Author: Christine Winckler

Authors Lori Pfingst, Research & Policy Director, Washington State Budget & Policy Center Elena Hernandez, Policy Analyst, Washington State Budget & Policy Center Jon Gould, Deputy Director, Children’s Alliance Adam Hyla Holdorf, Communications Director, Children’s Alliance Photography Tegra Stone Nuess Design Nathan Runyan About Us KIDS COUNT in Washington is a joint effort of the Children’s Alliance and the Washington

Improving the eleven indicators in this report requires changing our approach. The status quo is not acceptable if we want to achieve the goals that all kids need to thrive: a healthy start in life, basic needs met, and the educational opportunities they need to reach their full potential. Two broad strategies will help improve conditions for Washington state’s kids:

Structural racism—the way that policies, practices, and programs combine and interact to sustain poorer outcomes among communities of color—undermines progress for children. A high quality education system—one that empowers children to excel in school from preschool through higher education—supports students in reaching their full potential, and is essential for the future competitiveness and economic vitality of Washington state. Jump down

Getting results means investing in kids of color, so they can overcome the barriers created by racism and poverty. Having basic needs met—like adequate food, safe and stable housing, and health care—is fundamental to all areas of well-being. No child should go without the basics. In Washington state, tremendous progress has been made in ensuring all children have health care coverage,

The well-being of our children is a barometer for the future. A healthy start begins with the prenatal health and well-being of a child’s mother, and includes a child’s early months and years, when a child’s brain is rapidly developing the knowledge and skills essential for future success in their relationships, school, and reaching their full potential in life. The

Our children are growing up in an exciting and profound time. Conversations about income inequality, racial justice, gender equity, climate change, living-wage jobs, and family economic security—all essential issues for child well-being—are dominating our public debates. Growing knowledge and awareness of these issues is accompanied by reignited social movements that are gaining momentum thanks to new faces, old wisdom, savvy use