Inland Northwest Early Learning Alliance

01/15/2026

Greater Spokane Incorporated recognized five Regional Child Care Champions at its 2nd Annual State of Education event this Tuesday! We’re proud to share that two of the five honorees, Bianka DeSure (right) from Spokane Workforce Council and Julie German-Murrey (left) from Rosalie Murrey Memorial Foundation, are long-standing INWELA members!

Champions were selected based on their impact on families, leadership, and contributions to strengthening child care and early learning in our region. We’re honored to celebrate and uplift Julie and Bianka’s incredible work!

11/04/2025

If you are a licensed or certified child care provider, you can take the recently published Cost of Quality Child Care and Market Rate Study survey at https://wwu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0UR8p2fqlSzOM6O

The information you provide will help Washington set Working Connections Child Care subsidy rates to better serve the needs of child care providers like yourself.

Providers who complete the survey will receive a $50 gift card when the survey closes. The survey will close Dec. 15.

If you are a licensed or certified child care provider, we encourage you to take the Cost of Quality Child Care and Market Rate Study survey at https://wwu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0UR8p2fqlSzOM6O

The information you provide will help Washington set Working Connections Child Care subsidy rates to better serve the needs of child care providers like yourself.

Providers who complete the survey will receive a $50 gift card when the survey closes. The survey will close Dec. 15.

10/31/2025

Hey, friends. Northeast Youth and Family Services is seeking donations for their food pantry as they gear up to serve a lot more families starting this Saturday. If you have capacity, please share and donate (links below). Thank you NEYFS for caring so deeply for our community ❤️

Link to NEYFS Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/17GJ691MI21Y2?ref_=wl_share

Link to NEYFS Givebutter Campaign: https://givebutter.com/NEYFSEmergency

10/16/2025

Our October Newsletter goes out this afternoon! Featured in this edition are INWELA Updates, the Washington Communities for Children Theory of Change, and an exciting opportunity to provide input on a new child care center being built in Hillyard, Spokane!

Click here to read more: https://mailchi.mp/053e1b9529c6/inwela-august-newsletter-13613228

Pictured: WCFC Regional and State Leads at last years Leadership Team Retreat!

09/17/2025

Colleen and Katie got to present about INWELA at the Social Connections Learning Series meeting last month!

This learning series was put on by our friends Jen and Rumyana at Spokane Regional Health District and centered around the Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) framework!

08/19/2025

Our August Newsletter went out last week! Check out our new, easier to read format, here: https://mailchi.mp/64ee92348786/inwela-august-newsletter

08/11/2025

Rural kids face bigger gaps than ever, from health care to early learning, as federal cuts hit programs like Medicaid, SNAP & Head Start.💔

See how rural leaders are innovating to keep services alive.

🎥 Watch here:

Building on GLR Week 2025’s theme of “Focusing on the Gaps,” this session zeroed-in on the outsized gaps impacting children living in rural areas. With the recent federal spending cuts and policy shifts to programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and Head Start, these gaps have been severely exacerbat...

06/10/2025

Not to toot our own horn,🎺but our June Newsletter is packed full of some really good stuff! Check it out! inwela.org/newsletter

06/06/2025

We’re so excited for the Northeast Youth and Family Services Spring Market, happening tomorrow from 2:00-5:30 p.m. at 19 E Crown, 99207! Stop by the INWELA table for free Vroom resources and be entered to win this fun summer basket of goodies! 😎

Learn more at the NEYFS page tagged above ⬆️

05/02/2025

🎠 The Rosalie Murrey Memorial Foundation Second Annual Inclusive Carousel Event is almost here! Join us on May 18th at the Looff Carrousel in Riverfront Park! 💙

Pre-register now to be among the first 150 families to receive a special swag bag filled with fun goodies! 🎁

New this year: enjoy a selfie Station to capture your memories and stop by our Transportation Table for free parking validation or a free bus pass! 📸🚌

Come celebrate inclusion, accessibility, and community with us — we can’t wait to see you there!

Learn more and pre-register here: https://shorturl.at/u81kv

🎠 Our Second Annual Inclusive Carousel Event is almost here — join us on May 18th at the Looff Carrousel in Riverfront Park! 💙

Pre-register now to be among the first 150 families to receive a special swag bag filled with fun goodies! 🎁

New this year: enjoy a selfie Station to capture your memories and stop by our Transportation Table for free parking validation or a free bus pass! 📸🚌

Come celebrate inclusion, accessibility, and community with us — we can’t wait to see you there!

Learn more and pre-register here: https://shorturl.at/u81kv

02/06/2025

Yesterday, INWELA joined the rest of the Washington Communities for Children team in Olympia to advocate for continued investment in early learning! We had a great time and are incredibly grateful to all of the legislators who took the time to talk with us. 💙

12/05/2024

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭!

We had such a great time collaborating with parents, providers, and early learning professionals to envision a better early learning system for our region! Stay tuned for what we learned and where we're headed next! ✨

We hosted this event with Greater Spokane Incorporated - follow the link to read about their Inaugural Childcare Champions for 2024, awarded at the summit! greaterspokane.org/education-and-talent/greater-spokane-inc-announces-inaugural-childcare-champions-for-2024/