Katie's Korner: A message from your PYC Coordinator | | |
To our dear partners and resource community,
This month has been challenging for so many of our neighbors. From floods and power outages, to benefit cuts and delays, there have been so many pressures on our families and service organizations. I've had the privilege to observe concerned citizens showing up and calling in help to their neighbors in need. It's truly been awe-inspiring to see us work together as an Island-made community to make sure everyone is fed, sheltered and safe. I never forget what it means to live here, but it's been a great reminder of who we are.
As we continue to heal and mend and look for better paths forward, I want to express my deep and ever-growing gratitude to you all as members of not only our Partners for Young Children network, but also as people in our community. I know that you don't stop being caseworkers, community health workers, therapists, shelter managers, food providers, parent educators, or teachers when you leave your office at the end of the day. Who you are follows you into your families, your clubs, your gym, the grocery store--and your gifts ripple through our county. Simply, thank you for being you and showing up, especially when times are as challenging as they've been.
I'm a solstice girl, through and through. Knowing that there is a physical turning point in the year where we will literally gather more light each day helps to reinvigorate my passion and align my motivations. Bit by bit, it all gets lighter from here on. So, hang in with me folks! There is much light to come!
In this newsletter, you will find ways to:
- Sign up to become a PYC member!
- Save the dates for 2026 PYC partner meetings
- Check your Help Me Grow listings
- Get crucial emergency alert information
- Sign up for many trainings opportunities!
- Help Island Couty families with resource needs, emergency alerts and disaster relief
Happy holidays & a wonderful new year to all!
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.
| | We have had a great response to our PYC membership agreements! You can check out our new member page on our website to see our amazing network of community resources. | | | Remember, it's not too late to fill out the Partners for Young Children Island County membership form and commit to our fabulous network. 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 | |
We have already had some wonderful site visits with staff at Mother Mentors and Opportunity Council. These meetings have served as valuable touch points for keeping our directory updated and finding more ways to offer support to our community. We will continue to reach out to partners to schedule more of these HMG Directory walk-throughs in the new year.
This is your resource to use with your families and we hope to continuously improve it for our Island County constituents. These visits are creating opportunities for updates and there is a batch of updates in the queue for the beginning of January 2026. This would be a great time to double check your resource and send along any needed changes to Katie!
These updates can include:
- Program language
- Service and contact info
- Agency contact
- Changes to listing categories and maps
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 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.
| | |
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 | | Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network Provides Advocacy Resources | | Join the WAISN Network for their Immigration & Refugee Advocacy Day on January 22nd in Olympia! Register here. | | Workshops, Trainings & Events | | Help Me Grow Skagit Offers 2026 Virtual Education Series: Hot Topics in Pediatric Primary Care | | The 2026 Hot Topics in Pediatric Primary Care will focus on various aspects of safety. All sessions in the series will be held over Zoom on the first Wednesday of the month from 6:00-7:00PM, January through May. Join us for any or all of the events.CME credits will be offered for participants who attend the live presentations. Register for the first one in the series now! | | Postpartum Support International Offers Trainings for Professionals, Families & Community Supports | | |
Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care
March 11-12, 2026 8:30 AM-5:00 PM PT | Virtual
Registration Deadline: February 25
This two-day course, taught by expert and engaging faculty, uses a thorough, evidence-based curriculum designed for psychiatrists, nurses, physicians, social workers, mental health providers, childbirth professionals, social support providers, and anyone interested in building skills for assessment and treatment of perinatal mood disorders. Your registration includes a training manual, handouts, and certification of continuing education credits.
| | |
Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapy
March 13, 2026 9:00 AM-4:30 PM PT | Virtual
Registration Deadline: February 25
This training features an evidence-based curriculum designed for mental health and psychotherapy providers who have previously completed at least fourteen hours of perinatal mental health training. This advanced training covers differential diagnosis, evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches, and advanced therapeutic issues. It combines expert presentation with case studies, group discussion, and practical examples of treatment approaches. This course or an equivalent six-hour advanced training course is a pre-requisite for the Perinatal Mental Health Certification, in the mental health/psychotherapy specialty. Registration includes training manual and certification of continuing education.
| |
Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Psychopharmacology
March 13, 2026 9:00 AM-4:30 PM PT | Virtual
Registration Deadline: February 25
This training, provided by perinatal psychiatric experts, is an evidence-based training on psychiatric prescribing during pregnancy and lactation. It is designed for psychiatric prescribers who have previously completed at least fourteen hours of perinatal mental health training. This advanced training combines expert presentation with case studies, group discussion, and practical examples. It is an interactive, case-based advanced seminar, covering differential diagnosis, medication challenges, and your questions. This course is an approved prerequisite for the Perinatal Mental Health Certification in the psychopharmacology specialty. Registration includes training manual and certification of continuing education.
| |
Washington Families Thrive Offers Pathways to Progress Training Program | | |
Join the movement: Pathways to Progress, launched in 2025 by Washington Families Thrive, is a free monthly professional-development series that supports child care educators with resources, training, and advocacy. Shaped by local provider input, the series serves those who are new, expanding, or maintaining best practices. Most sessions are online Thursdays, 6:00–7:00 PM — all early‑childhood professionals and community members are welcome.
| | The Center for Child & Family Well-Being Offers Provider Trainings | | 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.
| | |
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.
| | Parent to Parent Announces Winter Event Lineup | | Family & Caregiver Supports | | |
Check out Island County's alert page and sign up to get emergency notifications in a variety of ways.
Island County is able to send you emergency alerts via text message, email, pager or voice mail, based on your preferences. Sign up for Emergency Alerts & Community Notifications.
The system is for emergency alerts as well as non-emergency incidents that may significantly impact residents. Emergency alerts could be related to specific hazards that require some kind of action be taken such as evacuation, shelter in place, boil water orders, etc. Non-emergency alerts could include significant transportation problems with prolonged impacts or significant ongoing police or fire activity.
There is a mobile app, myAlerts, powered by AlertSense, Island County's emergency alerting service. Residents and visitors can receive life-saving emergency alerts and advanced warning of severe weather directly on an Android or Apple iOS phone or table.
| | Help Me Grow Washington Gathering Disaster Relief Resource Links | For those needing flood relief guidance, financial relief, basics needs or insurance and financial information, click below. | | For anyone who has lost food benefits due to flooding or power outages, they can file a claim to replace those benefits at the link below. | | December is National Safe Toys and Gifts Month! | | It’s important to make sure all of the toys our little ones will or have already received this holiday season are safe! Keep up with current product recalls at www.cpsc.gov/Recalls. | | 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? | | |
Family Road Trip Trivia Podcast
About the Podcast
For this month of holiday travel, I wanted to do a throw back to one of my original favorites, the Family Road Trip Trivia Podcast. Having spent a decade raising very young kiddos surrounded by the great lakes accent, this podcast always brings me back to those chaotic, but beautiful times on family road trips. Hosts (and seasoned moms) Brittany and Meredith bring hilarity and entertainment for your kiddos to keep them occupied on those long rides. They even have printable play along cards! This podcast saved me on many occasions!
| |
Questions? Contact us at PYC@whidbeyfoundation.org
| | | | |
