Katie's Korner: A message from your PYC Coordinator | |
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This month's message is that of deep gratitude for our community. I am continually humbled by the generosity, leadership, and resiliency that I see all around me. Put simply--when there's a need or someone needs help, this community rallies in an unbelievable way.
I see this in our partner network and in the networks you all serve. It brings hope to know that when times call for unwavering togetherness, we can most certainly look to you all.
Because of the great feedback we received from you in the survey and workshop discussion at the Winter Partners meeting, we will soon be able to present our Island County PYC collaborative goals for the remainder of 2025 and 2026. We are excited to announce these community-centered goals and strategies for success with pathways for you all to engage in the work.
~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.
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February PYC Partners Meeting Notes & Shared Resources
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Thank you for a fantastic PYC Partners meeting and for the valuable insight you provided for PYC's future!
Huge shout-out to our February Speakers:
- Joy Feldman, Early Literacy Coordinator from Sno-Isle Libraries
- Tia Collins, Family Access Program Manager from Child Care Aware
You can find their presentation slides here.
ICYMI: Below, you will find the February meeting notes with relevant links. You will also see our PYC SharePoint Folder with all shared resources so far. This includes the wonderful presentations from our February speakers, . Please feel free to drop flyers and notifications in our folder at any time to be shared out.
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Join us for our Quarterly Partners Meeting | |
Join our new PYC Slack Channel! | | |
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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!
See you all there!
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Bright By Text - February Tips for Families | |
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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? Submit your messages here and we will help get the word out! | |
Help Me Grow Updates Coming! | |
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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.
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PYC Announces Vroom Brain-building Tips | |
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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!
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Imagination Library Available to all Children under 5 In WA | |
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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.
Thanks to all of your help in promoting this great program, Whidbey Island has already enrolled over 1,400 children since December 2022! We are also so proud to be a growing piece of Dolly's dream. Look at these end of year numbers!
Numbers by Region:
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Katie has bookmarks and other outreach materials. Contact her here! | |
Immigrant Rights Resources | |
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All people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution.
In collaboration with our region of partners, Northwest Early Learning Coalition, we are providing this ongoing list of resources for our families, friends and neighbors in the immigrant community. Please check back for more resources as they are gathered. And let us know if you have additional resources by emailing pyc@whidbeyfoundation.org!
Order Immigration Legal Resource Center (ILRC) Red Cards here for free!
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Know anyone who needs legal assistance with their immigration status? Skagit Legal Aid may be able to help! | |
Help Me Grow Diaper Bank Workgroup Outcomes & Resources | |
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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!
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Washington DOC Child Care Partnership Grant Program | |
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The Washington State Department of Commerce is offering one-year grants to help local communities assess child care needs and develop actionable plans to increase child care availability statewide. The grant can help communities prepare to apply for future funds to address child care and early learning construction projects.
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2025 registration is open for the Washington Institute for Parent Leadership and Advocacy (IPLA) | |
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Washington Family Engagement continues to offer its Washington Institute for Parent Leadership and Advocacy (IPLA). 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.
Please let your networks know that registration is now open for Spring 2025 sessions.
Spring cohort begins March 15th!
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In-Home Child Care Business Opportunities! | |
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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?
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The GrantStation Insider is GrantStation's weekly newsletter filled with the latest information on grantmakers, upcoming grant deadlines, and news that will assist the serious grantseeker. When you read the GrantStation Insider each week, every link will take you to updated and relevant information.
The GrantStation Insider is filled with the latest national and regional grant opportunities, as well as upcoming federal deadlines delivered directly to you each week on Thursday.
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Earn Your Short Certificate In Early Childhood Education At SVC | |
Workshops, Trainings & Events | |
Community Cares Health & Wellness Festival | |
For more information and to register as a vendor, click below! | |
HMG Skagit Offers Healthcare Provider Training | |
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Supporting Behavioral Health in Young Children: Tools for Healthcare Providers
Join Help Me Grow Skagit for a comprehensive training focused on enhancing pediatric behavioral health. Develop practical skills and strategies for your practice that will hep you respond to behavior concerns and support young children’s mental health and family well-being.
More information and how to register here!
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Island Transit Holding Public Meetings for Proposed Service Changes | |
Postpartum Support International: Provider Perinatal Mental Health Training | |
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Perinatal Mental Health: Culturally Informed Approaches to Screening, Assessment and Treatment.
These two 90-minute webinars were hosted by Postpartum Support International and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) on presented on May 18 and May 24, 2022. They present an overview of perinatal mental health screening, assessment, treatment, and referral pathways through the lens of culturally-informed care and best practices in treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Register to receive recordings of the webinars. Scroll down for CE/CME information.
