Katie's Korner: A message from your PYC Coordinator | | |
To our dear partners and resource community,
As I have evolved slowly into a true Pacific Northwester, I've learned to embrace the upcoming season as a time of stillness and reflection. The short days slow us down and bring us inward. We invite the light inside with holiday lights and candles. We cozy up with soft blankets and feel the tug of that instinct to hibernate.
We turn inward to our communities as well and begin to reflect on the year behind us. We collect numbers and stories that help to inform the incoming new year. What I'm sure you will all find is there is resilience this year that did not exist before. We have learned to lean and connect and there's something really lovely in that.
It can be very beautiful, and it can also be isolating. So, as you light your hearths, remember to notice your neighbors. Remember those that you called upon and who called upon you and remember that you have all left light in the world.
Read below for opportunities to:
- Confirm your PYC partnership
- Save the dates for 2026 PYC partner meetings
- Provide crucial community feedback
- Attend community events & trainings
- Help Island Couty families with resource needs & holiday gifts
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!
| | 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.
| | November PYC Partners Shared Resources | | Have flyers, information or resources to share? Drop in our SharePoint folder! | | 2026 PYC Partner Meeting Dates Are Set! | | 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. A huge thank you to partners at Opportunity Council and Mother Mentors for scheduling visits this month!
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.
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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 | | Participate in a Child Care Study by DCYF! | |
The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is conducting the Cost of Quality Child Care and Market Rate Study to help set Working Connections Child Care subsidy rates that better serve providers across the state.
Why participate?
Your input will directly influence subsidy rates and support improvements in child care quality. Plus, providers who complete the survey will receive a $50 gift card when the survey closes.
Deadline: Monday, December 15
Spread the word: Share this survey with your networks and consider creative ways to support those who may need assistance to participate.
If you are a licensed or certified child care provider, please take a few minutes to complete the survey
| | Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network Provides Advocacy Resources | | Island Transit Announces Public Meetings for Proposed Changes | | Workshops, Trainings & Events | | Island County Public Health and ABC Dentistry Invite You to a Book Launch! | | |
🌿 ISLAND COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH
Invites You to a Special Community Book Launch Event
Island County Public Health, in partnership with the Access to Baby and Child Dentistry (ABCD) Program, is pleased to host the official launch of a new children’s book:
Smiley the Dentist Mouse
Please join us as we celebrate this fun and educational resource designed to support children’s oral health across Island County.
📅 Date & Time
Monday, December 8, 2025
10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Location
North Whidbey Family Resource Center
1791 NE 1st Ave, Suite 2
Oak Harbor, WA 98277
✨ Event Highlights
- Book launch and celebration
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Light finger foods and beverages provided
- Opportunity to connect with Island County Public Health staff and community partners
We hope you will join us in supporting early childhood oral health and celebrating this collaborative accomplishment. Please see the attached book cover and please feel free to reach out to Daysi (D.Mayer@islandcountywa.gov) with any questions!
| | Educator & Parenting Workshops Through Sno-Isle | | |
STARS Training: Partnering with Families--Strategies for Successful Communication
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Online event
Communication and collaboration with families in early education are essential in supporting child development and identifying developmental delays or concerns, promoting learning, and providing a supportive environment for all children.
Presented by IMPACT Northwest Center Kids. This training will cover the following topics:
• The importance of family-centered, quality inclusive practices in early childhood education
• How to build relationships with families
• How to communicate effectively with families
• How to involve families in the classroom
• How to accommodate special healthcare needs
Perfect for Child Care Providers!
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.
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STARS Training: Partnering with Families--Strategies for Successful Communication
Wednesday, January 27, 2026
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Online event
Communication and collaboration with families in early education are essential in supporting child development and identifying developmental delays or concerns, promoting learning, and providing a supportive environment for all children.
Presented by IMPACT Northwest Center Kids. This training will cover the following topics:
• The importance of family-centered, quality inclusive practices in early childhood education
• How to build relationships with families
• How to communicate effectively with families
• How to involve families in the classroom
• How to accommodate special healthcare needs
Perfect for Child Care Providers!
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.
| | Family & Caregiver Supports | | Holiday Houses Open for Registration North & South! | | |
Readiness to Learn announces South Whidbey Holiday House 2025.
Celebrate the season of giving with Readiness To Learn’s Holiday House! This program brings joy and support to South Whidbey families during the winter season, ensuring everyone can fully enjoy the holiday spirit.
If you or someone you know is worried about the cost of a gift for your children this year, Readiness To Learn may be able to help. To find out if you qualify, please register below
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Holiday House North aims to assist parents and guardians experiencing financial hardship by providing new, unwrapped gifts for their children. This holiday event is supported by Toys for Tots and our generous community, which donates items to create a store-like environment at no cost to families.
This service is available exclusively for families in Central and North Whidbey who are facing financial difficulties.
If you or anyone you know needs assistance this year, fill out the registration below.
| | Parent to Parent Hosts a Great December Lineup! | | Positively Linked Offers Parenting Classes | | 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? | | |
Parenting for the Future with Petal Modeste
About the Podcast
For her podcast, host Petal Modeste is concerned with raising the next generation, and the specific challenges they're going to face. From climate change to emerging technologies, the podcast looks to the future and interviews developmental psychologists, scientist and educators to talk parenting in the 21st century.
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Questions? Contact us at PYC@whidbeyfoundation.org
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