Help Me Grow Washington Network News

We are excited to share recent progress made on several of the strategic initiatives in the Help Me Grow Washington Strategic Plan.

Establish a Governance Model

Help Me Grow Washington’s Stewardship Council, responsible for tracking progress on Strategic Goals, is making steady progress! The Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) Help Me Grow Specialist Heidi Larsen, alongside the Coordinating Team and the Community Partner Board, has finalized the charter and member agreement and is now compiling a shortlist of Council candidates. While the process is slow due to careful consideration of relationships with sister organizations, this thoughtful approach will foster stronger partnerships in the future. Invitations to candidates are expected by the end of December with launch of the Stewardship Council planned for early 2025.   

Develop Specialized Referral Pathways

Help Me Grow Washington (HMG WA) is committed to developing tailored onramps to the HMG WA Network to meet the unique needs of populations of focus, including families with perinatal substance use. Since 2021, HMG WA has been operating the community-based Plan of Safe Care pathway, which is designed for substance-exposed newborns. As a continuum of this work, HMG WA has recently been identified by DCYF to operate the statewide hub and convene regional partners to scale a pathway for substance-using pregnant people to voluntary prevention services. The work is currently in nine counties in partnership with six providers, including HMG WA for King County. This collaborative has been working on creating a shared approach to a set of essential services offered, intake/screening, and referral forms.   

Deploy Strategic Communications

and Conversations

HMG WA is creating a discovery map of its current communications efforts to inform a future communications plan. This process involves identifying HMG’s audiences, understanding their needs, and reviewing past efforts to address those needs. While this process takes time, the goal is to develop more targeted and intentional strategies for reaching specific audiences.

Have ideas about our audience and best ways to communicate with them? Send them to Heidi at Heidi.larsen@dcyf.wa.gov.

Define Goals and Targets

In 2023 Help Me Grow Washington adopted the equity framework of Targeted Universalism (TU) as part of the 5-Year Strategic Plan. Since then, we have creatively used funds to develop a data compendium to help us understand the landscape of families’ varying access to essential services and supports, and as of this early fall engaged with TU subject matter experts to conduct an assessment centered on how to advance HMG WA’s operationalization of TU and to establish a universal goal. Throughout August and September, the Seed Collaborative held listening sessions with the HMG governance bodies, as well as data evaluation experts and system partners with TU experience to ultimately define a universal goal for the HMG WA Network: All families in WA have access to what they need when they need it.    

In line with TU methodology and funded through the newest round of the Preschool Development Grant, the continuation of our TU journey next year will center on co-developing sub-goals and solidifying performance and evaluation metrics in partnership with the HMG governance structure. 

Coordinate Funding and

Advocacy Efforts

We were excited to see the recent proposal from DCYF regarding child welfare prevention through community pathways, which comprises multiple components including an expansion of the Plan of Safe Care Community Pathways and investments in Family Resource Centers. The proposal has been put forward to the Governor for consideration to be included in the Governor’s proposed budget, which will be released in mid-December. The legislature will then take the proposal into consideration during the upcoming legislative session that starts in January. WithinReach/HMG WA, Akin, and more than thirty other partner organizations signed onto a letter to the Governor in support of this proposal. 



Help Me Grow System Spotlight

Help Me Grow Washington’s Early Care & Education Partnership Manager Named CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early Ambassador for Washington

We are thrilled to share that Azucena Salazar (pictured left), Help Me Grow Washington’s Early Care & Education Partnership Manager, has been appointed as the new CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. Ambassador for Washington State. Act Early Ambassadors play a vital role in expanding the reach of the Learn the Signs. Act Early. program, working to improve the early identification of developmental delays and disabilities, including autism.  

In Azucena's words: “The ambassadorship enhances my role by allowing me to serve as a state and territorial point of contact, supporting the early identification of developmental delays and disabilities. Through this position, I will provide outreach and training to Early Care and Education professionals, as well as share critical resources with local communities and stakeholders. This will further strengthen our efforts to ensure that children receive the early support they need.”  

As an Act Early Ambassador, Azucena will: 

• Promote family-engaged developmental monitoring through the integration of Learn the Signs. Act Early. milestone checklist resources in programs and systems serving young children and their caregivers (e.g., WIC, home visiting, child welfare, early care and education, and Federally Qualified Health Centers). 
• Represent Washington State as part of the CDC’s national Learn the Signs. Act Early. program. 
• Support Act Early Teams and other initiatives aimed at enhancing early identification and connecting families to resources. 

For more information about the CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. program, or to learn how you can collaborate, reach out to Azucena Salazar.

Resources to Share

• Help Me Grow Washington Impact Report Webinar: Watch the Help Me Grow Impact Report Lunch & Learn to better understand our vision and goals for supporting families.  
• WithinReach's 2025 Learning Series: Mark your calendar for our upcoming 2025 Learning Series: Navigating Parenting in Times of Crisis, designed to bring community leaders together to discuss health issues and strategies for achieving better outcomes for families.  
• Ascending With Parents: Read Ascending with Parents: A Guide to Centering Parent Voice in Policy and Practice, a resource that emphasizes the importance of parent leadership in shaping effective policies and programs.  
• PN3 Policy Roadmap 2024: Review the United States 2024 Roadmap Summary from the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, offering insights into impactful policy solutions for families. 

Send along ideas and resources for the Help Me Grow Washington website and future newsletters by emailing Lark Kesterke.

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