HEALTH EQUITY
Our Work
Every child deserves to experience their optimal health. However, significant racial disparities exist that prevent Washington’s most vulnerable children from living their healthiest lives. Children's Alliance strives to advance children's health policies and investments that close the opportunity gap for children in low-income families and children of color.
See our 2024 legislative agenda to learn about our health equity policy priorities in the upcoming legislative session.
Addressing the Youth Behavioral Health Crisis
The mental health of our state’s children is at significant risk, and behavioral health issues have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data indicate increased concerns around depression and suicidal ideation in youth, specifically among those who identify as LGBTQ+, students with disabilities, students of color, and students from lower income households. Children’s Alliance works with the Health Coalition for Children & Youth and other health coalitions to advocate for policies that address the youth behavioral health crisis. Additionally, we convene a committee of school mental health experts from across the state with whom we produced a report identifying solutions to improve behavioral health outcomes in Washington’s schools.
Increasing Oral Health Access
Every Washingtonian should be able to get dental care when they need it. For far too many families, timely and routine oral health care is out of reach. Dental disease and other oral health issues are preventable, however, data indicates that dental care is the most common unmet health need in children, especially children of color. Children’s Alliance helps lead the Washington Dental Access Campaign, a coalition of 50+ organizations working to improve oral health access across the state. In the 2023 legislative session, we worked to pass House Bill 1678 which will add dental therapists to the oral health care team at community health centers, expanding dentists' and health clinics' capacity to see more patients, especially those who struggle to afford oral health care.
A Legacy of Progress
We know that every aspect of health is critical to a child’s wellbeing. Children’s Alliance works with partners to improve other areas of child and family health, including protecting reproductive health access, fighting childhood hunger, and expanding coverage for immigrant communities.
This continues a legacy of progress in which we take pride. With our leadership, Washington state became a national leader in health coverage for all children with the 2007 creation of Apple Health for Kids. And we improved child and family access to health care with by securing health and dental coverage for thousands of Pacific Islander Washingtonians in 2018 and 2019.