REFLECTING ON FIVE YEARS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S ALLIANCE
By Dr. Stephan Blanford
As I anticipate my fifth (and final) anniversary at Children’s Alliance, I’ve been in a reflective mood. That first year was a tumultuous one - we were in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and safety protocols kept me from getting to know my team on anything but a surface level. Our offices were closed and we quickly needed to shift how we were going to partner with advocates when community meetings were out of the question. On top of that, I was now leading an explicitly anti-racist organization at a time when people were still marching in the streets after the murder of George Floyd. The subsequent racial reckoning profoundly affected our partners, our state and country, and each of us on the team. Despite these challenges, because of Children’s Alliance’s decades-long commitment to racial equity, I knew I was in the right place at the right time.
Over the past five years, I have been proud to work alongside advocates, partners, providers, and lawmakers to make progress for Washington's kids and families. As a long-time advocate for high quality early learning, I was proud of our role leading a diverse and powerful early learning coalition that helped pass the Fair Start for Kids Act in 2021 - the largest investment in early learning in this state’s history - along with the capital gains tax to generate the needed revenue to fund it.
Stephan speaking in support of the capital gains tax at a rally on the Capitol Steps in Olympia
Before the ink of the Governor’s signature on that bill was dry, we were forced to defend this revenue stream against some of the state’s wealthiest individuals, all the way to the State Supreme Court. After a favorable 7-2 ruling there, we again were thrust into the middle of the fight to defend it, this time at the ballot, winning an impressive 64% of the vote last November. Fighting to improve the wellbeing of all 1.7 million children in our state has been the honor of my professional life, and our collective strength on this issue means that thousands of young children will show up for their first day of kindergarten ready to learn and reach their vast potential.
In 2022, we were fortunate to complete the work started by my predecessors back in 2009 when the Legislature passed a bill to authorize dental therapy in community health centers statewide. This victory, 13 years in the making, will make optimal oral health—so consequential, but often overlooked—a reality for underserved Washingtonians. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with Tribal leaders and practitioners who pioneered this profession in our state, and I hope that this legislation will help their good work spread throughout their communities and beyond.
Advocating with, not for, communities is central to Children’s Alliance’s mission. I have had the privilege of working alongside many powerful advocates throughout my time with the organization, one of the most impactful being Absa Samba, who led the effort to ban female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in our state. At the time we met, Washington was one of only 10 states without a ban on the practice of FGM/C and I was determined to join Absa and her fellow survivors and allies in their mission to change that. Children’s Alliance helped the Washington Coalition to End FGM/C navigate the state legislature and uplift the voices of impacted individuals, leading to an almost unanimous vote in favor of the legislation. Surely one of the proudest moments of the last 5 years was watching Absa stand behind the Governor as he signed the legislation she helped author into law.
There are so many other accomplishments that come to mind as I near the end of my time at Children’s Alliance. I am so proud of the staff, board, partners, funders and other stakeholders that have contributed to each of these accomplishments. We have much to celebrate. I am eager to follow the work of Children’s Alliance and will continue to do so after my departure to learn of new legislative wins powering a better future for every child in Washington.
We will recognize Stephan’s leadership at Voices for Children on June 12 at the Museum of Flight. Registration for the event is open now!