Kitsap County Parent Coalition

09/04/2026

This is a free series for families caring for individuals with developmental disabilities and the professionals who support them

💙 Every family has a story.
Every child has a unique way of being in the world. When a child’s developmental journey looks different than expected, families often navigate new questions, emotions, and experiences. Finding connection with others who understand can make all the difference.

The Brazelton Touchpoints Center invites parents and caregivers to join Parents Rising to Child Developmental Challenges—a welcoming space for honest conversations, shared wisdom, and meaningful connections.

✨ Together, we’ll explore:
- The experiences that shape our families
- The challenges and strengths found along the way
- Ways to advocate for our children and support their development
- The power of learning from other parents and caregivers

📅 Upcoming conversations:
September 14 | October 26 | November 2 | December 7, 2026
🕒 3–4 pm ET | 12–1 pm PT

Free virtual conversations. All families are welcome.
Join us and be part of a community where families support families. https://tinyurl.com/Dev-Challenges-2026

08/21/2026

Kitsap CHADD will resume in-person meetings in September at Subway on Kitsap Way. Follow their page to stay up-to-date of meetings and topics.

Send a message to learn more

08/13/2026

Did you know that you can use your DDA respite for adaptive swimming? Call your CRM for more information. It is of vital importance that everyone is able to float, tread water, and dog paddle, and lift themselves out to safety no matter their level of disability, especially if they are fascinated by water.

Water can be a powerful draw for many autistic children—and when someone wanders, every second matters.

If an autistic child or adult is missing, call 911 immediately and search nearby water first—including pools, ponds, lakes, creeks, rivers, and any other bodies of water.

Find resources on National Autism Association's website and share this message. It could help save a life. 💙

08/13/2026

Sharing from Washington PAVE - Partnerships for Action Voices for Empowerment
"We want to hear from families!

Your experiences and ideas can help shape the future of the D1 Transition Learning Collaborative (D1 TLC).
D1 TLC serves youth and young adults with disabilities and their families across Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Hawai?i, Guam, and the Mariana Islands. We want to hear directly from families about what is working, what is missing, and what resources and support would make navigating the transition to adulthood easier.

We are inviting parents and caregivers to participate in an online family focus group and share their experiences with topics such as:
• Navigating middle and high school
• Preparing for college, training, and employment
• Independent living and adulthood
• Finding helpful transition information and resources
• Challenges families experience in their local communities
• Resources and supports families would like to see developed in the future
Your feedback will help D1 TLC and participating Parent Centers identify regional needs and guide the development of future resources, training, tools, and support for families and youth.

The focus group will be facilitated by Measurement Resources, an independent organization. D1 TLC and Parent Center staff will not be in the room during the discussion. This gives families a comfortable space to speak openly and share their experiences, ideas, and recommendations.

If selected to participate, you will receive a $75 stipend in the form of a gift card after you attend and complete the focus group.

Your lived experience matters. Whether your child is approaching middle school, currently in high school, preparing for adulthood, or has already transitioned into adult life we want to hear from you.
Help us create resources and support that reflect the real needs of families across Region D1. Interested in sharing your voice?

Click here to apply for the D1 TLC Family Focus Group.
https://www.tfaforms.com/5231796"

Send a message to learn more

08/13/2026

Meet parents caring for children of all ages with disabilities at the next virtual Parent to Parent meeting. See more events at https://hollyridge.org/kitsapp2p/

Join us August 18 for a casual virtual get-together for parents and caregivers to connect, share experiences, and exchange helpful resources. No agenda—just a chance to connect with others who understand! 💙

📅 August 18
💻 Virtual through Microsoft Teams

08/12/2026

Kitsap Public Health District has created a fact sheet on the risks of Kratom & 7-OH. Our state does not regulate Kratom, so anyone can buy it, no matter their age. It has significant risks similar to other opioids. This might be a good discussion to have with your teen and young adult at home. Read more at

08/11/2026

Sharing from the DDA:
Survey - https://qaz1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9yq7uxdTDJZpMy2

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), Washington Thriving, and CoLab for Community and Behavioral Health Policy at the University of Washington are working together to create a training framework to guide resources to schools to support student behavioral health for grades K-12.

Behavioral health in this project refers to feelings and actions that affect wellbeing. Since early 2026, a multisector planning team has been meeting to review family, student, school, and community perspectives along with best practices and research evidence to develop a set of actionable recommendations.

We are now asking for YOUR feedback on the initial set of recommendations reflecting educator, student, caregiver, and nonprofit and treatment partner ideas for how to guide training resources.

If you choose to provide feedback, you will have the opportunity to join the Community Sounding Board to receive planning updates, provide ongoing feedback, and be entered in a lottery to win a $150 gift card.

Please take the following survey to let us know what you think. Your honest feedback is instrumental in helping this team provide relevant and useful information to the state to guide available resources.

The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.