Katie's Korner: A message from your PYC Coordinator | | |
This month, I am here to lift up the call of support for what is looking to be a huge impact on our families who rely on food support. I know you are all aware of the current government shutdown and the system impacts. We have been talking to our friends at WIC and with our community network of food banks. There is still so much that is unknown and the situation continues to change daily. For now, we just ask that you continue to advocate for those programs that are facing funding shortfalls and to continue to ask your networks to donate to the remaining local food banks to help to buffer the impending surge in needs.
We are stronger together and now is the time to prepare for action.
Here is where you can go for the most updated information on these vital programs:
For updates on the WIC Program during the Government Shutdown visit: Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program | Washington State Department of Health
For updates on SNAP and TANF visit: Partial federal government shutdown | DSHS
These websites will stay up to date with current information.
Read below for opportunities to:
- Confirm your PYC membership
- RSVP to our next PYC Partners meeting
- Explore the new Help Me Grow Island County online directory
- Join advocacy efforts
- Learn about local workshops, trainings & events
In partnership,
Katie
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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.
| | | Partners for Young Children Island County membership forms have been sent out! Please fill out the form with your organizational information and don't forget to email your logo. Email Katie with any questions!
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In addition, we are still recruiting members for the following committee:
- Pre-K/K Transitions and School Readiness Project
Please email Katie at katiew@whidbeyfoundation.org with your interest!
| | PYC Has a Partner Blogspace!! | | |
Don't forget that PYC hosts a guest blog on our PYC website, where we encourage anyone who would like to get more visibility for their current needs to send us your stories. You can simply email to katiew@whidbeyfoundation.org and we will gladly get the word out! In the meantime, check out our existing blogs if you have not already. You can find it here.
| | October PYC Partners Shared Resources | | Have flyers, information or resources to share? Drop in our SharePoint folder! | | New Date Announced for November Partner Meeting! RSVP Below! | | Sign up for our new PYC Slack Channel! You'll find it under the (also new) Whidbey Community Foundation Slack. Ask questions, share resources, and interact in real-time with other early learning partners in our community! | | Last Month's PYC Programs Report | | Help Me Grow Island County Updates & Supports | The Online Directory is Live! | After much ado and many extensions, we are announcing our new Help Me Grow Island County online directory website! This has been such a labor of collaboration between Partners for Young Children, Within Reach and consultant Melissa Ransdell of Melissajoy Strategies. We are very excited to be able to offer this resource! | |
We are now calling on you to help us to keep it as updated as possible. We already have a few resources that were suggested from Island County Public Health and will be working on those additions. Please feel free to explore the website and make note of anything that may be missing. If your resource is listed, make sure to use the "For Local Provieders" tab to make edits or changes.
Katie will be reaching out to partners to schedule short tutorials on how to use the site most effectively. This is your resource to use with your families and we hope to continuously improve it for our Island County constituents.
Katie has new Help Me Grow rack cards with all our info!.Email if you'd like some to hand out to your families.
You can also still encourage your families to Call Help Me Grow at 1(800) 322-2588.
As always, you may always send questions or updates directly to Katie at pyc@whidbeyfoundation.org.
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.
| Help Me Grow Washington and Child Care Aware Washington Join Forces for Families | |
Seamless support starts here.
Help Me Grow Washington and Child Care Aware of Washington are teaming up to make sure families get connected—not redirected.
No matter which number they call, families can access a wide range of services—from child care and early learning to health, food, and developmental support.
This is what happens when systems work together: no wrong door, just real solutions.
| Help Me Grow Washington Offers Toolkit for Paid Family Medical Leave | |
Help Me Grow Washington has created a toolkit to use when working with families to help navigate Washington State Paid Family & Medical Leave. This toolkit helps to break down the program and demystify the application process.
Click below for the toolkit! New toolkit coming this fall! And keep a look out for our next PYC meeting for a deeper dive into helping families navigate PFML.
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Partners for Young Children Island County is thrilled to be able to offer this free service to our Island County families with children from birth to age 11. We are also include local messaging, sorted by zip code, on free or low-cost programs and events so you will never miss out!
Lantern 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? Submit your messages here and we will help get the word out! | | Vroom Brain-building Tips | | |
Partners for Young Children is excited to offer 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!
| | We can order Vroom outreach materials for your organization. Contact Katie for more info! | | Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Whidbey Island | | |
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.
