Tin tức

Through the Preschool Development Grant (PDG) awarded to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) underspent dollars, Help Me Grow Washington received a total of $100,000 to invest in communities exploring or implementing Help Me Grow at the local level. Four communities were granted funding through this opportunity, including: Island, Grays Harbor, Skagit, and Whatcom. This funding wrapped up September 30, 2025.  

Help Me Grow Island County: Help Me Grow Island County used the funding to support staff and create outreach materials, enabling progress on several long-standing goals. This included developing rack cards for Help Me Grow Island County and Lantern, and materials for the newborn outreach program with a focus on Washington’s Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) and Child Care Aware referrals. The funding also allowed completion of the Help Me Grow Island County online resource directory, (an effort over a year in the making!) covering staff time and website hosting costs. As a rural island community, accessible and accurate resource information is essential. The funding also strengthened collaboration with Help Me Grow Washington, aligned our regional messaging, and fostered connections with Community-Based Health Workers.  

Whatcom County: During the recent funding period, several partners including Opportunity Council, Whatcom County Health and Community Services, ChildCare Aware, Whatcom Early Learning Alliance (WELA), and Single Entry Access to Services (SEAS) Whatcom joined forces to strengthen bi-directional referrals between ChildCare Aware and Help Me Grow, with SEAS serving as the local resource navigator. 

Over the summer, the team designed Provider Resource Bags aimed at helping providers connect families to SEAS. By September, materials were finalized, ordered, and assembled. ChildCare Aware coaches are now distributing the bags directly to providers, ensuring families receive timely access to local resources through SEAS Whatcom. 

Help Me Grow Skagit: This funding period allowed us to strengthen how we connect families with our local Help Me Grow system and PFML. We developed new materials, physical and web-based, to share through newborn outreach visits and navigation services, including refreshed outreach items for Lantern following its rebrand from Bright By Text. Families will now receive PFML bookmarks in newborn bags and at community events. 

We also created new outreach materials just in time for Help Me Grow Skagit and Island staff to table at the North Sound ACH Community Health Worker convening. These efforts helped raise awareness of how families can access local and statewide Help Me Grow resources and sparked promising conversations with North Sound ACH about aligning our navigation systems for stronger, more connected community support. 

Grays Harbor: During this funding period, our team has focused on strengthening how families learn about and navigate PFML. We conducted extensive research, engaged local partners, and began developing user-friendly materials to make the PFML process easier for families and providers. The project team researched PFML resources, met with Employment Security Department staff, and gathered feedback from parents who had recently used PFML benefits. Using input from early learning partners, we created a new PFML guidance document for family navigators and a companion rack card with key tips for families and healthcare providers. 

Next, we’ll translate these materials into Spanish and distribute them through local hospitals, OB and pediatric offices, and family-serving organizations to ensure more families can confidently access PFML benefits.