Katie's Korner: A message from your PYC Coordinator | | |
This month's newsletters comes right after the turn of the autumn equinox. I absolutely love this season --the vibrant colors, the crisp air, the fall back to routines and looking forward to the holiday season. We get relief from the summer heat and humidity and can make time for nature walks, sunsets, warm flannels and hot drinks. It feels like the earth takes a deep sigh before the long winter sleep.
For me, it brings a moment of reflection.
This season, I am reflecting on personal connection. Despite technical difficulties, I felt this connective tissue after our partner meeting last week. There was real empathy, passion and positive energy in the room as well as online. I appreciate this network of "good darn humans" so very much, and I know that our community feels this as well.
We have some exciting work ahead and I'm looking forward to all the collaborative energy brewing up!
Read below for opportunities to:
- Membership updates
- Voting on our Fall meeting date
- Major announcement for our Help Me Grow Island County online directory
- New toolkits and referral pathways
- Updates on events, information, trainings, and opportunities!
Warmly (and Cozily),
Katie
| |
|
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.
| | | PYC Partners voted for a more formalized membership agreement. Please expect email notification this fall with agreements for each organization to sign as well as a request for official logos. Membership will now require a commitment of attendance of 2 of 4 meetings per year and will come with the added benefits of logos and promotional support on our website, newsletter and social network.
| | |
In addition, if you were not in attendance at our quarterly meeting last week, we are also calling for committee members for the following:
- Children's Day 2026
- Pre-K/K Transitions and School Readiness Project
Please email Katie at katiew@whidbeyfoundation.org with your interest!
| | PYC Has a Partner Blogspace!! | | |
You probably saw our youth services call to action, "Whidbey Children Need Our Support", co-written with Whidbey Community Foundation. We have heard wonderful feedback from the community and a lot of your neighbors have written us asking how they can get involved in your organizations.
We've decided to host 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 first blog if you have not already. You can find it here.
| | September PYC Partners Shared Resources | | Have flyers, information or resources to share? Drop in our SharePoint folder! | | End of Summer PYC Island County Quarterly Meeting Notes & Assets | | So much gratitude for those who were able to attend our September PYC Island County Partners Meeting both in person and online! It was a great group. Please see below for meeting notes and presentation assets from the meeting. | | Vote Below for Our Next Meeting Date! | | Our currently scheduled meeting falls on Veteran's Day, so we need to pick a new date to meet. Please click the link below to let us know when you're available! | | 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.
| | |
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.
We know many of you have heard that funding for the imagination library was not supported by the new biennial state budget. We can now announce that Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has agreed to pick up the 50% match that was previously provided by the state through end of fiscal year 2026!! We are so glad that this crucial program will continue to be supported and grateful to our community for supporting with donations and outreach. Don't hesitate to contact PYC for more outreach materials for this great program.
| | Katie has bookmarks and other outreach materials. Contact her here! | | Advocacy & Support Opportunities | | Washington State Dept. of Commerce Offers Funds for Diaper Banks | | |
Washington State Diaper Program
Opportunity Type:Request for Application (RFA)
Close Date:October 28, 2025
Important Dates:
Grant and funding
Commerce intends to award multiple grant agreements to qualifying organizations who submit applications in response to this RFA. Individual award amounts may vary based on proposed impact, geographic coverage, and demonstrated need. Applications are limited to $125,000 each fiscal year or $250,000 total.
The recipient of the $150,000 Direct Appropriation is eligible to apply for this funding, as long the application request does not exceed $100,000.
Bidders conference
A conference will be held on September 23, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. PT. The conference will be virtual only on Zoom.
All prospective applicants are encouraged attend. However, attendance is not mandatory. Commerce will post a recording of the conference on its website within 24 hours after the meeting.
Commerce is only bound by its written responses. All questions from the conference or follow-up communications will be documented in a question-and-answer document posted online.
| | 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.
| | Workshops, Trainings & Events | | Educator & Parenting Workshops Through Sno-Isle | | Autism Partnership of Island County Presents Annual Resource Fair | | Family & Caregiver Supports | | ECEAP Still Has Openings! | | 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! | | Click below for even more family friendly events! | | Do you have updates or resources you'd like to share with the broader network? | | |
Rise Little Earthling: The Podcast
About the Podcast
Rise Little Earthling: The Podcast is a great listen if you're interested in gaining ideas on promoting mindfulness for babies and toddlers. Episodes promote early social-emotional skills as well as some body awareness. The five-minute episodes are easy to integrate into most daily or weekly routines.
| |
Questions? Contact us at PYC@whidbeyfoundation.org
| | | | |
