The Children’s Alliance, an organization that advocates for kids and families across Washington, isn’t letting the grim economy – or a slew of budget cuts Gov. Gregoire has proposed – hamper its goal of getting the Legislature to devote more money to safety-net programs for the needy. “Without revenue increases, the current state budget crisis endangers our most vulnerable and destabilizes the economic stability of families, on which the economic stability of the state depends,” the alliance says in a summary of its 2009 legislative agenda.
Here are its top priorities in Olympia this year:
Ending Childhood Hunger – The Children’s Alliance is urging lawmakers to invest about $4 million to eliminate co-pays for school lunches for pre-kindergarten programs and grades four through eight Eliminating the co-pays for children in kindergarten through third grade has already proven to help those kids avoid going hungry. More children in those grades took advantage of school lunches when the 40-cent co-pay was scrapped in 2007. The alliance also is calling for a “modest investment,” about a half million dollars, for summer meal programs, and will lobby against proposed cuts to the state’s Basic Food, or food stamp, program, and general assistance for the poor.
Health Care Coverage for All Kids by 2010 – Washington’s Apple Health for Kids program offers free health insurance for children in families that make less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, currently $42,400 per year for a family of four. Families that make slightly more pay monthly premiums on a sliding scale of $15 to $30 per child (capped at $60 per month). The current budget funds the $30-per-month coverage only through June 30, when the fiscal year ends. Gregoire, however, has proposed cutting coverage for families that make between 250 percent and 300 percent of the federal poverty level in the biennium that begins July 1 and eliminated it in this year’s supplemental budget beginning Jan. 1. The Children’s Alliance is urging the Legislature to reinstate coverage for those families and invest $6 million in state funds – which would bring in millions in federal dollars – to continue the $30-per-month coverage into the next two-year budget cycle. The alliance also is calling on the state to set aside $3 million to pay for equal access to mental health services, which is guaranteed in the Cover All Kids law but has not been included in the state budget.
Early Learning – The Children’s Alliance is asking the Legislature to maintain $3.5 million in the next two-year budget cycle for home-visiting programs that give parents guidance about getting their children ready for school. About 800 families a year receive home visits through the program. The alliance had been hoping lawmakers would set aside another $7 million to serve 1,750 more families, but recognizes that expanding the program during such tough economic times won’t likely happen.
Fairness for Foster Kids – African-American and Native-American children wind up in foster care more often and stay longer once they’re there compared to their white peers. The Children’s Alliance wants lawmakers to take steps to reduce this disproportionality in the child welfare system. It is urging lawmakers to continue to fund the operations and research of the Washington State Racial Disproportionality Advisory Committee. The alliance has yet to specify how much funding it plans to seek.
– Elizabeth M. Gillespie, managing editor
Editor's Note: This story includes updates from our print edition, including more detailed breakdowns of funding requests the Children's Alliance plans to make and the organization's responses to some of Gov. Gregoire's budget proposals, which call for widespread cuts to various safety-net programs.
