What Sets CHERISH Providers Apart

CHERISH-trained therapists from Early Supports for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) programs in Washington state act as another member of the team, helping the adults in a child’s life best support navigating transitions from one caregiver to another and encouraging relationships between caregivers and parents.

Providers have degrees and/or training in social work, speech language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and education. Each therapist completes six months of training, then receives ongoing support and technical assistance from Kindering’s training team. (As not all therapists are licensed mental health professionals, there are referral options for needs that are beyond a therapist’s scope of practice or training. In these situations, referrals are made to infant mental health providers in the community.)

We offer three levels of training:

• CHERISH 101: A virtual 4-part training that provides an overview of the CHERISH program and practice strategies for ESIT providers and Family Resources Coordinators. At the completion of the training, participants are considered “CHERISH-Informed.”
  • We acknowledge that all ESIT agencies serve children in dependency regardless of CHERISH program training. Strategies covered in 101 are intentionally selected because they are generally applicable to ESIT work with families (especially for children in dependency) & accessible for everyone in attendance. Our goal with the CHERISH 101 training is to provide an introduction to the CHERISH approach to ESIT services (which is covered more in-depth in certification). What you offer as an agency without CHERISH certification may look very similar to the CHERISH model (b/c the elements of our model aren't novel, but the way we combine & specialize our approach in the model is).
• CHERISH 102: Attendees of the CHERISH 101 training have the opportunity to join regular virtual meetings to access ongoing learning and support.
• CHERISH Certification: A 6-month training program completed by a cohort of ESIT providers, consisting of weekly in-person training sessions as well as periodic in-person activities. At completion, providers are certified and receive ongoing support from Kindering’s training team.
  • CHERISH^TM is a registered trademark. Only the ESIT agencies with a team of CHERISH-certified providers & FRCs are able to provide services advertised as “CHERISH”, as part of a signed agreement stating they will adhere to specified CHERISH program fidelity requirements
  • Providers that go through certification have 6 months of intensive/focused training on the core concepts of reflection & relationships in the work, receive some structure/specific process guidance for the work, & gain access to ongoing supports & a network of other certified providers through the CHERISH Program