Voices of Children and Voices of Relative Caregivers Contest The Voices of Children contest is open to children and youth ages 5-19. Winners will be judged in three age categories through their artwork (such as the one pictured) or a short essay or poem. Poems must be no longer than 21 lines.Winners will receive $100 from Twin Star Credit Union, a longtime partner [...]
Family Education & Support Services Partners with Vroom and Washington Department of Health Research tells us that early childhood is a critical period of brain development. To make the most of this critical time, Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has been sharing Vroom with partners across Washington since 2019. Vroom recognizes and reinforces the power of parents and caregivers to [...]
Staff Highlight: Rosa Venancio An interview with Rosa Venancio, Bi-Lingual Community Engagement Rosa Venancio is a fluent Spanish speaker who wants to use her ability to connect more members of the Spanish speaking community to the services offered by Family Education & Support Services (FESS), “I want to include everybody,” Rosa said. “I’m focusing on Spanish speaking family as a resource [...]
Talking to Kids in a Time of Chaos and Violence An interview with Scott Hanauer, Clinical director and Keoki Kauanoe, Fatherhood Engagement Director Talking to young people regularly and compassionately is the best way to help them feel safe in what feels like very unsafe times, says Scott Hanauer, clinical director for FESS. “With the pandemic and the political violence, it’s [...]
Stress doesn't take a holiday An interview with Scott Hanauer, Clinical director It is important for caregivers to understand signs of stress in their children and some ways in which they can help lessen it. This is especially true now, in the time of COVID-19, when many of our normal patterns and social supports have been upended. “Even before COVID-19, we [...]
QPR Suicide Prevention TrainingWe can all save lives.Our QPR Suicide Prevention course provides practical and proven suicide prevention strategies and is taught in a clear, concise format. The course takes approximately 90 minutes and will be valid for three years from the date of training. UPCOMING CLASS DATES Individual Training Just like CPR, QPR [...]
Ideas to help children enjoy the holidays Strategies and ideas for this Holiday Season: Finding ways to make this year special Start a family Conversation: Acknowledge what has changed and how family members are feeling. Find ways to make connections. Keep to a routine and notice the good things. Taking care of yourself this Holiday Season: Eat well Be active or [...]
Parenting Tools: Anti-Racism Fight Club Speaker: Doyin Richards Presenter: Doyin Richards We are in the midst of two major crises in America: mental health and race-relations. They impact our homes, schools, businesses, relationships, and (obviously) sanity — but do we recognize the signs of these problems? Are we doing enough on the front-end to prevent personal and professional disasters [...]
Family Education & Support Services (FESS) partners with the Mason County Health Dept. and WA State Health Care Authority to provide parenting education classes, called "Guiding Good Choices," to interested members of the public for no cost in Mason County. Anyone wanting to grow as a parent or caregiver is welcome. These classes, offered through Family Education & Support Services' parenting [...]
Family Education & Support Services (FESS) partners with CHOICE Regional Health Network and others to help Washington families navigate health care options during open enrollment, particularly how it works and what health care options best fit each specific situation in the coming year."Open Enrollment is a specific period of time in the fall that provides a short window for individuals and families [...]
