About SEAS
Finding the resources families you need when you need them, is essential. Families have a lot on their minds, and the systems and services are challenging and hard to navigate. We are here to help. We make finding the resources you need easy and efficient.
SEAS is a free local resource navigation service available to families in Whatcom County. SEAS provides resource navigation for all families that have a child with a disability or developmental concern under 21. Additionally, in 2022, SEAS expanded to provide resource navigation for all families with a child under 5, and expecting families.
From questions about your child’s development or behaviors, to connecting to services or resources, SEAS works with you to help you get what you need so your children and family can thrive.
SEAS family resource navigators are experts in Whatcom County’s programs for families and children. They provide confidential, judgment-free, multi-language navigation services. Staff are multilingual and interpretive services are available.
Our goal is to help every family get connected to the resources that they need
SEAS: A Program of Whatcom Taking Action
Whatcom Taking Action is a community collaborative working together to create a cohesive, family-centered system of services and supports for children, youth, and families that are impacted by developmental, behavioral, health, and learning needs. The BIG vision is that all children and youth with special health and education needs have the opportunities they need to thrive in an inclusive and welcoming community.
In 2009, members of our community came together to address the challenges families with children with disabilities were experiencing accessing services. The group of families, service providers, and organizational leaders identified key solutions that would improve the system of care for families. Central to that work was the fact that families wanted to know what services were available, how to access them and what to expect. They wanted a place where they could ask questions and share the uniqueness of their family and situation. They wanted insight into wait lists, evaluations and therapies. And they wanted help in finding a provider that would take their insurance or how to apply for services, like DDA or SSI. Families often felt overwhelmed, and they felt alone. SEAS was created in 2012 by families for families to help them navigate the complexity of resources for children with disabilities and delays.
In 2022, SEAS expanded to include services for all children under the age of 5 and expecting families. SEAS continues to be the single entry for children with disabilities up to the age of 21 and now has the capacity to support all families under 5 and non-English speaking families.
SEAS: A Community-Led Initiative
Community
Our program is led by those who benefit from it. We seek to deliver services that people want in a way that is useful and efficient. This involves listening and being responsive to the needs of people and partners.
Leadership
The SEAS team is made of community members who come together to assess the gaps in service delivery, needs for partnership, advocacy or outreach. SEAS is a free community program that is funded primarily through the support of the Whatcom County Health Department.
System Change
Supporting safe, stable, nurturing, and loving relationships are foundational for healthy development. All children benefit from an organized system of community resources to help them thrive, like health care, quality early learning experiences, healthy nutrition, and parent support. When these systems are coordinated, it provides ongoing successful outcomes for children’s health and well-being.
SEAS is part of a larger system efforts to improve equitable access to services and family centered care through partnership with Whatcom Taking Action and the Perinatal Mental Health Task force and through becoming a Help Me Grow Affiliate. Washington State has identified Help Me Grow as a model to develop a dependable, interconnected system that puts families first, ensuring that resources and supports are accessible to every child and family.