We believe that Indigenous mamas are enough and they deserve to honor their reproductive destinies, support their community, and raise their children in healthy and thriving environments. Through the Hummingbird Nest, we believe we can support our families in achieving this vision. Every person deserves to live with dignity and have their basic needs met.
You can schedule an appointment here. If you have language or other accessibility needs, please email us at nest@hummingbird-ifs.org. The appointment will be 20-25 minutes and we will ask permission to collect information, how to best contact you, and confirm eligibility and basic demographic information. We also are happy to answer any questions you may have during this time.
Depending on your current income and the types of benefits you receive, it is possible your benefits may be affected. Once you are selected for the program, our Abundance Auntie will talk with you about the ways your benefits may be impacted, and options available to protect benefits. The choice is yours! Once we go over the potential impact, you can decide if the Nest is still right for you based on your existing benefits. We will also support the process of re-applying for any benefits you may have lost towards the time of graduation from the program.
You do not pay taxes on this money. This is a gift from Hummingbird to you. Federal tax law only applies to gifts over $16,000 in a given year, and Nest recipients would not receive more than $15,000 any given year. Washington State does not have income tax, so state tax does not apply. If you become a Nest recipient and choose to participate in the optional research and storytelling, any stipends you receive for participation over $600 would be considered taxable income. Participation in these activites is completely optional and separate from the gift income you receive through Nest, which is tax exempt.
All information you share with us will be kept confidential and used only to determine your eligibility into the Nest. If are already receiving services from HIFS or if you become a client, the information you share will not be available to your doula or home visitor unless you consent to a release of information.
If you choose to participate in the research or storytelling, the information you share will be collected anonymously to help us build a picture of Indigenous parenting, resilience, and the impact of guaranteed income in supporting families during this crucial time in a parent and child’s life. More information about research and storytelling will be provided once you’re accepted into the Nest.
The Nest serves American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Indigenous tribes from North America (First Nations and Indigenous tribes in what is now Mexico and Central America).
While Indigenous identity as a political concept is complicated by the reality that Indigeneity has been definted by the colonizing powers and governmental bodies. These definitions are often meant to support the ongoing erasure, genocide, land left, and culture theft (not a conclusive list). We honor the sovereignty of other tribal nations and respect and accept any documentation and enrollment papers from these sovereign nations, using their categorical eligibility. We also have other options for folks who are not enrolled, or who have different systems based on the types of military and governmental occupation of their colonizing bodies. We consult with our Cultural Advisory Council to make determinations in cases where lineage, descendency, or enrollment is unclear.
Interested people must make under a certain income (see income table above), live in King County, Pierce County, or on the Tulalip reservation, and be at least 12 weeks pregnant and up to 6 weeks postpartum at the time of acceptance into the program.
The Cultural Avisory Council, or The CAC is a voting council made up of community members, experts and elders in maternal child health for Pacific Islander and urban Indigenous communities, and parents who have given birth in the past three years.
Working with the Nest Program Manager, the cultural advisory council will provide leadership and counsel on specific strategy areas for the Hummingbird Nest Guaranteed Income and Storytelling Project. We believe in centering communities in radical ways.
Having major decisions and strategies supported, guided, and decided by our cultural advisory council supports our value of community centering.
No, you do not. Anyone who meets our eligibility criteria is eligible regardless of immigration status.
While our program will support participants through to their child's third birthday, you do need to be pregnant or up to 6 weeks postpartum to enroll in the program. This is at the time of enrolling in the program. Due to longer than expected wait times, it is possible that someone may be eligible when they apply, but then age out of eligibility before they are accepted into the program.
We are currently working to ensure this does not happen frequently and are working with the Cultural Advisory Council and our funder, Perigee to address this issue.
If you have more than one child, you can still apply - this will be factored into your household size when determining income eligibility. You will not receive extra income based on other children. The gift amount will remain the same.
We define a household as immediate family members or domestic partners with whom you share income and living expenses. Roommates, for example, are not part of your household.
While we do not have a specific policy that would keep two members at the same address from applying, this situation would be taken to our Cultural Advisory Council (CAC). The CAC is a voting council made up of community members, experts and elders in maternal child health for Pacific Islander and urban Indigenous communities, and parents who have given birth in the past three years. They may request more information, and would make a determination on whether these circumstances would exclude someone from eligibility.
No. You cannot apply more than once. However, if your situation has changed, you can reach back out, and we can update your information so you do not need to re-apply.
For instance, if you apply before you’re 12 weeks pregnant, we will reach back out to you with a text or email when you become eligible to see if you are still interested in the program and continue the application process. If you are not eligible but you have since moved, your pregnancy status has changed, or your income has changed, you can contact Hummingbird to update the information, and if necessary, share new documentation.
We convened our council of elders and matriarchs, and connected with Indigenous mamas who were pregnant or who had given birth in the past three years to create a program rooted in community values, traditions, and decolonized practices to support our families in building Indigenous wealth.
