Pictured: Parent Champions group facilitators Ya’Vonne Hubbard (left) and Fathia Hammad.

The Parent Champions Pilot Program has received the 2024 Best-Run Government (BRG) Innovation Award for Service. Congratulations to the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) and the Developmental Disabilities & Early Childhood Supports Division, and their partners for their commitment to Best-Run Government! A special thank you to the program’s project manager Juliette Escobar and group facilitators Ya’Vonne Hubbard and Fathia Hammad. 

The Innovation Award for Service recognizes workgroups and teams that have made progress on our customer service goals to prioritize customer-centered services, improve the customer experience, increase staff understanding of customer needs, and/or incorporate service practices and processes into their project. 

“I was thrilled to present the BRG Innovation Award for Service to the Parent Champions Pilot in DCHS,” says Brittany Carter, King County Customer Experience Lead for the Office of Performance, Strategy, and Budget. “The Parent Champions Program is a win in so many ways. The program clearly identified its customers and empowered them to become engaged and part of the ongoing solution. The program also built vital partnerships with community groups and families, and trust and confidence in government services” says Carter. 

The Parent Champions Pilot Program created a community-driven solution to address stigmas and misconceptions that were preventing culturally and linguistically diverse families from accessing developmental screenings and related services for children. The solution included community programs with Parent Champions who weren’t just participants. They were trusted leaders who engaged 153 people about early childhood development and/or developmental screening. The program resulted in expanding families’ access to developmental screening services in a way that feels safe, welcoming, and supportive, ensuring more children receive the support they need during early childhood. 

“The foundation of this initiative was built on respect for the lived experiences of families, particularly those from immigrant and refugee backgrounds,” says Juliette Escobar, Project Manager of the Parent Champions Pilot. “We recognized the historical distrust and stigma surrounding developmental screening and approached the work with humility, curiosity, and deep respect. Rather than imposing a system that wasn’t working, they listened, learned, and co-created a solution that honored families’ knowledge and priorities.” 

“Congratulations to Juliette and the Parent Champions Pilot team!” says Kelly Rider, Director of DCHS. “Engaging the expertise of parents and other caregivers enables our developmental screenings to be more racially just and responsive to customer needs.  Thank you for helping to make King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive – including the parents and children of King County.” 

“Juliette made space for families’ voices and experiences to lead the way. The Parent Champions Pilot is such a beautiful example of that — and of what’s possible when we slow down, listen deeply, and build trust,” says Magan Cromar, Division Director of the Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Division. “The Parent Champions Pilot Program demonstrated how systems can change when we listen to the wisdom of the community and take action based on what families truly need,” says Escobar. 

Congratulations again to the Parent Champions Pilot! Look for more updates as the program grows. Escobar says, “We have begun to partner with the Performance Measurement and Evaluation team in DCHS to design a deep dive evaluation project and hope to scale up to more community partners in 2026.” 

To learn more about the BRG Awards and to watch a video presentation that introduces all the 2024 award recipients, visit the Best-Run Government Awards webpage.