Imagine Institute

TO CREATE COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS AND INNOVATIVE EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS THAT EMPOWER PEOPLE, CARING EVERY DAY FOR EVERY GENERATION.

CCSG:AS A RESULT OF THE PASSAGE OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, WASHINGTON STATE PROVIDED CHILDCARE STABILIZATION GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE PROVIDERS. THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES (DCYF) CONTRACTED WITH THE IMAGINE INSTITUTE TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TA) AND OUTREACH TO ALL ELIGIBLE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS TO ENSURE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO GRANT FUNDING. DCYF SUBSEQUENTLY EXPANDED IMAGINE'S SERVICES TO INCLUDE SUPPORT FOR THE COMPLEX NEEDS FUND AND THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EQUITY GRANT.

ALL OTHER PROGRAMS.

TRAINING AND INCENTIVES:THE IMAGINE INSTITUTE PROVIDES FREE TRAINING TO LICENSED FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS AND FAMILY, FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR PROVIDERS WHO SERVE LOW-INCOME CHILDREN THROUGHOUT WASHINGTON STATE. OUR TRAINING IS DEVELOPED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS TO ENSURE IT IS MEANINGFUL AND RESPONSIVE TO THE FIELD. THE IMAGINE INSTITUTE CREATED AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM TO DEVELOP LICENSED FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS AS STATE-APPROVED TRAINERS REPRESENTING SOME OF THE FIRST LICENSED FAMILY CHILDCARE PROVIDERS DELIVERING STARS TRAINING (CONTINUING EDUCATION) TO THEIR PEERS IN THIS STATE. OUR TRAINERS REPRESENT THEIR COMMUNITIES SPEAKING ENGLISH, SPANISH, ARABIC AND SOMALI. IMPORTANTLY, THESE TRAINERS HAVE A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE AS A CHILDCARE PROVIDER, WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO EFFECTIVELY EDUCATE AND MENTOR THEIR PEERS. A MAJORITY OF OUR ACTIVE TRAINERS ARE WOMEN OF COLOR, SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH, AND APPROXIMATELY 60% OF OUR ACTIVE TRAINERS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN WASHINGTON ARE MONOLINGUAL SPANISH-SPEAKERS.

WASHINGTON STATE EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION SUBSTITUTE POOLSINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE WA STATE ECE SUBSTITUTE POOL HAS DISTRIBUTED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SUBSTITUTE RELIEF FUNDING TO HUNDREDS OF LICENSED FAMILY CHILDCARE AND CHILDCARE CENTERS THROUGHOUT WASHINGTON STATE. AS PART OF ADMINISTERING THE SUBSTITUTE POOL, THE IMAGINE INSTITUTE PROVIDES TRAINING AND ORIENTATION TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS SO THAT THEY CAN BECOME APPROVED TO WORK AS A SUBSTITUTE, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF ECE WORKERS IN WASHINGTON STATE. THE IMAGINE INSTITUTE ALSO PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO BOTH SUBSTITUTES AND PROVIDERS TO ASSIST THEM IN EFFECTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM.