Thanking the leaders of King County’s Best Starts for Kids

A message from DCHS Director, Leo Flor on the outgoing Best Starts leadership team. Since King County voters first approved the Best Starts for Kids Levy in 2015, Sheila Ater Capestany (she/her) and Marcy Miller (she/her) have grown a powerful idea into a cutting edge, nation-leading program that makes a meaningful difference in the lives…

ICYMI: White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Dr. Gupta visits King County to learn more about efforts to support youth

Last week, Dr. Gupta joined King County Executive Dow Constantine, DCHS Director Leo Flor, students, a parent of an alumni, and staff for a tour of the Interagency Recovery Academy, the state’s only publicly funded recovery high school. DCHS supports behavioral health outreach and recovery activities at the Recovery Academy by contributing state and federal funding.…

The Newcomer Club: a Youth Healing Project building community for recently immigrated young people

Photo provided by the Newcomer Club. This was originally posted on the Best Starts for Kids blog. In the World School library, in one of the rare quiet corners of Capitol Hill, a group of high school students gather, cracking jokes and giggling, after the last school bell rings. They sit on a mismatch of…

King County Refreshes Data Impact Dashboard with a Deeper Look at DCHS Programs and Initiatives  

DCHS provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, and connected to community. DCHS annually administers more than $1 billion in public funds to ensure King County residents can access a broad range of services, including behavioral health treatment, housing, child care resources, education and employment opportunities for youth and young adults, veterans services,…

Substance use prevention and early intervention: Key steps to reduce harm and prevent use before it starts  

Substance use disorders continue to impact people from all walks of life. As the understanding and science of addiction evolves, so too does our understanding of ways to prevent substance use disorder and increase support for communities. As a follow up to the blog post on substance use disorder treatment, we are taking a closer…

Child care wins in the state legislative session

King County families with young children are already keenly aware that the cost of child care is unaffordable. But an Annie E. Casey Foundation study puts it in perspective: with a median annual cost of more than $14,000, Washington parents with toddlers will pay more for child care than the cost of college tuition.  …