Wednesday, November 30 – The first week of Special Session will have a memorable closing day on Friday in Olympia, when hundreds of kids, parents, and advocates stand together at Children’s Alliance’s Have a Heart for Kids Day: 2011 Special Session. This will culminate in a rally with parent and youth speakers, and a Proclamation by the Children of Washington released and delivered to legislators.

Read this release in English.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2010 – A report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that hunger in Washington is taking a higher toll on families in 2009 than in previous years. Since the economic recession took root in the state in 2008, the number of Washington families struggling to put food on the table has spiked.

The number of Washington households that are food insecure, meaning they struggle to afford enough nutritious food, rose from 288,000 to 367,000 in 2009, a 27 percent increase over the prior year. The rise in households that are hungry was even more striking: 152,200 Washington households met the definition for hunger (called “very low food insecurity” in the report), up 40,200 or 36 percent.

Children's Alliance Executive Director Paola Maranan authored an Op-Ed published in the Seattle Times on Sunday, November 7th, 2010. She makes the case that Congress should protect funding for Working Connections Child Care by passing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Emergency Contingency Fund. The article makes it clear that failing to protect the Working Connections child care and employment program can only hurt kids, families, and the Washington state's economic recovery.

Deputy Director Jon Gould was featured on the TVW program Inside Olympia on November 11th. He called upon legislators to protect kids during these difficult economic times. 

Watch a clip below, or see the full program on the TVW website.