RFP: PHSKC BSK Investing Early Together: Universal Developmental Screening & Promotion (UDSP) Grant

The King County Department of Community and Human Services is seeking proposals for the Universal Developmental Screening & Promotion (UDSP) initiative, which aims to provide critical support to families with young children. This program focuses on culturally appropriate developmental screenings, education, and referrals to ensure all children receive necessary resources for optimal growth. By collaborating with community organizations, UDSP enhances accessibility and reduces stigma surrounding developmental concerns, promoting well-being and success for children in King County.

D. Investment Area Overview
Best Starts for Kids' Investing Early (Prenatal to Five) area of investment supports expecting parents, babies, and very young children during their critical development years alongside their families and caregivers. Community-Based Parenting Supports (CBPS), Home-Based Services (HBS), and Universal Developmental Screening & Promotion (UDSP) are three Investing Early strategies that meet families where they are: in the home, out in community, at child care, or wherever children are cared for. Investing Early services are relationship-centered and community-led so we look to community for direction, to determine strengths and needs, assess opportunities, identify priorities, and provide customized programing.
We partner with community organizations to offer a range of robust services to King County prenatal to five families. Though each strategy focuses on a different aspect of prenatal to five supports, the approach is the same and is often interconnected, as each child and family is held in their unique context within community
B. Scope of Work by Strategy
UNIVERSAL DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING & PROMOTION (UDSP):
Universal Developmental Screening & Promotion (UDSP): provides information, training, tools, and connections among early childhood providers to ensure all families have a deep understanding of their child's development and that all King County children receive culturally appropriate, high-quality developmental screening throughout early childhood. Through warm, relational approaches, families are supported and connected with a wide range of growth and wellbeing resources. UDSP promotes the delivery of services in ways that are most accessible to families. Practices are culturally rooted, informed by families and delivered in preferred languages. Early childhood providers promote belonging, by making efforts to celebrate milestones, reduce stigma, and address misconceptions about developmental delays, disabilities, and mental health concerns.
UDSP activities may be offered in locations where children and families already engage - for example, in health care, child care or early learning settings –and in a wide variety of other community settings. When families have a concern about a child’s development, a referral to early supports such as Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) and timely connections may have a big impact on family wellbeing, children's progress, and later success in school and life.
All UDSP programs will partner with families to increase interest in and access to developmental information, screening, and referrals for young children and to destigmatize developmental differences. Programs will offer culturally rooted and culturally responsive services that include:
Developmental education, monitoring, and/or screenings, Referrals with warm connections when additional developmental supports are needed,  Strategies to reduce stigma, promote belonging, and address misconceptions about developmental delays, disabilities, and mental health concerns.