Great news for children and families! The state House of Representatives took a big step forward recently by passing the Fair Start for Kids Act. Once funded, this bill will provide the largest investment in early learning and child care in state history. The need is stronger than ever for quality, culturally and linguistically relevant early learning to protect communities and dismantle barriers to opportunity. Read more about the bill and thank your legislators. **Read this newsletter in Spanish**

Help Me Grow Washington News

Help Me Grow Washington Toolkit in Development We are excited to be working with the full-service marketing and communications firm, The Vida Agency, to create a communications plan and online toolkit that supports the needs of both state and local Help Me Grow network partners. The Vida Agency, woman and minority-owned, offers a strong commitment to diversity and deep policy and cultural knowledge of Washington communities. The Vida team brings a unique lens and skillset to the work, drawing from personal, professional and cultural connections to improve health equity. We look forward to sharing more as this work progresses.

Welcome to the New Senior Manager of Coordinated Access Welcome to Samantha Thompson, the new Senior Manager of Coordinated Access at WithinReach! Sam will help to oversee major components of the statewide Help Me Grow Coordinated Access Team, including team management, strategic planning, fiscal/contract oversight and programmatic alignment. She will also help with HMG expansion and COVID response efforts. A public health professional, Sam has experience addressing health disparities and implementing programs for people with disabilities.

Join a Racial Affinity Group To advance racial equity, there is work for white people and people of color to do separately and together. Help Me Grow Washington's racial affinity groups are intended for individuals who are part of Washington Communities for Children and/or on the Help Me Grow Washington Action Teams. Learn more here.

Help Me Grow Washington All State Action Team Meeting The Help Me Grow Washington All State Action Team Meeting will take place on Thursday, May 13, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. This meeting brings members from all six Help Me Grow statewide Action Teams together to deepen understanding of the HMG framework and opportunities for collaboration. For more information and to register, please visit the event site.

Help Me Grow National News

The Time is Now Read the most recent post from the Help Me Grow National Blog: The Time is Now to learn about how HMG National plans to leverage new federal momentum and help every state and community build an early childhood and family support infrastructure that accelerates the capacity of programs, policies, interventions, parents, providers and organizations in achieving transformational change.

Advancing Child Health and Development A National Help Me Grow Community of Practice recently brought together multiple HMG state affiliates for six weeks to better understand and articulate the value of the HMG Model for advancing child health and development. Read more about the five lessons this group reflected on after the Community of Practice ended.

Help Me Grow Regional News

In Pierce County... Family Connects launched this past month in Pierce County! Family Connects provides free, voluntary nurse support to families with newborns during the first three months of life, including a direct link to community services that meet individual needs and preferences in collaboration with HMG Pierce County Family Resource Navigators. Referrals are now being accepted for families who deliver at Tacoma General Hospital or St. Joseph's Medical Center and who live in the zip codes 98444, 98408 or 98499. Visit the website for more information or to find online referrals and brochures in six languages.  HMG Pierce County joined HMG Vermont to present at the Center for Health Care Strategies’ new webinar series. They shared how their HMG system responded to pandemic-related food insecurity for young children and families. The webinar recording is available here.

In Skagit County... There is a Family Resource Navigator position open in Skagit County. This person will serve as the first point of contact for Skagit County families seeking information about local resources and help accessing public benefits programs. The Family Resource Navigator supports pregnant families and families with young children up through 6 years old, and will serve as a conduit between families and resources via WithinReach’s Help Me Grow Washington Hotline. Learn more and apply here. 

News & Resources

14 Priorities to Dismantle Systemic Racism in Early Care and Education: This Children's Equity Project report outlines critical priorities and actionable policies that federal and state policymakers can utilize immediately to advance equity in the early care and education system.  Condemning Anti-Asian Violence Requires More Than Words: Anti-AAPI violence has surged since the start of the pandemic, and has been seeded throughout the very fabric of our country's upbringing. Teach For America offers action items to create a new era of justice and solidarity. How to Talk to Kids About Anti-Asian Violence: Having conversations with kids about anti-Asian violence is essential, but not always easy. Experts offer tips to help parents navigate these difficult conversations.

What We Are Reading & Learning

Capabilities & Capacities for Systems Leadership, based on the research of The Systems Sanctuary Q&A: The Coronavirus Pandemic: Mental Health One Year Later, from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

WithinReach is working in shared leadership with the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families and Washington Communities for Children to guide the design and development of a vision and spread and scale plan for a unified Help Me Grow Washington. This newsletter will promote Help Me Grow efforts and share relevant state and local communications, resources and updates across the network.

Send along ideas and resources for the Help Me Grow Washington website and future newsletters by emailing Taryn Essinger at taryne@withinreachwa.org.

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