The Collective Experiences of the Workforce
The purpose of the People Powered Workforce Initiative is to design a cohesive strategy to expand, diversify, train, and retain the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) workforce in Washington State. From the beginning, we made an important promise: community voices would lead the way.
We held 18 focus groups with direct service providers and programs administrators who support young children and families, talking for more than 71 hours with 115 people from 22 counties in Washington State. They shared their stories, cultures, and values that impact their work. One big message stood out: we are all connected.
Across all the groups, people shared a clear and common view of what is needed to support workers in this field. But many said the systems around them don’t match what they need. These systems often make it hard to provide care in a way that is relationship-focused and community centered.
Major Themes
A common story emerged from these discussions. The image below illustrates three overlapping themes - Worldview & Perspectives, Relational Workforce Wellbeing, and Equitable Systems & Organizational Culture. All three themes are connected and come together to create the lived experience for the workforce. Multiple topics and sub-topics surfaced frequently in the focus groups that were related to these themes. We invite you to explore each area and hear directly from providers, their stories, their insights, and their vision for a stronger, more aligned workforce. Visit the Topic Deep Dive and Affinity Group sections for greater details that include data, quotes, and opportunities for action.
“I think allowing people to be human, so that they can provide real human work, is how our team has grown. Our community, by just being honest and supporting each other through the hard work and letting us be able to say it's hard, has made all the difference.”
“You enter the field because of your own early life experience, such as becoming a parent at a young age or living through personal or family struggles, and this first hand understanding fosters empathy and a drive to create better places for children.”
“It's just social service. I work for a nonprofit. I've always worked for a nonprofit. I don't wanna be rich. I just don't want to have to balance my checkbook every week or live with my adult children for rent. If there was any kind of consideration about me leaving the field, it's for that.”