A new KIDS COUNT® policy report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation details hurdles that young parents face to support their children. These barriers threaten both the still-developing young adult parents and their young children, setting off a chain of diminished opportunities for two generations.
Parents, grandparents, advocates and health care professionals told state legislators Monday, January 15 about the immense cost of withholding health care coverage from some Washington residents—and the better future lawmakers can make possible.
In our Learn, Love, Lead! email series, we show what we can do together to protect and support Washington's children from new federal threats. Each week, we provide a resource you can learn from and share, or an action you can take to be the leader kids are counting on.
The creation of a Department for Children, Youth and Families is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to structure government for positive outcomes for children.
This year’s election will bring immense change to our nation and our state. Because we know you love kids as much as we do, we want to take a moment now to share our initial thinking about the impacts of the election on children and on our work as child advocates.
No parent should have to choose between caring for a sick child and earning a day’s pay. That’s one of the reasons behind our support for Initiative 1433, the measure to raise the minimum wage statewide and provide paid sick days to all Washington workers.
The following positions on statewide ballot measures for the 2016 general election have been taken by the Children’s Alliance.
Initiative 732: NO
SEATTLE – As Washington kids head back to school, educators, parents and children’s health experts gathered on Thursday to announce their support for the Yes on 1433 campaign, which would allow more than 1 million Washington workers to earn paid sick leave.
Household incomes for Washington’s poorest families have yet to recover from the 2008 recession, according to the national 2016 KIDS COUNT Data Book from the Annie. E. Casey Foundation.
SEATTLE – Kids and families in Washington state have made some progress in the face of poverty rates that have yet to improve, according to the new national 2016 KIDS COUNT® Data Book from the Annie. E. Casey Foundation.
One out of every 14 children in Washington state has at least one parent who is or has been incarcerated.
The Children’s Alliance has endorsed Initiative 1433 for a higher minimum wage and paid sick leave all across the state of Washington.
Why YES on 1433? Here’s why.
Children’s Alliance staff, volunteers and community partners recently re-imagined the future of our work to end childhood hunger. Among our conclusions were these: One way to fight hunger broadly, as well as improve the health, well-being and learning of Washington’s kids, is by erasing disparities across race and ethnicity. And, good jobs are a great way to end hunger.
Higher wages and access to paid sick leave stabilize families and help kids grow up healthy and strong. Approximately 1 in 5 children in our state live in poverty and face long-term barriers to success in school and in life. As this chart shows, Washington’s children of color are more likely to experience poverty than are White children. That’s because the adults in their households have fewer opportunities to work in the good jobs with benefits that are the cornerstone of American prosperity.
Better wages and access to paid sick leave stabilize families and help kids grow up healthy and strong. One in five children in our state live in poverty and face long-term barriers to success in school and in life. Family-friendly workplace policies move us closer to ending childhood hunger and poverty. When crafted well, such policies are also a step toward racial equity, as people of color disproportionately hold low-wage jobs without paid leave benefits.
Governor Inslee’s Executive Order re: State Blue Ribbon Commission on the Delivery of Services to Children and Families
Statement from Children’s Alliance, Feb. 18, 2016
Any structural change in the state of Washington’s service delivery for children should be guided by what’s best for kids. And, when not all kids are faring well, our attention and resources should prioritize the most vulnerable. Data about child outcomes in our state show wide disparities in economic security, educational, and health outcomes by family income and race and ethnicity.
All children deserve a great start in life. But our state’s tax system puts too many of them in harm’s way.
Revenues as a proportion of the economy have shrunk over the past 15 years, resulting in cuts to basic services. Children in communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by these cuts.
Ending these cuts boosts our economy. Ending the 25 percent cut to State Food Assistance would generate more than $17 million in economic activity through June 2017.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) promotes the economic security of children. This session, state lawmakers should restore the 15 percent cut to TANF. Read more.
Children’s Alliance Legislative Champions are state lawmakers recognized for their outstanding service to children in a specific policy area in a particular legislative session.
Our 2013 legislative agenda calls on legislators to: