We believe every family deserves the opportunity to succeed, and our family resource centers are here to help. Whether you need assistance with housing, employment, education, or health, we provide various services that can help improve well-being and strengthen families’ futures.
“I am honored to take on this leadership role within my community, and I know there is more work to be done to deepen our engagement with families throughout the region,” said Kris Collier, North Central regional director. “Our reimagined approach to holistic family support, coupled with other exciting changes statewide and in our backyard will only continue to enrich our ability to show up for and support families how they need us, when they need us, to continue succeeding in all aspects of life.”
A long journey has brought me to the Wenatchee Valley in central Washington state. I am thrilled to purse the next leg of my career in a newly created role as Washington Family Support Network Director in support of family well-being and development across the entire state of Washington for Children’s Home Society of Washington.
“I’m not a reformist, I’m not an abolitionist. I’m just a person who cares about people and wants them to have the best chance in life,” Selivanoff told BuzzFeed News. She said what she truly wants is a system “that sees every person in a family as deserving and capable.”
CHSW’s early learning programs provide thousands of children (from birth to age five) and their families with essential support to prepare them for school success. Kids receiving early learning support are more likely to meet and even excel in social-emotional health, language, cognition, literacy, and mathematics.
Family Resource Centers (FRCs): what are they, and why are they vital to the well-being of our communities?
At Children's Home Society of Washington (CHSW), we like to think of an FRC as a one-stop shop where families and individuals can get all the help they need at a centralized location. FRCs offer a variety of services that are designed to empower our communities through the Family Pathways Framework. This involves three key areas:
· General services, like walk-in information or referrals to another organization
· Center services, such as programs and services at the FRC for early learning, behavioral health, parenting or life skills
· Family development, to set goals and track progress
Every family deserves to succeed, and we’re here to help. CHSW operates eight FRCs across the state, each providing a safe and welcoming space where families can access various resources and services to help improve their well-being.
For example, we recently enjoyed serving the Kapoors*, a Hindu family who came to us with multiple needs. Despite transportation and language barriers, our staff was able to provide them with support, like connecting them with a new car seat, diapers, and clothing for their children – and helping them fill out applications for healthcare enrollment and other public assistance programs.
It’s important to hire staff from the same communities they will be serving, especially when it comes to supporting families from different backgrounds. This way, our team can offer personalized and effective help based on shared experiences.
Ayana is one such staff member from the Ethiopian community who was once a former participant in our home visiting program. Because of her experience with the program and interest in helping other families like hers, she was hired to help interpret and facilitate a Play and Learn group offered in the Amharic language. She also provides outreach to and enrollment for other Ethiopian families who could benefit from our home visits and other services. Ayana and her daughters continue to be involved in the Center in other ways and have volunteered at family events held by the center throughout the year.
Stories like the Kapoors’ and Ayana’s are living proof that the people we help today can become the light for the families we’ll serve tomorrow. Our team provides a supportive and non-judgmental approach to assessing a family’s needs while providing a clear path forward. We are proud to serve as trusted partners to families so they never have to walk life’s path alone.
*All names have been changed to protect anonymity
Kristen Conte is the director of marketing and communications for CHSW.
Children’s Home Society of Washington is announcing the closure of the Genesee Early Learning Center in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood after nearly a decade of supporting children and families in the area. The center will be closed as of September 1, 2022.
CHSW provided high-quality full-day, year-round preschool and Head Start for children ages 2.5 to 5 years old at our Genesee location since 2013. The federal Head Start program promotes school readiness and child development and serves children and their families who are low income, as well as children and families who qualify for the Seattle Preschool Program.
Over the years, enrollment has been an increasing challenge as Columbia City has changed dramatically, displacing current residents. In addition, several early learning center providers have opened in the neighborhood. Because of these challenges, the decision was made to close.
“We know that the first years of a child’s life are fundamental for their positive development,” said Chief Early Learning Officer Meagan Anderson-Pira. “We are grateful to have been able to serve so many children and families with early learning programs for the past nine years in Columbia City and look forward to transitioning as many families as possible to other providers.”
CHSW will be transitioning the Genesee Early Learning Center resources to our Early Head Start home visiting program that serves pregnant women and children from birth to age three in King County. We will also be opening another classroom to serve more children at the Early Learning Center at Highline Community College. To learn more about all our early learning programs and locations and to find the program right for your family, visit our website: https://www.childrenshomesociety.org/earlylearning.
Like most families, Walla Walla, Wash. couple Stephen and Kendra Barfoot were impacted by COVID-19 as they fought to find a “new normal” amid the challenges of 2020. Parents to six-year-old Scarlett and 3 ½ year-old Noah, The Barfoot family has benefitted from the Early Head Start and Mobility Mentoring Bridge programs offered through Children’s Home Society of Washington.
