December 2024

Katie's Korner: A message from your PYC Coordinator

Welcome to the debut of Katie's Korner! I want to make sure that I am more than an email in your inbox, but also a neighbor and community partner you know.

This month marks my fifth as your Partners for Young Children Island County Coordinator. It has already been such an awesome journey, and as we are nearing the end of the year, I want to reflect on this incredible opportunity to serve. As a decade-long Island resident, I am still finding myself surprised and humbled by our immense group of community partners. I thought I knew most of the island resource network, but I am still being connected weekly to new people and new perspectives. We are truly a rich community of talented and passionate humans.

I also want to acknowledge it has been a difficult year for many and we are looking towards potentially big unknowns in the near future. There is a lot that is anxiety-provoking in the atmosphere. However, I truly believe that it is this connection, this human-to-human engagement and "lifting up" that will make us resilient.

I want to thank each of you for being an important piece of our ecosystem -- for continuing to hold up the most vulnerable of us. We all know that it takes a village to raise a child, and you are the village that is raising the young children & families in Island County. I wish you all a warm and wonderful holiday season and we will continue the work in 2025!

Warmly,

Katie Watkins

Partners for Young Children (PYC) is a coalition focused on improving the wellbeing of children and families in Island County.

Through PYC, Island County organizations and individuals come together to achieve the vision that all children thrive in nurturing relationships and healthy families. Together, partners are cultivating community action to strengthen Island County families.

Remember to make your voice heard as a PYC Partner!

Your feedback is valuable and will help shape our PYC 2025 priorities. If you have not done so already, please take a few minutes and fill out our survey. Survey deadline is January 17th so we can create a plan for our next partner meeting in February.

~Join us in 2025~

Registration for our quarterly partner meetings will be posted on our website events page when available. Stay tuned!

Bright By Text Now Available In Island County

Island County has received a grant from the Department of Children, Youth & Families to further the Help Me Grow work by purchasing a subscription to Bright By Text.

Bright by Text tailors three to five weekly text messages to caregivers, providing evidence-based content on developmental milestones, brain growth, emotional health, nutrition, and resilience.

Does your organization have a community message to share with local parents? By partnering with local organizations, we aim to expand access to medical, educational, and social services, benefitting children, caregivers and communities.

Help Me Grow Updates Coming!

Stay tuned for Help Me Grow Island County News in early 2025!

We would like to send a HUGE thank you to everyone who has been reviewing their directory listings, helping to get family feedback, and supporting our Help Me Grow project!

Help Me Grow - Island County is a dependable and interconnected system that puts families first – making sure resources are accessible to every child and every community.

PYC Announces Vroom Brain-building Tips

Partners for Young Children is excited to announce another unique and FREE parenting tool being sponsored through Washington Communities for Children (WCFC).

Vroom provides science-based tips and tools to inspire families to turn shared, everyday moments into Brain Building Moments® through printed resources, a text service, and a free mobile app. . Click below for more information as well as ways to engage with this incredible resource!

Imagination Library Available to all Children under 5 In WA

Imagination Library of Whidbey Island—a local program partner of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, strives to send a new book every month to Whidbey Island children from birth to age five. Created in 1995 by renowned entertainer and philanthropist Dolly Parton, the Imagination Library has a proven track record of promoting positive home literacy environments and increasing vital early literacy skills. Early reading is critical for every child.

Since Dolly’s special visit to Washington in August, we have rapidly experienced significant growth in the number of children signed up to receive their free monthly book – a 25% increase across our state! Whidbey Island has already enrolled over 1,400 children since December 2022!

PYC Thanks Sno-Isle Libraries

PYC would like to thank Sno-Isle Library staff for their support in getting the word out about our parenting and early learning programs through so many events and display space this fall. We so appreciate your partnership!

Advocacy & News

This legislative session, Washington Communities for Children (WCFC) requests $4 million to maintain and strengthen the WCFC network infrastructure across Washington state. The WCFC Network has become a critical component of our state's early childhood system thanks to our coordination of cross-sector partnerships at the state, regional, and community level. Find out more below.

Our region, Northwest Earling Learning Coalition (NWEL), is working to coordinate our regional team for Advocacy Day on February 5, 2025. If you are interested/available to participate, or you know a parent, child care provider, or other partner who would be interested, please email pyc@whidbeyfoundation.org. We need to finalize our team by January 17! 

DCYF Accepting Nominations for 2025 Unsung Heroes

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is currently accepting nominations for outstanding parents, grandparents, kinship caregivers, foster parents, and community members, providing direct care to children, as part of its annual Unsung Hero Awards.

To nominate, individuals can complete the form and email their nomination to strengtheningfamilies@dcyf.wa.gov.

The nomination deadline is Jan. 3, 2025. To learn more, click below.

Call to Action to Save 1,800 ECEAP Slots!

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is proposing to the Governor’s Office that 1,800 slots be dropped from ECEAP - that is more than 10% of children served by the program.

San Juan County has provided a wonderful impact sheet to illustrate the importance of these spots. Click below to learn more about how you can advocate to help save them.

