In the Spotlight
Department of Early Learning issues results of parent needs assessment
The Department of Early Learning (DEL) issued the results of a statewide survey that offers an unprecedented look at what Washington parents want and need when making early learning decisions for their families. The survey of more than 900 Washington parents of children ages birth through 5 is among the most comprehensive surveys of its kind conducted in the nation.
View DEL's press release and the 2008 Parent Needs Assessment report documents here:
Department of Early Learning Parent Needs Assessment
Invitation to apply for scholarships and stipends in Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
Convene a team and apply! Your community could benefit from participation in this short-term project aimed at building a community-based model of mental health consultation for children 0-5 in early learning settings. In total, three to six community teams from across the state will be selected for participation in a three-day Community Training Institute, September 23-25 in Seattle. Teams will be awarded travel, meal and lodging costs to participate in the MHTP sponsored event.
If you believe your community might be interested in participating in this opportunity, please see the following detailed description of the project, potential benefits for your community and requirements for participation.
Click here for details and application form
If you have questions, please contact the project coordinator, Helen Jones.
Sponsored by:
WA State Mental Health Transformation Project /
Department of Early Learning / Council for Children & Families
New identity signifies ongoing evolution and focus on prevention
Today we are proud to announce our new agency identity, the Council for Children & Families.
After 26 years as the Washington Council for Prevention & Child Abuse & Neglect (WCPCAN)/Children's Trust of Washington, we now have a new identity, which we think accomplishes two important goals: It builds on our history as an early leader in the field of family support and optimal child development, and reflects our evolving understanding of how better to frame our work.
The prominent ampersand (&) in our new name and logo reinforces our strong ongoing commitment to collaboration -- with children, families, communities and many partners. The welcoming new name, look and 'feel' we think also much better reflects the fresh approach to prevention that is driving us here and in the field nationally.
The transitional site up today will continue to evolve as we further develop our online resources with exciting new features such as interactive program mapping, enhanced grant resources and social media options.
We hope you are as excited about our new identity and what it stands for as we are! On behalf of the Council for Children & Families leadership and staff, thank you for your interest and ongoing support.
Sincerely,Joan Sharp
Executive Director
Council for Children & Families To Become Newest State Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America
Council for Children & Families has entered into a process to formally affiliate with the national organization Prevent Child Abuse America. This affiliation will strengthen our access to national expertise and resources to share with our partners here in Washington, and complement our existing relationship with the National Alliance of Children's Trust Funds. The PCAA chartering process takes about four to six months to complete, but in the meantime, we will be able to share resources PCAA has to offer, including its "Economic Impact of Child Maltreatment" report.
Other PCAA initiatives that should benefit Washington State include: guidance (based on new research) on how best to reframe child abuse and neglect, access to new funding streams through PCAA's corporate partnerships, connection to public awareness and education campaigns, and information for advocates and policy makers.
Busy Spring at Council for Children & Families
April was a busy month for Council for Children & Families. We took part in the Seeds of Compassion event in Seattle by participating in a policy forum, presenting the Strengthening Families model and handing out thousands of pinwheels at the Qwest Field event with the Dalai Lama. We have also finished our Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) Grant Application and are working on our Strategic Plan. The performance reviews of our capacity-building programs have just been completed and we will announce our new and continued programs soon.
FRIENDS Announces Results of Protective Factors Survey
The survey, developed by The University of Kansas Institute for Educational Research & Public Service in partnership with the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention, is now available for downloading on the FRIENDS website. Please use this link to download the survey, the instruction manual, database and reports on the development of this tool: http://www.friendsnrc.org/outcome/pfs.htm.
Council for Children & Families Announces Policy Priorities for 2008
Our six policy briefs focus on critical issues in the field of parent support and child neglect/abuse prevention. The following policy briefs are available as downloadable PDF files:
Evidence Based Practice
Home Visiting
Investment in Prevention
Maximizing Impact: Children 0-3
Child Neglect
Council for Children & Families Agency Priorities
What's in Store for Children and Families in 2008?
If one of your resolutions
is to stay better informed about policies that affect children and
families in Washington State, consider signing up for the Council for Children & Families Legislative Update. This once-weekly e-newsletter covers
legislative policies concerning Washington families in plain speak and
will inform you about which bills are being introduced and where they
are in the process.
To start subscribing, click here
Council for Children & Families Becomes Newest State Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America
Council for Children & Families has entered into a process to formally affiliate with the national organization, Prevent Child Abuse America.
This affiliation will strengthen our access to national expertise and resources to share with our partners here in Washington, and complement our existing relationship with the National Alliance of Children's Trust Funds. The PCAA chartering process takes about 4-6 months to complete, but in the meantime we will be able to share resources PCAA has to offer, including its Economic Impact of Child Maltreatment report which will be released on January 29. We will make this available in next month's Resource Update.
Other PCAA initiatives that should benefit Washington State include: guidance (based on new research) on how best to reframe child abuse & neglect; access to new funding streams through PCAA's corporate partnerships; connection to public awareness & education campaigns; and information for advocates and policy makers.
WCPCAN's Name Change
The Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse Neglect (WCPCAN) was renamed Children's Trust of Washington by an act of the 2007 legislature. While Children's Trust was the name chosen by the legislature, that name will likely change again in the 2008 legislative session.
Please bear with us while we go through a thoughtful process to update our new name and agency identity to better align with our mission, vision, values and statewide partnerships.
We will be moving forward with a new logo and brand identity in the very near future.
Current List of Evidence Based Programs
Council for Children & Families (formerly WCPCAN) and the Research Advisory Group have recently updated the list of evidence based programs that impact parenting behaviors. There is empirical evidence that these programs reduce known risk factors and/or enhance known protective factors or (for promising programs) there is a sound theoretical basis for believing that the program's effects are causally related to the reduction of child abuse and neglect.
We began compiling this list based on programs that Council for Children & Families has had experience funding through community-based agencies across the state. It is our intention to continue to grow this list as the body of research on effective prevention of child abuse and neglect programs develops. We will use the criteria outlined to determine which programs to include on our list, and at what level of support.
The updated matrices include information related to evidence based home visiting and parent education programs:
Programs:
Matrix of the evidence based home visiting programs
Matrix of parent education and skill building models
Criteria:
To view the criteria used to evaluate programs and the list of programs based on their level of evidence, click here
More Information:
For a description of each of the evidence based programs on our list, click here
Strengthening Families through Early Care & Education Washington
(SFECE WA)
Expands National Early Childhood Program
Visit our new website at www.strengtheningfamilies.wa.gov
Early childhood professionals have known for decades that they play a unique role in protecting and nurturing young children as well as promoting their social and emotional development. Now there is evidence to suggest that early childhood programs that reach out to parents may also be the best child abuse and neglect prevention strategy. [More]
- Strengthening Families Washington 1-page Overview(pdf)
- Sign Up to Receive the SFECEWA Newsletter and learn more about this statewide initiative
