Building the relationships that are the foundation for a healthy childhood.
From the moment we’re born, we’re looking to connect. Our Infant & Young Childhood programs focus on building nurturing connections between very young children and their parents or caregivers, to give kids the very best chance at growing up healthy and safe.
The specially trained therapists in our Infant and Early Childhood team are skilled at working with families struggling to build relationships in which children can flourish. They promote healthy child development by helping parents and caregivers create an environment in which children learn to relate to others, regulate their emotions, communicate their needs, and think creatively.
When you come to us for services, a therapist will first meet with you and your child to understand your needs and develop a treatment plan. You and your therapist will review the plan and set new goals as your treatment progresses.
Our services for the families of infants and young children include:
- Parent-child therapy
- Parent education and support
- Early relationship assessment and support
- Dependency court advocacy
- Resources for basic needs
- Professional consultation to early-childhood-care providers
Support for families in dependency court
Being in dependency court can be difficult – for you and for your child.
Supporting Early Connections, or SEC, is our child-parent therapy program for families with young children in dependency court. In SEC, you and your child will work with a therapist once a week for about a year. During that time, your therapist will help you understand what’s happening as your child grows and changes. They will also help you develop trust and share joy with our child, and will help your child connect, communicate and feel safe with you.
While you’re in therapy, you’ll have the opportunity to create reports about your family’s progress toward its goals. You can make these reports available to your attorney, social worker, or judge.
You are eligible for SEC if you:
- Have a child 36 months old or younger
- Have had contact with a child welfare social worker who works in King County
- Have a child placed with you or a caregiver in Seattle, West Seattle, Burien, Renton, Kent or the surrounding areas, OR if your child can be brought to West Seattle for therapy appointments each week.
If you qualify for SEC, your child-parent therapy will be paid for by Medicaid.
Sign up for SEC by calling 206-933-4090.
