | |
Linked below is a cookbook, of recipes compiled by our staff! | |
Check out these book lists below for some story time inspiration! | |
Addressing Violence in the World Resources
We recognize that current world events can be very stressful for families and may be directly impacting you. We want to provide a few resources, intended for both children and adults, that may be helpful at work and home.
Specifically, we want to draw attention to Piplo Productions, available in many languages and as read- aloud books on YouTube. The book Once I Was Very Very Scared is helpful for children experiencing fear.
Additional resources:
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Anti-racism is at the center of our work. We wanted to provide this previous tidbit as a refresher to what microaggressions are and how you can avoid them in your daily life and program. This tidbit also includes additional resources. We hope this sparks self reflection and feel free to reach out to your early learning coach for ways to implement changes that promote equity in your program.
Click on the image to view our full tidbit on microaggressions.
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You can view the videos for this tidbit with the links below: | |
We have compiled a list of local Black Owned Businesses! This is not a comprehensive list, but should get you started with ways you can support Black business people and all year long! | |
Professional Development Opportunities | |
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BrightSpark continues to offer professional development opportunities online via Zoom and also in-person trainings.
All professional development opportunities listed are STARS hours approved trainings.
Email provider@childcare.org for any questions.
Stay tuned for our 2023 Winter Professional Development Opportunities - coming to you via mail and email!
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Professional Learning Communities | |
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BrightSpark Early Learning Services invites you to increase your early learning knowledge by joining our virtual Professional Learning Communities (PLC)!
These PLC's will also provide you with an opportunity to connect with other early learning professionals. Collaborate, ask questions, and get resources!
Stay tuned for an email about the January PLC dates!
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Are you interested in being part of our advocacy work? | |
A BrightSpark Early Learning Services Podcast! | | |
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The Rainy Day Recess provider support podcast team from Child Care Resources invites you to listen in to the first episode in our 2022-23 podcast series!
Join us under our umbrella as we talk about real issues and challenges facing our field in an authentic way that just might surprise, challenge, and inspire you. And, oh, yes! It’s all served up healthy sprinkling of humor.
Upcoming episodes will feature such topics as the staffing crisis in our field, risky play, and advocacy. Stay tuned!
| | The Rainy Day Recess team offers up some self-care suggestions for adults and children, even while acknowledging that staffing and burnout issues remain all too real, with no quick fixes on the way. | In this episode, we look at what Critical Race Theory really is (and isn’t), how it applies to our field (and doesn’t), and why the well-being of the children in our care depends on boldly taking on racial issues rather than pretending they don’t exist. | Staffing vacancies are rampant, not enough people want to get into our field, and many parents are desperate to find care. Our Rainy Day Recess team dissects the history and causes of the staffing crisis and offers some suggestions on what to do about it. | |
Our Rainy Day Recess crew catches up with the Early Learning Policy and Advocacy Manager for advice and insights into how to “do” advocacy on behalf of children and families even if you feel anxious and unsure how to get started. | |
Our Administrative Office has Moved! | |
While we loved our former Administrative Office location in Seattle’s International District, we have recently moved to the Triton Towers in downtown Renton. With this new location's larger space and onsite parking, we will be able to support more providers. | | |
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Our new address is:
BrightSpark Early Learning Services
555 S. Renton Village Place
Suite 280
Renton, WA 98057
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Like all other BrightSpark offices (located in Kent, Lake City, Redmond, and Tacoma), in-person appointments are available by appointment only. Renton office staff will be available by phone (206-329-1011) from 8:30 AM - 5 PM on weekdays. | |
Child Care Resources is now officially
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For us, the rebranding process is all about reintroducing ourselves as a multifaceted organization focused on nurturing and sustaining child-centered, antiracist early learning communities. While 30 years ago, Child Care Resources was created to predominantly help children, families, and providers navigate traditional child care settings, today we work in so many different areas of the early learning field - including the realms of advocacy and policy; mental health support; Family, Friend, and Neighbor care; funding and subsidy work; and so much more! To learn even more about us and our programs, check out our new website, which has been redesigned to be easier to use.
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Public Health – Seattle & King County’s (PHSKC) Child Care Health Program created a toolkit for Child Care and Early Learning Providers in Washington State.
If you work with children ages 0-5, vaccinations are probably a popular topic in your conversations with families. This toolkit can help you respond to questions and address concerns.
It includes:
- Information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent
- Information about child care and school vaccination requirements
- Sample responses to common concerns about vaccination
- Tips for communicating with vaccine hesitant families
- Additional resources
Please, use the link below to access the toolkit in your preferred language:
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If you have any questions or need additional support,
reach out to your BrightSpark Early Learning coach.
If you don't have a coach, you can call our provider line at
1-800-446-1114
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