New legislation was introduced this week to help address the youth behavioral health crisis. HB 2038 would establish the Youth Behavioral Health Account and fund it with a 0.4% tax on the gross income of social media platforms.

Washington is facing a severe budget crisis this session, and funding for early learning programs is at risk. We are particularly concerned about proposed cuts that will impact kids who are furthest from opportunity. 

We are 43 days into the 2025 legislative session, with 62 days left.  A lot has happened so far, including some major successes that we are thrilled to share with all of you. 

Check out our photo gallery and recap of Have a Heart for Kids Day 2025.

Children’s Alliance collaborated with the State Attorney General’s Office and Representative Lisa Callan to introduce legislation which will hold digital media companies accountable for creating a safer online environment for kids.

The recent actions of the new Administration have already begun to have a negative impact on Washington’s kids. This is unacceptable and we must resist.

Our policy team visited partners across Washington state to learn more about the issues impacting their communities.

At Children’s Alliance, we see a future in which all of Washington's children have an abundance of what they need to grow up to be the people they dream of becoming.  Our 2025 legislative agenda highlights policy priorities in our three primary issue areas: early learning, health equity, and economic justice.

Dr. Stephan Blanford, Senator Noel Frame, Representative Lisa Callan, and Reid Saaris discuss policy solutions to address the youth behavioral health crisis.

Exploring the expansion, improvement, and promotion of school-based behavioral health solutions to address the youth behavioral health crisis.

Washington voters spoke up for kids in the 2024 election and roundly defeated I-2109, the ballot initiative that would have repealed our state’s capital gains tax and cut billions from early learning, child care, K-12 education and school construction. 

Our new report offers an updated look at opportunities for breakthrough progress in Washington's adolescent mental health crisis.

Stephan reflects on his time in Montgomery attending The Alabama Experience - the annual conference of the Alliance for Early Success.

Our 2023-2024 Progress Report highlights key victories and crucial partnerships over the past year.

Last month, we conducted our annual member survey and received 182 responses from engaged members of our community.

In what unique ways are communities in different areas of the state experiencing common issues? This was the question guiding our work as we embarked on stakeholder engagement activities across Washington state late last month.

As part of our work to address the youth mental health crisis, we recently sent a letter to Senator Cantwell in support of legislation to empower parents to make decisions about how their children use social media and the internet.

In this post, we’ll discuss what is contributing to those leading rankings, and we’ll share some of the advocacy we’re doing to continue pushing for progress in in these areas, particularly for children furthest from opportunity.

Earlier this month, the Annie E. Casey Foundation published its 2024 KIDS COUNT® National Data Book, which ranks states in overall well-being and across four categories.