Funding Updates - We've been urged by the Imagination Library of Washington to continue advocating for the imagination library. The next advocacy period is during the WA state legislative session beginning January 12th and running until March 12th. Brooke and Scott Herrick, The Dollywood Foundation's State Relations Director have already been meeting with key legislators and early learning/K-12 leaders about significant importance of getting ILWA back into the budget for long-term program sustainability. Please continue to get the word out and keep an ear out for more important advocacy days!
Happy News! Our very own Dolly Parton Imagination Library Whidbey was chosen as a recipient of 100+ Women Who Care About Whidbey's monthly donation for October! We are very grateful for this honor and this will bring crucial funding to help sustain our local library program.
| | Katie has bookmarks and other outreach materials. Contact her here! | | Advocacy & Support Opportunities | | The Island County Community Health Improvement Plan Prioritizes Child Care Access-Open House Coming Soon! | | Island County Provides Covid-19 Vaccination Updates per Washington Department of Health | |
Island County announces updated guidance and information for the Covid-19 vaccine per Washington's Department of Health. Please click through the documents below for updated vaccine schedules for ages 6 months to 18 year olds as well as FAQ's for the public.
| | Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network Provides Advocacy Resources | | Workshops, Trainings & Events | | Educator & Parenting Workshops Through Sno-Isle | | |
Stars Training: Engaging Fathers & Men in the Lives of Young Children
Tuesday, November 04, 6:00pm–8:00pm
Online event
Presented by Ray Soriano, MSW. Early Childhood Education Faculty at Skagit Valley College. Men matter in children’s lives, and children benefit immeasurably when men are actively involved in their growth, development, and learning.
2 STARS credits
Registration is required to receive a reminder email with the Zoom link 24 hours before the event begins. If you register less than 24 hours before the event, your confirmation email will include the Zoom link.
| | Oak Harbor Educational Foundation Holds Annual Fundraiser | | Whidbey Health Provides Community Immunization Clinic for South Whidbey | | Harvard's Center on the Developing Child Offers Pediatric Provider Training on Early Childhood Development | |
A new online, self-paced course is available to pediatric providers. Consider sharing this with providers in your community!
The course is intended to increase users’ knowledge of:
- how early development of the brain and other organ systems affects lifelong health and well-being
- how children’s experiences, both positive and negative, beginning in the prenatal period, impact their development and lifelong health
- toxic stress and its relationship to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma, and resilience
- how the interplay of three factors—individual genetic differences, influences in the environment, and the timing of experiences during development—impacts lifelong health and well-being
- how moving upstream to address structural inequalities while also addressing individual needs can build children’s resilience and promote healthy development
Check out the course here!
| | Family & Caregiver Supports | | Mother Mentors Offers Writing Group for Parents Who Have Experienced Loss | |
What to Expect:
In each gathering, you’ll find:
- A gentle writing prompt to help you begin
- Quiet time to write in shared presence
- The option to speak your words — always optional
- A compassionate, judgement-free space held by peers who understand
No pressure. No expectations. Just a safe space for your voice.
| | Positively Linked Offers Parenting Classes | | Island County Public Health's HIYI Program Offers Scholarships for Activities | | Island County Public Health offers the HIYI initiative. HIYI Scholarships can be requested to cover registration fees, equipment vouchers, and other expenses that are a barrier to a child/youth pursuing an organized physical activity anywhere throughout Island County. The HIYI Scholarship Program provides assistance to children and youths from low-income families who are not currently being served by an existing scholarship or fee waiver program. To apply for a physical activity scholarship, please complete and submit the printable application. | | Opportunity Council Can Help With Vehicle Expenses | | Did you know that Opportunity Council's D.R.I.V.E. program can help a family acquire a car seat? Contact them for more information! | | Upcoming Sno-Isle Family Events | | Storytimes & Family Fun at Oak Harbor Library! | | Storytimes & Family Fun at Coupeville Library! | | Storytimes for our south end libraries! | | Click below for even more family friendly events! | | Do you have updates or resources you'd like to share with the broader network? | | |
Immigration Nation Podcast
About the Podcast
Welcome to Immigration Nation, the podcast that dives deep into the complex and often misunderstood world of United States immigration. Through interviews with leading US immigration Attorneys, this podcast aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the policies, struggles and victories within the ever changing world of immigration. Each episode will offer fresh perspectives and valuable insight using real life stories to navigate our nation's immigration system.
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Questions? Contact us at PYC@whidbeyfoundation.org
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