The Children’s Alliance and other Early Learning Action Alliance members are celebrating a hard-earned victory today.

The Legislature has passed a bill that takes a step toward making early learning for infants and toddlers a top priority as our state builds and strengthens pre-kindergarten.

In this minute-long audio slideshow aimed at our state’s lawmakers, Seattle high schooler Daniel Perlmutter makes a common-sense plea for taxing candy and soda to pay for kids' health care. It’s simple, he says.

“Candy … it’s fun, but it’s not food. Yet our tax laws treat candy like bananas, bread and milk. That’s preposterous!”

Candy is not food. So Washington’s tax law shouldn’t treat it like it is. Soda is loaded with calories and has zero nutritional value. A penny-per-ounce tax could raise substantial revenues to protect vital medical and dental care programs for children and families across our state.

The House has made the right move by proposing a tax on candy and gum. Our state loses out on more than $40 million in revenue every year because these sweets are exempt from state sales tax.

A great deal of research on how and why some children fall behind during their K-12 years has focused on preschoolers – kids age 3 to 5. But studies have shown that warning signs of looming achievement gaps can start to surface much earlier in life. In one study that’s been generating a lot of buzz lately, researchers at Child Trends found that as early as 9 months of age, low-income kids and children of color – who are less likely to have access to high-quality early learning programs than higher-income white children – generally scored lower on certain cognitive skills and social-emotional development tests.

This year, the Children’s Alliance is urging lawmakers to pass two bills that would make early learning programs for infants and toddlers a higher priority in Washington state. Both bills – 2SHB 2867 and 3SHB 2687 – are on the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee’s agenda for a hearing Monday (Feb. 22) afternoon.

Gov. Chris Gregoire has taken an important step toward protecting vital services for children and families by proposing more than $605 million in new state revenues, but much more is needed to protect families and children in this time of crisis.

First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled a plan to combat the growing problem of childhood obesity today, calling on communities across the country to renew their commitments to helping kids develop healthy eating and exercise habits.

One year ago, President Obama signed the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA). Gov. Chris Gregoire was in the room, and since then, our state leaders have reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to covering all kids.

Over the past year, about 2.6 million more children nationwide – tens of thousands of them in Washington state – got health coverage through CHIP or Medicaid.

Washington state is at a critical moment for children’s health. For five years, state leaders and community partners have been working toward the vision of covering all children in Washington by 2010. 

At a news conference convened by the Rebuilding Our Economic Future Coalition, the Children’s Alliance joined parents and teachers in urging our state lawmakers to raise significant new revenue to protect kids and schools.