Being a parent is nonstop hard work, making it challenging to stay on top of political news for families in Washington. Below are highlights and commentary on key policy updates and headlines from Oct. 11–19 that impact parents, kids, and communities across the state. The opinions shared here are those of the author and do not represent Seattle’s Child.
Family SNAP benefits threatened by federal shutdown
Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services said this week that if federal funding is not restored, the agency will not be able to issue food benefits after Oct. 31. Agency spokesperson Norah West confirmed the potential stoppage in an email on Friday. Get the full story.
WA paid leave program headed toward cliff
I spent many years assisting individuals and couples with the tiring and inspiring transition into new parenthood. If I could name one thing that is most critical in this transition, it would be paid time off for parents, allowing them to stay home, get to know their baby, and set the family up for healthy child (and parent) development. Hands down.
That’s why Washington State Standard’s recent article about the looming budget crisis in the state’s paid family and medical leave program caught my attention — and should catch yours.
According to its actuary, the program could face a more than $350 million deficit in 2029 unless the state legislature acts to fill the gap. What does the size of the deficit mean? Think reduced benefits and/or increased payments by the employers and employees who fund the program, which covers paid time off from work not only to care for a new baby, but for serious health issues or to care for other family members in a medical crisis.
Lawmakers have been haggling over how to secure the program’s future for a while and will very likely be at it again during the legislative session, which begins in January. More details here.
Take action: The 2026 session of the Washington State Legislature is just around the corner, starting in January. Reach out to your state lawmakers now and share your thoughts and experiences with the paid family and medical leave program.
2nd ‘No Kings’ rally rolls down Seattle streets — and across WA
Shout out to Chrysanthemum, a children’s clothing shop in Columbia City that offered a kid-friendly alternative to this weekend’s No Kings demonstrations, protesting the policies of the Trump administration. The shop put out free sign-making supplies so families could gather at Rainier Avenue South and Edmunds Street to wave signs, chant, and show solidarity with the nationwide movement.
The local marches — including Chrysanthemum’s version — were among more than 2,500 across the country yesterday. At least one news outlet estimated the number of marchers at 90,000; another noted the line of protesters ran a mile long. (See the Seattle Mayor’s recent response to Trump threats below.)
SPS Superintendent: Down to two finalists
The Seattle School Board voted unanimously last week to approve two finalists for the district’s superintendent position, but members are not naming names. Board resident Gina Topp said the two candidates will remain anonymous until the choice is made. According to KUOW, the vote for “candidates 7 and 8” took a mere 10 minutes. The candidates, both of whom are currently in leadership positions, will undergo more interviews, reference checks, and other hiring checks in the next stage of the hiring process.
GENERAL ELECTION WATCH: Did you find answers at the Seattle Education Candidate Forum?
This week, Seattle-based Alliance for Education hosted a free, community-led gathering to allow parents, students, and neighbors to have face-to-face conversations with candidates for the Seattle School Board, the Seattle City Council, Seattle Mayor, and King County Executive before heading to the general election polls on Nov. 4.
The idea was to give those most impacted by education policy (and too often left out of policy-making decisions) a chance to share their views, ask questions, and listen to candidate proposals for improving student futures.
Did you attend the session at Rainier Beach High School? If so, we want to hear from you. Did you feel heard during the Seattle Education Candidate Forum? Which candidates offered the best solutions to the ongoing struggles in our public schools? Reach out and share your thoughts by emailing chery@seattleschild.com.
Clergy do not have to report child abuse
Earlier this year, state lawmakers passed legislation making clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse or neglect, even those disclosed in the confessional. Catholic bishops filed a lawsuit against the state on the grounds that the confessional is a sacramental space.
And last week, the state gave up the fight in court. Washington will not force Catholic priests and other religious leaders to divulge information heard in confession. Clergy won’t have to report to law enforcement when they have “reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect.” Read the full story.
+12 governors join WA, CA & OR to protect public health
The push against what they call the Trump administration’s “extremeist” and dangerous public health policies is growing. This week, 15 Democratic governors formed a public health alliance in opposition to public health guidance and decisions from the administration and the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Kennedy’s decisions and funding cuts, especially around vaccine recommendations and research, have sent a wave of alarm through medical and public health service and research programs.
The new Governors’ Public Health Alliance aims to strengthen collaboration among the states as they share public health data and expertise, emergency preparedness, communication, and health threat response speed.
Participating governors include those from Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island, as well as the U.S. territory of Guam. Read the full story in the Washington State Standard.
Take action: Contact Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office to share your opinion on this topic or to suggest ways to support Washington’s public health system best.