This two-part training provides 3 CEs and both webinars are required to obtain a certificate
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Educator Workshops Through Sno-Isle | |
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STARS Training: Supporting Language Learning and Multilingualism
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
6:00pm-8:00pm
Online through Sno-Isle
Children are born with an incredible capacity to learn language – even multiple languages at a time! Join Amelia Bachleda, PhD. from the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington. We will discuss research-based strategies to support children’s early language development. We will also cover how children learn more than one language, address misconceptions, and explore the many benefits of multilingualism.
TWO Stars Credits are available for participants of this class.
FREE
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Stars Training: One Book, Many Stories
Saturday, May 3rd, 2025
10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Marysville Library through Sno-Isle
How many different stories can we tell with one book? There are lots of ways we can support early literacy that go beyond just reading the words on the page. We'll explore books we know, books we don't know, books that may be too wordy for our kids, books that are written in languages we don’t read or that don’t have any words at all! Exploring in this way will help us learn to adapt books we have on hand for all ages in the classroom. It will also help us with tips and strategies for supporting parents or caregivers that don’t have access to books in languages they can read.
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Family & Caregiver Supports | |
Upcoming Sno-Isle Family Events | |
New! Spanish Storytimes at Oak Harbor Library! | |
PSE Offers Discount Programs | |
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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
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Postpartum International Blog & Online Support Groups | |
Click the images to read the latest blog posts below! | |
Click below for online support groups! | |
Suicide Awareness & Prevention Presentation | |
Working Connections Child Care | |
Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) helps eligible families pay for child care. When a family qualifies for child care subsidy benefits and chooses an eligible provider, the state pays a portion of the cost of child care. Parents may be responsible for a copayment to their provider each month. | |
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! | |
PFLAG Whidbey Monthly Support Group | |
Do you have updates or resources you'd like to share with the broader network? | |
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In the Arena with NOW Presents: We have the answers: Centering Interconnected Healing and Community-Led Solutions
In our sixth episode, we continue our conversation with Julie Garreau, Chief Executive Officer, Cheyenne River Youth Project (CRYP), and a 2022 Community Food Systems Fellow. We learn more about CRYP's intentional approach to developing expansive programs that are centered on interconnected healing, including the WInyan Toka Win Garden, which was started by community elders — including Julie’s mother — and has since become the heart of the youth project’s Native food sovereignty initiative and a precious source of sustenance, healing, safety, and trust. Julie reflects on the inherent wisdom and self-sufficiency of communities, recognizing that “we have the answers, we have the solutions,” and speaks to the importance of changing how organizations do business so they are able to center healing and indigenous practices and strengthen pathways for future leaders.
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The Brain Architects Podcast: A Cascade of Impacts
A Discussion on the Ways Water Affects Early Childhood Health & Well-being, led by the Center’s Chief Science Officer, Lindsey Burghardt, MD, MPH, FAAP, and featured Devon Payne-Sturges, DrPH, Associate Professor with the Department of Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health at the University of Maryland, School of Public Health, and Nathaniel Harnett, PhD, Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. In this podcast, learn about the many ways water affects early childhood health and well-being as well as actionable strategies and policy solutions that can support clean water access for all children and their caregivers.
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Community Corner: Resources and More!
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Now Available on Whidbey! - All children under 5 in Island County are not eligible for free books mailed monthly to their homes. LEARN MORE - DOWNLOAD A FLYER
Child Care Provider Health Coverage - Employees of licensed child care facilities now have access to a NEW Health Care Premium Assistance Program through Washington Health Benefit Exchange. LEARN MORE
Virtual & In-Person Storytimes -
Sno-Isle storytimes for kids who speak English
Sno-Isle storytimes for kids who speak Spanish, Russian and Korean
All Sno-Isle storytimes
Whidbey Island Essential Needs Program - now available to help Whidbey Island friends and neighbors with practical needs like housing set-up expenses, utilities, and one-time extraordinary expenses like car repairs. LEARN MORE
Healthy Island Youth Initiative 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. LEARN MORE
Mother Mentors of Whidbey Island FREE Parent Support Circle - A new Parent Support Circle is a FREE community offering on Monday mornings twice a month from 10:30 - 11:30 via Zoom (in-person gatherings coming soon in North and South Whidbey). For more information, follow their Instagram page.
New Parent Support Home Visitation Program - The New Parent Support Home Visitation Program (NPSHVP) is a team of professionals providing supportive and caring services to military families with children 0-36 months of age. This program offers expectant parents and parents of newborn and young children the opportunity to learn new skills as parents and to improve existing parenting skills, in the privacy of their own home. LEARN MORE
Island County New Baby, New Family is a local home visiting program. They provide supportive care for families with a newborn and pregnant mothers. LEARN MORE
Island County Human Services Referral Form - We are in this together and there is help! Please complete this form, or call our Help Line at 360-678-2346 and someone will contact you to see how we can help. LEARN MORE
NAS Whidbey: Fleet & Family Parent Support Programs - A Space for Grace: Military Pregnancy & Postpartum Support Group LEARN MORE
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Questions? Contact us at PYC@whidbeyfoundation.org
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