I’m happy to announce that CHSW will begin offering a new home visiting model for the first time in Spokane in summer 2019.

This expansion of our Early Head Start home visiting program in the Spokane County allows Spokane families to continue to grow and thrive. It will help further diversify signature services that are offered as part of the Spokane Family Success Hub. Early Head Start promotes the school readiness of children from birth to age three by enhancing their cognitive, social, and emotional development, while also emphasizing the role of parents as their child's first teacher.

This quality home visiting program will promote healthy development in young children and provide wraparound services that our families truly need.

The Parents as Teachers home visiting program is currently offered in Spokane County and CHSW also provides services at early learning centers as part of the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership.

In Early Head Start, parents learn from a certified home visitor how to boost their child’s development through fun and play activities.

CHSW will receive $845,625 annually over the next five years to provide evidence-based Early Head Start to 55 children who range in age from birth to 3 and pregnant mothers living in Spokane and the surrounding communities.

Our funding is part of a new initiative within the U.S. Administration for Children and Families. In October 2018, Administration for Children and Families announced the availability of approximately $140 million nationwide and about $4.1 million for Region X (Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Oregon) to be competitively awarded to expand Early Head Start services.  

Rick Purcell serves as the community director for Spokane County.