Student voices heard in the cafeteria. Sort of
It turns out that students in Seattle do have a voice and know how to use it. And they have used it effectively. Earlier this month, after weeks of student pushback (including a student walkout) against a Seattle Public School policy change requiring high school students to be corralled into two lunch periods rather than one, the district conceded — a bit.
The district agreed to a compromise: two lunches, four days a week, and one 30-minute lunch period on Wednesdays.
In an email sent to schools, PS interim superintendent Fred Podesta and associate superintendent Rocky Torres-Morales said the compromise would “preserve time for students to connect, join clubs, or explore other interests. This gives students time for whole-school community building, while still supporting a safer and more manageable lunch experience on other days.”
High schools will have the option to decide whether to implement a Wednesday one-lunch plan individually. Students protested the move to two lunch periods, saying they impacted clubs, social connections, and more.
The debate is not over, say students who plan to continue pushing for one lunch period every day of the school week.
An infrastructure win for South Park and Georgetown
For years, biking in the South Park and Georgetown region of Seattle was not only unenjoyable, but potentially dangerous with kids.
Thankfully, biking families can now enjoy the new bike and pedestrian path connecting the two neighborhoods, about two miles apart.
According to a recent article from South Seattle Emerald, community members have been pushing the Seattle City Council to approve and fund the improvement for years. Now that the path is laid, families have an alternative to driving to stores, play fields, and schools in the neighborhood opposite their residence — a big win for community advocacy, the environment, and pedestrian safety.
City and state leaders to Trump: No. National. Guard. In. Seattle!
Here’s what parents (and most other residents) in Seattle do not want their children to see in our city: U.S. military personnel policing our streets. Not just because it’s scary and likely illegal, but because there’s no reason for it. Crime rates are down, police hires are up, and the Seattle City Council has passed nearly 30 public safety bills.
That was the gist of a press conference last week held by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown as they took on President Donald Trump and his administration’s increasing — and increasingly hostile —use of National Guard deployments in cities across the country. Both vowed to protect residents from that kind of federal overreach (a federal judge recently ruled it was illegal for Trump to send troops to Los Angeles). Watch the press briefing:
Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle, who attended the press event and chairs the city’s Public Safety Committee, weighed in on the president’s threat to use Seattle and other “dangerous” cities as “training grounds” for the military:
“There is simply no reason for the National Guard to be deployed in our city,” Kettle said.
“Our military defends our nation. If it is seen as defending a partisan effort, then that vital concept is undercut with negative consequences long-term. We must continue to push back on such actions and rhetoric – we cannot normalize them.”
Take action: Reach out to city, county, state, and congressional representatives and share your thoughts on threats of military occupation in American cities by U.S. soldiers. Click here for contact information.
GENERAL ELECTION WATCH: Vote YES on the FEPP Levy
Back in June, the Seattle City Council voted to place a renewal of the city’s Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy on the Nov. 4 ballot.
The $1.3 billion in property taxes would help pay for early childhood education, K-12 student services, and post-secondary tuition and career support, and more than doubles the availability of subsidized child care in the city. It would also ensure that Seattle residents continue to have universal access to a 2-year degree and add certificate programs in the trades through the Seattle Promise program.
City officials hope voters understand the difference between the current FEPP renewal on the November ballot and Seattle Public Schools levies approved by voters earlier this year.
While the SPS initiatives help keep the school district afloat, the Seattle City Council-approved FEPP renewal on the ballot focuses on educational support for children before and after they are enrolled in or graduate from K-12 programs. Learn where the $1.3 million will go if the FEPP is approved in November, read “What Seattle’s $1.3B FEPP Levy could mean for kids and families.”
Take action: Your vote is your voice. No matter where you stand on the issues, make your voice heard by mailing in your ballot by Nov. 4.
2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner sets the example
The announcement of María Corina Machado as the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize could be seen as a boost of encouragement for all those Greater Seattle parents, teens, and families who’ve been peacefully protesting against Trump administration edicts and policies since January.
They include the nearly 100 West Seattleites who gather at the corner of California Avenue and Admiral each weekend, peacefully holding protest signs and waving to passersby. They include weekly peaceful protest groups regularly gathered on Capitol Hill and in other spots around the city. And they include the swell of ralliers at the second “No Kings” this weekend throughout the city.
The message of this year’s peace prize? The way to restore democracy in America is through peaceful opposition to dictatorship.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
To learn more about Machado and her work, check out The New York Times story, “María Corina Machado, Venezuela Opposition Leader, Is Awarded Nobel Peace Prize.“
