Department of Children, Youth, and Families Gives Grant for Assess Rural Home Visitation Needs

Abby Whalin, director at WAGAP

Bingen WA. September 21, 2023 - In an effort to bring home services to all counties in Washington State, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) has awarded Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) a Rural Home Visitation Exploration grant for $30,000 to complete a needs assessment for Klickitat and Skamania counties.

In a 2022 Home Visiting Exploration Study, DSHS listed Klickitat and Skamania as two of five prioritized counties that do not currently offer the department’s home visiting services and show a high level of need according to two other assessments conducted in 2019 and 2020. 

Abby Whalin, the Pathways program director at WAGAP, became aware of the grant and felt it aligned well with what her team does in the region with its many partners and decided to apply to conduct the new needs assessment. The WAGAP application was recently approved, and the contract was awarded at the beginning of September. The team is now off and running to organize activities.

The goal is to provide families with home-based support so that children are better prepared for school, parent-child bonds are stronger, and abuse and neglect are less likely to occur.

Whalin said the committee must first understand if the community buys into the home-visiting services option. Then, it would determine who can help provide those services in the two rural counties, as DCYF does not have the capacity to provide them directly. Finally, it would determine a specific program that would be most successful.

“There are currently nine accepted evidence-based models in the State,” Whalin said. “If it becomes apparent that the community does indeed want these home-based services for young families, then we would work with area partners to see what organizations and programs might be the best fit for Klickitat and Skamania Counties and make those recommendations.” 

The assessment is on a fast track as the grant ends June 2024. The newly developing planning committee must convene and document at least three in-person meetings that engage various stakeholders to ensure there is local buy-in and determine a path forward. The first event will be scheduled in October or November, with more details to follow.

“We were chosen by DCYF to do this work because we were able to demonstrate a high level of community trust where we know WAGAP is already recognized as an agency in the community that has the best interest of the community at heart,” Whalin said. “Our proposal really is centered around capturing all community voices.” 

Using the support of the WAGAP team, including the bilingual and bicultural Community Health Workers and well-established community partners, Whalin wants the committee to confidently say that it represented the wide range of voices in Klickitat and Skamania counties. They’ll be asking about needs, buy-in, and confidence in organizations’ ability to provide future services. 

“This type of program is designed to fill the gap for those families who are not yet connected through their local school system and don’t have access to Education Support District resources,” Whalin said. “Having someone who can come into the home and provide support and direct connections to community resources and education will make it easier for them.”

The focus would be on families with children, newborns to age five, or families that homeschool older children. This also includes supporting women with mental health support before and after giving birth, families utilizing the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program, or those who have young children with special needs. 

Whalin says recommended solutions may look different in Klickitat and Skamania counties. The team will be working with Health and Behavioral Health departments, local agencies, school districts, community members, and many other local partners during this study. 

An honorarium has been established to assist participating community members with things such as gas vouchers to help them dedicate their time and expertise and be able to travel long distances to participate in in-person activities. 

For more information on the Rural Home Visitation Exploration grant, email pathways@wagap.org or call WAGAP’s Pathways program at 509-281-0829.

#  #  #

Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Community Action Agency that helps individuals, families, and communities. WAGAP addresses basic human needs, including food, shelter, energy assistance, and more, in Skamania and Klickitat Counties. For more than 50 years, WAGAP has helped people help themselves and reach self-sufficiency. Learn more at wagap.org, or contact WAGAP at (509) 493-2662 or info@wagap.org.