Relationships Are the Linchpin: Pierce County Early Childhood Network
Author: Brenna Bream
Relationships are the linchpin of Pierce County Early Childhood Network (PCECN)’s work. Cecily Croskey, Regional Lead for PCECN, cites relationship-building as a core focus for her region. Are you a family navigating resources in your county? A healthcare provider wondering what services are available to your patients? A curious community member? A non-profit looking to form partnerships for greater impact? PCECN welcomes all who are interested in forming connections around early childhood support.
Pierce County is “a community responsive to each others’ needs,” placing high value on bridging gaps between families and services.
When asked to describe her region, Cecily says Pierce County is “a community responsive to each others’ needs,” placing high value on bridging gaps between families and services. They are constantly building connections, but they realize the limits of their effectiveness if they don’t center community voices.
The goal is to create clear lines of communication from families to resources to policy change.
In order to build bridges among organizations, agencies, and families, they need to identify where and what the gaps are. How do they do it? By making space for voices to be heard in the form of Action Groups, which PCECN defines as “partnership meetings bringing together all community partners in the Pierce County Early Childhood Network for joint learning, networking and action.” The goal is to create clear lines of communication from families to resources to policy change. Cecily emphasizes that while this network facilitates these Action Groups, they do not bring their own agenda.
Diaper bank staff and volunteers gather at the Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center location in Pierce County where diapers, formula, and other goods are distributed to families.
So what has this bridge-building looked like recently? PCECN started a diaper bank in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cecily acknowledges that it’s common to think about food supply during crises, but there is no fallback system for essentials for young families—diapers, diaper creams, formula. This was an immediate need her network could address. There are now 10 diaper banks located throughout Pierce County where families can come pick up what they need, regardless of income level or family size. The goal now is to keep these diaper banks open but, more broadly, to determine sustainable ways for families to access essentials on their own terms.
Seeking direction from those closest to the experience of navigating social systems, PCECN shapes their work in ways that effectively uplift their community.
Pierce County Early Childhood Network believes in letting families lead by amplifying family voices. Seeking direction from those closest to the experience of navigating social systems, PCECN shapes their work in ways that effectively uplift their community. Their coalition listens to families through organic conversations—whether during a diaper bank pick-up, on a Family Voice Action Group meeting, or through calls made to 2-1-1 Pierce County, the centralized database for connecting folks to community services. Hearing these immediate needs, PCECN moves these concerns upstream towards informed advocacy and policy change. They don’t stop there, though. Cecily says it’s key to empower families to speak up for systems-change themselves by teaching advocacy skills.
Based on her region’s experience, Cecily urges other regions not to reinvent the wheel. Their coalition believes in data-sharing: they have published several reports ranging from child demographics to health metrics to community feedback. They want this information to be widely dispersed and used in different approaches towards this work. In the long run, PCECN wants to be the hub of data and resources for Pierce County.
PCECN strives for growth in the near future. Ever-responsive to community needs, they are currently looking to bolster support for the Child Care Voice Action Team by hiring a Program Manager. This group is open to anyone and shares a common goal of families in Pierce County accessing the “high-quality, equitable, culturally inclusive child care they desire, where and when they need it.” For example, Cecily suggests, a grandparent may be watching the grandkids while mom or dad is at work. That may be a family’s preference for child care, so the child care provider should be paid for it. Another area of focus for PCECN is continuing to utilize their Action Teams to train providers on perinatal mental health and pregnancy support - issues the network has prioritized since their beginning.
How can you stay connected to PCECN? They offer virtual learning events, have an active website, and send out weekly newsletters. Subscribe by sending an email to info@first5fundamentals.org. They’ve recently hired a new Communications Manager and look forward to sharing their work in other ways!