To our wonderful Best Starts community,
We know that this moment is incredibly difficult and uncertain. We are seeing loved ones face persistent threats to basic rights and safety, families afraid to access services or be out in community, and increases in hate speech and crimes. We know that our work will be scrutinized and challenged.
We want to be clear that within Best Starts for Kids we are dedicated to remaining grounded in the values that have always guided us. Our work doesn’t change even when the context does, so we will continue to lead with love, integrity, and an explicit commitment to anti-racism, justice, and deep partnership and relationship with community.
Community is the heartbeat of Best Starts – our mission and funding are supported through a local property tax that was overwhelmingly approved in 2021 by King County voters. In these difficult moments we are grateful to find hope in beautiful, multigenerational community organizing. We’re witnessing the depth of beauty we find in authentic relationship and mutual care. And our team, partners, and communities continue to work each day toward a more just and loving world.
We don’t know what challenges may lie ahead, but are dedicated to continuing our essential work together. Each day, we’re going to have to pull from the wisdom and guidance of our ancestors, and carefully consider our impact on future generations. We believe that this is the only way we can do the work we’ve committed to through Best Starts, and that this work is now more important than ever.
We know that you may have questions, and we will share County policy, guidance, and action as we receive additional information. If you are seeking specific information and resources please contact Best.Starts@kingcounty.gov See a resource list below that the Department of Community & Human Services has shared for immigrant and refugee communities.
In solidarity,
Jamalia Jones and Jessica Tollenaar Cafferty
Resources
You can reach out to these organizations with questions about your rights, the rights of your loved ones, and legal resources for people if needed. Please remember these organizations are facing significant demand right now and may need time to be responsive.
In King County:
- Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP): Home | Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
- OneAmerica: Home | OneAmerica
- Open Doors for Multicultural Families: Home – Open Doors for Multicultural Families
- Washington Multicultural Services Link: washington multicultural services link – We are a non-profit grassroots organization formed in 2020 by Black families with loved ones with disabilities, community members, and volunteers.
- Arc of King County: Immigration Status & Benefits : Immigration Status & Benefits : Resource Guide : The Arc of King County
- Asian Counseling and Referral Service: Home – ACRS
- International Rescue Committee (IRC): Seattle, WA | The IRC
- Consejo Counseling and Referral Service: Mental Health Services | Consejo Counseling & Referral Services | SEA
- Chinese Information and Service Center: Creating opportunities for immigrants – Chinese Information and Service Center
- El Centro de la Raza: Home – El Centro de la Raza
- Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA): Home – Refugee Women’s Alliance
- Horn of Africa Services: Social Services | Horn of Africa Services
- Immigrant Women’s Community Center: Services — Immigrant Women’s Community Center
Outside King County:
- Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest (RISN): HOME | Refugee & Immigrant Services Northwest | RISNW
- Washington Immigration Solidarity Network (WAISN): Home – WAISN
- Washington New Americans: Washington New Americans – Washington New Americans
- World Relief: Western WA – World Relief
Legal Counsel/Clinics:
- NWIRP: Home | Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
- Legal Counsel for Youth and Children (LCYC): Legal Counsel for Youth and Children
- El Centro: Free Bilingual Legal Clinic – El Centro de la Raza
- Colectiva Legal del Pueblo: Colectiva Legal
- Immigrant Legal Resource Center: Immigrant Legal Resource Center | ILRC |
- Washington Law Help: Legal Topics | WashingtonLawHelp.org | Helpful information about the law in Washington.
Refugee Resources:
- African Community Housing and Development: https://www.achdo.org/our-programs
- Centro Cultural Mexicano: https://www.centroculturalmexicano.org/
- Muslim Association of Puget Sound: https://mapsredmond.org/
- NAMI Eastside: https://bienestarmental.org/:
- Ukrainian Community Center of Washington: https://www.uccwa.org/immigration-services
- Vashon Youth and Family Services: https://vyfs.org/
Billing and Federal Funding
King County relies on a variety of federal grants to support housing and human service providers in our region. We are continuing to review the budgetary and legal impacts of a potential freeze of federal grants from the administration. At this time, King County has the ability to bill for federal funds. Should that change, DCHS is exploring options for sustaining programs in the case of another potential funding pause. Please reach out to your contract manager with any future questions.
Trainings
King County DCHS is working with our contracted partners to host upcoming information sessions and trainings. As we work to set these up, there is an upcoming training in February led by the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. Details are provided below.
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Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) Immigration 101 for Service Providers: Latest Immigration Updates – Monday, February 24th from Noon-1:30pm PST Audience: Service providers who work with immigrant community members. We’ll cover basic immigration 101 information but mostly focus on the latest updates and impacts from the current administration. This webinar will have computer generated captions in English with many other languages available. Click here to register for the training.
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Here are some additional resources from community providers available to you. We are passing them along should they be helpful. Please talk to your organization’s leadership and seek your own legal advice about the information provided in these documents.
