King County Executive issues proclamation recognizing Child Care Provider Appreciation Day

This was originally posted on the Best Starts for Kids blog. In recognition of the important work of child care providers, King County Executive Dow Constantine issued a proclamation designating May 12 as Child Care Provider Appreciation Day.   “Child care workers are invaluable to our community and we all benefit from their dedicated and…

Mental Health Month: Ways we are responding to the needs of young people 

Crisis resources for young people and their families:    If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal ideation you can call Crisis Connections or one of these lines for support: Children’s Crisis Outreach Services (CCORS), 206-461-3222    Call a crisis line such as King County’s Crisis Line 206-461-3222 or visit http://www.CrisisConnections.org, available 24/7,…

Celebrating the opening of a new school-based health center at Highline High School

This was originally posted on the Best Starts for Kids blog. Students, community partners, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and Best Starts and King County leadership, celebrated the opening of a new school-based health center at Highline High School in Burien last month.  School-based health centers offer a broad range of health care supports for…

Best Starts Child Care Subsidy reaching more than 1,800 children

This was originally posted on the Best Starts for Kids blog. Through partnership with community organizations, families, and child care providers, the Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy is now reaching 1,800 children. This amounts to $2 million per month that Best Starts is distributing to help families cover the costs of child care. …

Check out the latest with the Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account (PSTAA)!

Created by the Washington legislature in 2015, the Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account (PSTAA) is expected to direct $318 million from Sound Transit 3-related funds to expand and strengthen equitable supports for youth in our region between 2019 and 2037. We’ve been busy and would like to highlight three PSTAA strategies around King County.   …

Best Starts hiring for two Co-Lead positions; and an update on the leadership transition 

Best Starts for Kids is a voter-approved initiative to promote the health and well-being of babies, children, young people, pregnant people, and families. The initiative is cross-departmental; sitting within DCHS and Public Health. As we announced in summer 2022, Best Starts is welcoming new leadership to join our team. Today we are posting our two open Co-Lead…