Summer is a busy season for Help Me Grow Washington! From surveys and Action Teams, to forums and frameworks, there is a lot happening so that we can better connect families with the resources they need to be healthy. We even have a new sub-affiliate coming into the network! Read more below.

Help Me Grow Washington News
Providers and Partners: Please Take Our Survey!

We want to hear from you! Help Me Grow Washington has a Resource Finder on ParentHelp123.org. We are interested in hearing from our Partners and Providers about how you’ve used it and what resources and features you would like to see as we improve the site. We’ll have a Parent and Caregiver survey early this fall. Here is the link to the English version of the survey, and a link to the Spanish version of the survey. 
Have You Heard About Our Action Teams?

The Help Me Grow Washington State Action Teams bring together partners, providers, parents and caregivers to advise and design activities with a statewide focus for each of the six core components of HMG. Want to know what some of them are up to? The Family and Community Outreach team has been focused on restructuring to make their gatherings more equitable, including working on new group agreements and prioritizing parent engagement and support. They are also working on developing messaging around the Fair Start for Kids Act.

The Health Provider Outreach team has started “Sub-Affiliate Spotlights,” where sub-affiliates are presenting on their journeys working with HMG. The first spotlight was focused on the Skagit County Health Provider Outreach. If you are interested in joining a State Action Team, please use our online interest form. 
Help Me Grow National News
Register Today for the Help Me Grow National Virtual Forum

Registration for the Annual Help Me Grow National Forum is now live. To register for the event, which will be held September 20 through 23, and to learn more about the speakers and sessions, visit the Forum webpage. 
New Hand in Hand Framework

Help Me Grow National, in partnership with Family Connects, HealthySteps and Nurse-Family Partnerships, has recently developed the Hand in Hand Framework. This framework reflects, incorporates and builds upon lessons learned and insights from families, local partners, service providers, research and innovations. It is focused on three essential elements of early childhood collaboration: Foundation, Relationships and Actions. The website includes a guide, briefs and stories of implementation. 
Help Me Grow Regional News
A New Sub-Affiliate!

The Northwest Early Learning Coalition (NWEL) is the newest group to sign on as a sub-affiliate. This region covers Snohomish, Whatcom, Island and San Juan Counties and also includes existing sub-affiliate, HMG Skagit County. Welcome to sub-affiliation, NWEL! 

In Skagit County...   

Welcome to the team, Gaby Camarena! Gaby is the new HMG Family Resource Navigator who will be serving Skagit County. She is a long-term resident of Skagit County with a wealth of lived experience and a passion for helping Skagit families, especially the Spanish-speaking community. We are very excited for her to join WithinReach and serve as the Family Resource Navigator in Skagit County. Please join us in welcoming her! 

Welcome to Physician Champion, Dr. Francie Chalmers, MD! Dr. Francie Chalmers, MD, co-founder of Skagit Pediatrics, has seen many children grow up over the past 40 years. Despite retiring, she continues to advocate for local families. In her new role as Physician Champion for Help Me Grow Skagit, Dr. Chalmers will work with providers on the new Help Me Grow referral system, identifying training needs, convening quarterly Perinatal and Child Health Care Provider Network meetings, and supporting the screening of young children.
Resources for Parents & Caregivers


  • The new school year is right around the corner! To get ready, check out ParentHelp123.org’s School Readiness webpage.  
What We Are Reading & Learning

  • PBS News Hour recently aired their new series, “Raising the Future: America’s Child Care Dilemma.” Clips are now available to view. This series explores child care access throughout the US. 
WithinReach is working in shared leadership with the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families and Washington Communities for Children to guide the design and development of a vision and spread and scale plan for a unified Help Me Grow Washington. This newsletter will promote Help Me Grow efforts and share relevant state and local communications, resources and updates across the network.
Send along ideas and resources for the Help Me Grow Washington website and future newsletters by emailing Taryn Essinger at taryne@withinreachwa.org.
You are on this list as someone we think would be interested in partner updates about Help Me Grow Washington. Feel free to unsubscribe any time at the link below. Thank you!