Help Me Grow Washington News & Updates

It's a busy month as we advocate for systems of support in the legislature so that all families have seamless access to vital resources. February is Black History Month and, while Black history and culture should be celebrated throughout the year, we have included relevant resources below for parents and caregivers to support and learn about Black voices and experiences.

Thank you for all you do to help Washington families!

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Help Me Grow Washington News

Help Me Grow WA Network Update

This will be a big year for technology advancements to support the existing and expanding HMG WA Network. Here are a few of the anticipated milestones:

An online resource submission form for organizations that would like to have their information included in the statewide HMG resource directory.
An updated public-facing resource directory to include search features and functionality to better support families and providers looking for services and supports. Ongoing improvements are planned throughout 2022 and 2023.
A continued investment by WithinReach, the Help Me Grow state affiliate, in technology solutions. WithinReach will participate in work groups and pilot projects focused on data standards and governance to support interoperability across resource data systems.

In addition, we continue to pursue state and local relationships to foster greater connections across the Help Me Grow system. We invite and welcome partners, such as community-based organizations and healthcare providers, to reach out to begin the HMG system model exploration, and/or those interested in relationship-building with the HMG WA network. Learn more.

Four New Languages on Help Me Grow WA Website

We are excited to announce the Help Me Grow WA website can now be accessed in four more languages! In addition to Spanish and English, the website can now be navigated in Russian, Vietnamese, Amharic and Somali. This is an important step as we strive to help more people access and get involved with Help Me Grow.

Food Access is Community Care

WithinReach recently launched Food Access is Community Care, a series of virtual community conversations centered on food access and food justice. Throughout the event, community leaders were spotlighted and spoke on topics such as the future of food, food justice, why culturally appropriate food is key to liberation and food sovereignty, as well as offered food demonstrations. To watch the video recordings of the sessions, visit WithinReach's YouTube page.

Help Me Grow National News

New Blog Reflects on 25 Years of Help Me Grow

Help Me Grow National is celebrating 25 years of the Help Me Grow Model and the future of family engagement. This includes advancing a paradigm shift where parents and caregivers are acknowledged as partners in decision-making, and all resources provided must be in concordance with the goals, aspirations and values of the family. Read more in Help Me Grow National's blog.

Help Me Grow Regional News

In Pierce County...

HMG Pierce County recently introduced the Pierce County Early Childhood Network. PCECN is an integrated network incorporating the teams and activities of Project Child Success and Help Me Grow Pierce County into a single entity that reflects their collaborative work together. To learn more about PCECN, watch the partnership meeting recording.

In Central Washington...

HMG Central Washington now has a designated "Parents & Caregivers" page on their Early Learning Coalition website. The sole focus of the page is Help Me Grow/ Ayúdame a Crecer Central WA, and on this page, parents can learn how Help Me Grow works, how they can connect with a Family Resource Navigator, and what services the FRN can help connect them to. This page is available in English and Spanish, and it also has its own designated vanity URLs: helpmegrowcw.org (English) and ayudameacrecercw.org (Spanish).

Resources for Parents & Caregivers

The Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) features interactive story time the second Sunday of each month. Check out The ABC’s of Black History, in honor of Black History Month, along with other past recordings. In addition, donate to NAAM's Book Giveaway Program so more books that celebrate the richness of Black history and culture can be given away to local youth throughout the region.

For book ideas for Black History Month, visit The Seattle Public Library's Kids' Virtual Book Display and Black Joy in Picture Books.

The Brazelton Touchpoints Center is launching a Parenting While Black series March 7 through May 16. This free six-week webinar series offers a safe and welcoming space to hold conversations for and by Black families. All are welcome to engage in these powerful conversations.

On Saturday, February 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Metro Parks Tacoma will hold a Black History Celebration at People’s Center to honor the richness of African-American culture, along with achievements and contributions to the community through spoken word, dancing, singing and painting.

Learn about Seattle parks named after African American men and women, and pay one of them a visit!

Send along ideas and resources for the Help Me Grow Washington website and future newsletters by emailing Taryn Essinger at taryne@withinreachwa.org.

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