Help Me Grow Diaper Bank Workgroup Outcomes & Resources

The Resource Management team at WithinReach has completed reviewing the diaper resources provided by the Help Me Grow Diaper Bank workgroup members. As a result, they have added 67 additional diaper banks to the Help Me Grow WA resource directory, bringing the list to a total of 150 statewide!

Below are links to a map of the locations and names of all diaper banks in the HMG WA directory and a heat map showing the number of diaper banks in our directory by county. You can find more details about individual diaper banks through the Help Me Grow Washington Parenthelp123 Resource Finder.

Do you have information on additional diaper banks? Let PYC know!

New Opportunities

Spring registration is open for the Washington Institute for Parent Leadership and Advocacy (IPLA)

Washington Family Engagement is pleased to unveil its new Washington Institute for Parent Leadership and Advocacy (IPLA). Parents have been asking for a program that teaches leadership, K-12 education and local legislative advocacy. Please let your networks know that registration is now open for our brand new IPLA. Please forward this information to parents you know!



This 10-week, 18-session, transformative, and empowering course is based on social justice and will help you understand how local and state systems are structured, how to become fully engaged in your community and Washington public schools, and how to speak confidently with decision makers to advocate for what matters most to you. 

Register now for the spring! SPRING COHORT STARTS Saturday, March 1st., and ends Saturday, May 3rd. 2025

In-Home Child Care Business Opportunities!

At the Center for Retention & Expansion of Child Care Northwest (C-RECC NW) we work to sustain, strengthen and expand child care in Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom Counties.



We develop collaborative partnerships between business organizations and community members across all sectors, while providing current and aspiring child care providers with financial and technical assistance.

• Are you interested in entrepreneurship opportunities such as opening a child care business?
• Are you a seasoned child care professional preparing to expand—or retire?
• Are you an employer looking into offering any type of child care benefits?

Free Grant Notices

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for (audience)? Why should they care (benefit)? What do I want them to do (call-to-action)?

Create a great offer by adding words like "free," "personalized," "complimentary," or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take action, so consider inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"

Grants.Gov offers Maternal & Child Health Capacity Building Grant

Grants Promote Maternal and Child Health Capacity Building

Department of Health and Human Services



Application deadline: January 3, 2025

Description: The purpose of the Partnership for National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership program is to support national organizations in building the capacity of state MCH programs, urban MCH programs, Healthy Start programs, and maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting programs to achieve the long-term goal to improve national MCH health outcomes and reduce associated disparities by better serving specific populations and awardees.

Earn Your Short Certificate In Early Childhood Education At SVC

Washington State Early Learning Coordination Plan

Workshops, Trainings & Events

Educator Workshops Through Sno-Isle

STARS Training Series: Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Online through Sno-Isle

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects 1 in every 36 children. This means early childhood educators will likely have a child with ASD in their classroom every 2-3 years. This autism training will give you the knowledge and skills to understand and support any young child with ASD.



TWO Stars Credits are available for participants of this class. 

FREE

STARS Training: Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder

Saturday, January 25, 2025

9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Online event through Sno-Isle

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects 1 in every 36 children. This means early childhood educators will likely have a child with ASD in their classroom every 2-3 years. This autism training will give you the knowledge and skills to understand and support any young child with ASD.

TWO Stars Credits are available for participants of this class. 

FREE

Finish 2024 strong by joining an upcoming event with NAWA! The work you do is critical to our communities and we created these events to help you advocate for your mission, make meaningful collaborations, and learn what you need to know to keep your organization sustainable and impactful. Click below to check out NAWA's events calendar.

Family & Caregiver Supports

Whidbey Holiday Houses for Families in Need

Holiday House North, sponsored by Oak Harbor Lions Club, and Holiday House South, sponsored by Readiness to Learn, are still registering families for this holiday season. Follow the links below to sign up your families in need.

PSE Offers Discount Programs

 Our Bill Discount Rate program provides you with ongoing help on your monthly energy bill. Depending on your household income and household size, you can save 5% to 45% a month on your bill. There is one simple application to fill out. In most cases, no proof of income is required to apply and the application only takes a few minutes to complete online. If you’ve received energy assistance in the past, it’s likely you qualify

Working Connections Child Care

Island County Parent to Parent Support & Social Groups

There are many support and social groups now open again to the community. Learn more below about these opportunities. See the flyers below for upcoming events!

Island Transit Updates in Service

 Island Transit is implementing some important service changes that will take effect on January 5, 2025.

Click below for downloadable service guides for your offices and families.

The Fleet & Family Support Center

Island County Public Health Resources

New Baby, New Family is a local home visiting program. They provide supportive care for families with a newborn and pregnant mothers.

Fun Reads & New Listens!

Raising Good Humans with Dr. Aliza



As a parent, do you ever wish someone could just whisper some realistic and trustworthy support in your ear? And not make you feel awful for not having all the answers?

Join Dr. Aliza Pressman, developmental psychologist, parent educator, asst. clinical professor, and co-founder of both Mount Sinai Parenting Center and Seedlings Group in this weekly podcast that aims to make parenting less overwhelming.