Availability
Limited - Our cohorts are open for enrollment once a year. We start new cohorts at the beginning of each calendar year. We do have a waitlist.
About Our Program
Whole Child Initiative (WCI) program is a cohort-based service model, provides outreach, trainings and consultation/technical assistance to many Somali Licensed Family Home Childcare providers. Our program’s aim is to work on bridging the gaps between the early learning and child’s health so that children meet their full potential. WCI program works with providers to advance standards by using a community informed model.
Meet the Team
Our team includes:
- Child development specialist
- Nurse
- Mental health specialist
- Nutritionist
- Social worker
- Curriculum specialist
- Program manager/director
All team members are Somali and are fluent in Somali.
Description of Services Offered
Our cohort-based service model includes the following components:
- Skill Building: Through adapted trainings, individualized consultations, and group activities, childcare providers build upon existing skills to improve quality of childcare services.
- 4-5 Trainings (throughout the year, on Saturdays)
- 1-3 Individual consultations per month
- Relationship and Community Building: Building upon established relationships and trust built in the community, WCI recruits providers and continues to build a supportive community for childcare providers through
- WhatsApp group for cohort
- Networking opportunities
- Reflective Practice
- Early Learning Best Practices: Supporting providers in creating an environment that supports each individual child’s unique ability to learn and thrive through
- Small group and large group activities in trainings
- Tools and Resources (lesson plans, educational materials)
- Self-Advocacy: Empower and equip providers to utilize their voices to influence changes on an individual and systemic levels within the early learning field through
- Consultations (goal setting and assessing individual needs)
- Training materials
- Group activities (reflective practice)
Communities Served
Whole Child Initiative serves Somali licensed family child care providers serving children and families in King County.
