Vashon Youth &Family Services is re-establishing its family education and early learning support services on the island with a $25,000 grant from Boeing, and the hiring of a two-person team to run the early childhood program.
The Boeing grant will be used to revitalize the Vashon Early Learning Coalition (VELC), a program that was cut about three years ago due to financial difficulties after the agency lost some funding.
The VELC is a network of private childcare providers on the island, both licensed and unlicensed, looking to deliver enriched programming — with a focus on current research and best practices — as well as promote bonding and the positive development of every child.
“This grant will allow us to relaunch this program,” said Kathleen Barry Johnson, executive director of VYFS. “Providers will now receive education, training or support every other month, alternating with direct parent and family education and support.”
Examples of some of the specific services that the VELC will provide are free, childhood developmental screenings to families whose care providers are members of the coalition, and providers will receive easy access to childcare training for their employees.
“We are grateful that Boeing is committed to building this community’s capacity to educate and train our caregivers,” Johnson said in a press release announcing the grant.
VYFS’ other early-childhood program receiving a much-needed boost is Family Education and Support Services (FESS), with the hiring of two new managers to replace previous manager, Catherina Willard.
Barbara Garrett, who has been a staff counselor and is currently a clinical supervisor in the Behavioral Health program at VYFS, will share responsibilities with Christine Wood, a parent coach with a private practice on the island and a current administrative assistant for VYFS’ Behavioral Health program. Garrett’s role will be as director of FESS, working 15 hours per week, while Wood will function as program manager, working 25 hours per week. FESS operates the PlaySpace, which offers children from newborns to age 5 and their parents open gym time, Play ’N’ Chat groups, educational resources, programs and more.
Johnson said that job sharing was new to VYFS, but neither candidate wanted to be full-time, and each came with a different focus and strengths.
The $25,000 Boeing grant comes just months after an $80,000 grant from the county for mental health services. Prior to that, the agency was having to cut back employee hours to make ends meet. Currently, Johnson describes VYFS’ financial situation as “stable,” and noted that most everyone is back to their regular hours with the exception of one.
“We need continuing support. Our direct work with families is still not well funded, and no one has had a raise in quite a while,” she said. “People need to be recognized for the hard work they do. We have a lot of issues on the table.”
While acknowledging that VYFS is not yet where it needs to be financially or as a service provider, the executive director remained positive.
“I am optimistic that we will be ‘that’ agency in another year,” Johnson said. “We are moving in the right direction and it feels good.”
— Sarah Low
