January 2007

A New Year, Renewed Commitments

We live in one of the most affluent communities in the world, with tremendous resources at our disposal. Yet, United Way of King County knows that it takes more than just dollars to fix a problem in a meaningful way. That's why we work to shape public policy.

On January 8, we head back to Olympia for the 2007 state legislative session, which runs through April 23. Our public policy agenda focuses on:

• strengthening the child care system, including implementation of a Quality Rating and Improvement System, technical assistance and subsidies for low-income children.
• making significant investments in programs that support parents, including home visiting nurses, social workers, and other professionals for in-home coaching to new parents at-risk due to various factors.
• expanding and strengthening Washington state's free preschool program.
• supporting programs targeted to increasing quality of care in family, friend and neighbor environments.
• expanding coverage of health insurance through subsidies for low-income families and children.

Get Involved
If you want to support early learning and have your voice heard, sign up for our legislative alerts. You can also sign up for periodic emails from several of our community partners including:

• The Children's Alliance
• Early Care and Education Coalition
• The Foundation for Early Learning
• The League of Education Voters

If you'd like to make a trip to Olympia, consider joining The Children's Alliance on February 19 for Have a Heart for Kids Day. Children are welcome, and child care will be provided to those who request it.

This year promises to be a breakthrough year for young children. Support for early learning is at an all-time high. Both the Department of Early Learning and public-private partnership Thrive by Five were created in 2006 and are now ready to fully join our efforts to make early childhood care and education a top priority. Governor Christine Gregoire is also being lauded for her commitment to education, particularly as it relates to her 2007-09 budget, which was released in December. For coverage of the highlights, read related articles in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and The Seattle Times.

We look forward to working creatively and strategically with all of our community partners, including each of you, to impact the systems that can help all children in King County enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and life—particularly those who face additional barriers.

Together we have the ability to change our community
for the better in fundamental, lasting ways.

For more information on why United Way of King County cares so much about kids and what we're doing to promote early learning in our community, visit our web site. If you have specific questions or needs pertaining to early learning, please contact earlylearning@uwkc.org

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