Apple Health for Kids provides comprehensive and affordable health coverage for children in our state. The Senate’s budget proposal completely eliminates funding for outreach activities. The ability to leverage future federal performance bonuses, in the millions, relies on our ability to identify and enroll eligible children through successful outreach strategies.

Read about our state's highly effective Apple Health for Kids outreach efforts.

Read about the Early Learning Action Alliance Coalition's Positions on the 2009-2011 Supplemental Budget

Parents count on Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) to help them cover the high cost of child care so they can go to work or job training.  If projected cuts to WCCC were put in place, in addition to harming stability and continuity of care for children, it would not result in cost savings. An estimated 25% of WCCC families (325 families) who lose their child care subsidy would be unable to work and would be forced turn to the support of TANF.

Read more about how Working Connections Child Care saves Washington Money

Lawmakers are debating ways to adopt a balanced budget by March 11th—they can either cut services, raise revenue, or do a combination of both. We support a balanced approach that includes significant new revenues. Delaying action is not an option. Read more about why kids need revenue now.

Washington State U.S. Representative Rick Larsen, from the 2nd Congressional District, has co-sponsored legislative to expand access to afterschool meals and snacks for low-income children and reduce paperwork for providers.

Here's a quick fact sheet for the “Ensuring All Students Year-round (EASY) Access to Meals and Snacks Act of 2009,” (H.R. 4274).