Thank you so much! It really means a lot to have support from other parents who understand this struggle. You're absolutely right about how challenging it is to balance work with the intensive needs of our special needs kids - people who haven't been in this situation often don't realize how impossible it can become. I definitely will update everyone once I get the decision! This community has been such a lifeline throughout this whole process, and I hope sharing my experience can help other families who might be facing similar situations. The solidarity from other parents like yourself makes all the difference during these stressful times. Thank you for the positive thoughts!

Welcome to the community! I'm also fairly new here and have been learning so much from everyone's shared experiences. Darcy's case has been really educational to follow - it shows how important it is to document everything and understand the specific legal requirements. I'm in a somewhat similar situation (not with special needs children, but dealing with family caregiving responsibilities) and seeing how thoroughly she prepared gives me a better sense of what I need to do if I end up needing to quit my job. The support and practical advice from everyone here has been amazing. It's reassuring to know there are people who understand these difficult situations and are willing to share their knowledge. Hope you find the help you need with your ESD issues too!

@Zoe Dimitriou AWS training is perfect for this! I actually used AWS certification prep as part of my job search activities when I was on benefits earlier this year. For AWS courses, I d'recommend counting the substantial lab completions and hands-on projects rather than just watching videos or reading documentation. Each AWS lab typically involves building actual infrastructure setting (up EC2 instances, configuring S3 buckets, etc. which) represents concrete skill development that you can clearly document. I counted activities like Completed "AWS Solutions Architect Lab 3: Built scalable web application with load balancer, auto-scaling groups, and RDS database - gained experience with high-availability architecture design. The" hands-on nature of AWS labs makes them ideal for ESD documentation because you can screenshot your completed AWS console configurations as proof, and the skills directly translate to specific job requirements you ll'see in cloud engineering postings. I d'suggest counting major lab completions and practice exam achievements rather than every single module, but AWS content is substantial enough that you ll'have plenty of meaningful milestones to document. Good luck with your certification journey - AWS skills are in huge demand right now!

@Diego Rojas That s'a really interesting question about portfolio projects! I think you re'onto something there - creating and submitting portfolio pieces based on your coursework could definitely count as separate activities since you re'actively enhancing your job application materials. When I was doing my digital marketing bootcamp, I actually did count portfolio updates as distinct job search activities a few times. I documented them like Updated "professional portfolio with new Google Ads campaign case study - added project demonstrating A/B testing and conversion optimization skills for digital marketing applications. The" key was showing that I was taking course learnings and actively applying them to improve my job search materials. For your UX work, I d'say submitting a mobile app prototype to your portfolio absolutely counts as long as you document it properly - something like Completed "and published UX case study for mobile banking app redesign - demonstrates user research, wireframing, and prototyping skills required for UX Designer roles at fintech companies. Just" make sure you re'not double-counting the same work like (counting both completing the project AND adding it to your portfolio in the same week .)But using course projects to continuously improve your portfolio seems like a smart strategy that ESD would view favorably since it shows you re'actively working to make yourself more competitive in the job market. Your documentation plan sounds solid - you re'going to do great with this approach!

Thanks for the suggestion about using FMLA to supplement! I hadn't thought about that option. Unfortunately my partner is self-employed so no PFML there either. Do you know if there's a minimum time you have to work at Boeing before you qualify for FMLA? I just started a few weeks ago so I'm wondering if I'll even be eligible by the time the baby arrives.

@Natasha Orlova You re'making the right decision to apply! I was in almost the exact same situation last semester - working at a campus-adjacent business that closed down while I was a full-time student. The process was actually much smoother than I expected once I got past the initial anxiety about being a student applicant. One tip that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track all my job search activities from week one - it made filling out the WorkSourceWA logs so much easier and showed I was taking the requirements seriously. Also, since you mentioned the coffee shop is closing permanently, make sure you get any documentation from your employer about the closure like (a layoff notice or final pay stub as) that can help speed up the process. The fact that you re'being proactive and researching all this beforehand puts you way ahead of where I was when I started. You ve'got this!

@Natasha Orlova I went through something really similar when my campus bookstore job ended unexpectedly! One thing that helped me was reaching out to my former manager to get a letter confirming the permanent closure - Washington ESD really appreciated having that documentation upfront. Also, since you re'already thinking ahead about using campus career services, I d'suggest introducing yourself to the career counselors now before you even need them for job search activities. They often have insights about part-time opportunities that work well with student schedules, and building that relationship early made my job search much more effective. The fact that you ve'been working consistently while maintaining your studies is actually a huge strength - it shows Washington ESD that you re'serious about balancing both work and school. Don t'be surprised if they ask some follow-up questions about your availability during the application process, but as long as you re'honest about your schedule and show you re'actively looking for work, you should be fine!

This is such helpful and detailed advice! As a student who's been putting off applying because I was worried about the whole process, your experience gives me a lot of confidence. The 4-week timeline with back pay sounds totally manageable. I really appreciate the tip about being transparent with availability from the start - I was overthinking how much detail to provide but your approach of listing general time blocks makes perfect sense. The point about restaurant skills being transferable is encouraging too since I've been worried that my current part-time retail job might limit my options. It sounds like the key is really just being organized, honest, and persistent with the documentation. Thanks for taking the time to share such a comprehensive breakdown of your experience!

This is incredibly thorough and helpful! I'm a community college student working part-time at a local grocery store and was really nervous about applying for benefits after potentially getting laid off next month. Your timeline breakdown and the detail about adjudication being normal for students really puts things in perspective. I especially appreciate the specific advice about documenting availability upfront - I was worried they'd expect me to be available 40+ hours a week which obviously isn't realistic with my class load. The transferable skills point is something I hadn't really considered either. Do you have any advice on how to frame grocery/retail experience when applying to different types of positions? I've mainly done cashier and stocking work but I'm wondering if there are other skills I should be highlighting that I might not be thinking of.

Good to know, I'll set a reminder on my phone if I end up filing. What day of the week do you have to file?

You can file your weekly claim starting Sunday for the previous week. Most people do it Sunday or Monday to stay on schedule.

Thanks for sharing your experience! That range of $250-400 weekly is really helpful to know. I was worried it might not be worth it for part-time work, but that could actually cover a decent chunk of my expenses while I look for something full-time. Did you find the 3 job search activities per week requirement hard to meet? I'm wondering what kinds of things count besides just applying to jobs.

The 3 job search activities per week is actually pretty manageable once you get into a routine. Besides applying for jobs, you can count things like attending virtual job fairs, taking online courses related to your field, networking events, even just researching companies and their hiring practices. I used to do a mix - usually 1-2 job applications and then something like updating my LinkedIn profile or taking a free skills course online. The key is just keeping good records of everything you do because Washington ESD can audit your job search log at any time. WorkSourceWA also has tons of free resources that count toward your requirements.