On Tuesday, January 20, advocates from across Washington gathered in Olympia to fight for our state’s children at Have a Heart for Kids Day. Children’s Alliance’s annual day of advocacy brings together community members at every level to connect, learn, and speak directly with legislators.  

In fall 2025, Children’s Alliance relaunched the Nancy Amidei Advocacy Camp with trainings across the state to inspire, educate, and empower communities to advocate for Washington’s children.

From August through September, we conducted our annual member survey to gather insight into the priorities of some of our most engaged community members.

As a statewide organization, it is crucial that Children’s Alliance regularly connects with communities across Washington. In August, members of our policy team visited Spokane to meet with lawmakers, visit partners, and hold our first Advocacy Camp in eastern Washington. 

We are excited to announce the 2025 recipients of our Champions for Children award! These lawmakers are being recognized for their outstanding service on behalf of children and families situated furthest from opportunity.

This year we welcomed Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown as our featured speaker, announced the return of our signature advocacy training program, and celebrated the leadership of our Executive Director Dr. Stephan Blanford. 

Advocacy training has been a cornerstone of Children’s Alliance’s work, most notably through our signature program, Advocacy Camp, which ran from 1995 to 2019. We are excited to announce our plan to reintroduce the program this summer.

Ahead of his departure this summer, Dr. Stephan Blanford recalls some of the highlights of his time at Children’s Alliance.