Ready for School: Why learning matters | KING5 TV | August 30, 2009

Little Carys is about to experience a milestone in her life - she's going to kindergarten. But is Carys ready for school? The answer to that question plays a major role in her future, our state's future, and Washington's school system.

Summer meals slipping for kids | Spokesman.com | Aug 29, 2009

For thousands of children in these families, going back to school means a return to at least two solid meals a day. It doesn’t have to be that way. The federal Summer Food Program was created to help curb childhood hunger by offering free meals during the dry months of summer. It’s a woefully underutilized program, though. Of the 280,000 Washington children who received free or reduced-price meals during the 2007-’08 school year, only 13 percent received meals during summer 2008. The numbers for this summer are shaping up to be about the same.

A Private Infusion of Cash for Two Early Learning Programs in Washington State | Early Ed Watch - New America Blogs

In August, the Gates Foundation and Thrive by Five announced grants totaling $8 million for two early learning programs in the state of Washington. The White Center Early Learning Initiative and East Yakima's Ready by Five program will each receive $4 million over the next year to continue supporting children and their families as they prepare for kindergarten.

Early learning linked to lower crime rates in kids | KING5.com

The Snohomish County sheriff and prosecutor have a strong message for parents and children: Take your schooling seriously, especially during the early years. Research reveals that when children five years old and younger participate in quality early learning programs, they stand a dramatically lower chance of ending up incarcerated as adults.

Home, sweet medical home | Crosscut.com

A new model for medical care, emphasizing the primary care doctor as leader of a medical-home team, is proving its worth at Group Health. The idea is now spreading to other Seattle-area practices, as well as across the nation.

Group Health's Pricey Panacea | Seattle Weekly

Anyone who thinks the local co-op is the cure for our insurance-reform woes should examine the bankruptcy case of Eugene and Yukiko Gatlin.

Mitch Daniels: The Coming Reset in State Government | WSJ.com

What we are being hit by isn't a tropical storm that will come and go, with sunshine soon to follow. It's much more likely that we're facing a near permanent reduction in state tax revenues that will require us to reduce the size and scope of our state governments.

Wash., Ore. get money to expand health insurance | Seattlepi.com

Washington and Oregon are among 13 states getting federal money to expand health care insurance for uninsured residents. The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reports that Washington state is in line for $1.2 million, while Oregon will receive $9.9 million.

Democrats want comments on budget cuts | The News Tribune

A coalition of left-leaning House Democrats plans a forum Sept. 17 in Olympia to hear the public reaction to state budget cuts taking place this year.

US fares poorly in child welfare survey | The Associated Press

America has some of the industrial world's worst rates of infant mortality, teenage pregnancy and child poverty, even though it spends more per child than better-performing countries such as Switzerland, Japan and the Netherlands, a new survey indicates.

SCHIP's fate may hang in balance | POLITICO.com

Democratic members of Congress and advocacy groups are alarmed at a proposal in the Senate Finance Committee to move children out of the popular State Children’s Health Insurance Program when it expires in 2013 and into a new insurance exchange where they would be covered with their parents.

Back to school homeless | Crosscut.com

Estimates are that the count of homeless children has risen by 75 to 100 percent over the past two years as a result of family job losses and mortgage foreclosures, and will continue to rise at accelerated rates. This is bad news not just for parents and children but for school districts.

Top law officers tell kids the importance of education | Everett Herald

Three of Snohomish County's top law enforcement leaders returned to pre-school last week in hopes of taking a bite out of crime. Everett Police Chief Jim Scharf, Snohomish County Sheriff John Lovick and Prosecuting Attorney Janice Ellis read the children a book and urged support for federal legislation aimed at expanding early learning programs.

Editorial: Another DSHS horror story | The Everett Herald

Will Shayne Abegg’s horror story finally move us from merely acknowledging the deficiencies of our Department of Social and Health Services to actually changing it?

Report: More health insurance for thousands of King County children | Enterprise Newspapers

More than 5,700 children in King County are now receiving publicly-funded health coverage, with most already having seen a doctor and dentist, thanks to the three-year-old King County Child Health Initiative (CHI) effor, a public-private effort that started in 2007.

States draw down rainy day funds | Stateline.org

Washington is one of 11 states that tapped money from rainy day funds as part of their current budgets. All told, these 11 states committed upwards of $1.5 billion from their rainy day funds for the 2010 budget cycle. Depleted funds are bad news for the upcoming budget cycle.

Kindergarten transition program a positive first step | Yakima Herald-Republic

In its second year, the Kindergarten Transition Program allows little learners to come to school one or two weeks early and get comfortable with their new surroundings, procedures, expectations, classmates and teacher -- before the big kids show up. A program of the Ready by Five demonstration community

Basic needs of families in state are costing more | Seattle Times

A new report confirms what most Washington families already know — it's getting more costly to meet basic needs such as housing, food and child care. But the University of Washington report — "The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Washington State 2009" — aims at underlining the growing gap between wages and the costs of basic needs.

Peaceful Revolution: What's a Key Element of Health Care Reform? | Bruce Lesley | Huffington Post

Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus in Washington D.C., writes: The message from the American people is rather simple: Covering all children is a top priority in health reform. This means that no matter what action Congress takes, they must address the unique developmental needs of children by ensuring they have comprehensive benefits that cover them from head to toe. There are no do-overs for childhood. We must get health reform right the first time by enacting legislation that improves coverage and care for our most precious resource, our children.

Summer meals slipping for kids | Spokesman.com | Aug 29, 2009

For thousands of children in these families, going back to school means a return to at least two solid meals a day. It doesn’t have to be that way. The federal Summer Food Program was created to help curb childhood hunger by offering free meals during the dry months of summer. It’s a woefully underutilized program, though. Of the 280,000 Washington children who received free or reduced-price meals during the 2007-’08 school year, only 13 percent received meals during summer 2008. The numbers for this summer are shaping up to be about the same.

A Private Infusion of Cash for Two Early Learning Programs in Washington State | Early Ed Watch - New America Blogs

In August, the Gates Foundation and Thrive by Five announced grants totaling $8 million for two early learning programs in the state of Washington. The White Center Early Learning Initiative and East Yakima's Ready by Five program will each receive $4 million over the next year to continue supporting children and their families as they prepare for kindergarten.

Early learning linked to lower crime rates in kids | KING5.com

The Snohomish County sheriff and prosecutor have a strong message for parents and children: Take your schooling seriously, especially during the early years. Research reveals that when children five years old and younger participate in quality early learning programs, they stand a dramatically lower chance of ending up incarcerated as adults.

Home, sweet medical home | Crosscut.com

A new model for medical care, emphasizing the primary care doctor as leader of a medical-home team, is proving its worth at Group Health. The idea is now spreading to other Seattle-area practices, as well as across the nation.

Group Health's Pricey Panacea | Seattle Weekly

Anyone who thinks the local co-op is the cure for our insurance-reform woes should examine the bankruptcy case of Eugene and Yukiko Gatlin.

Mitch Daniels: The Coming Reset in State Government | WSJ.com

What we are being hit by isn't a tropical storm that will come and go, with sunshine soon to follow. It's much more likely that we're facing a near permanent reduction in state tax revenues that will require us to reduce the size and scope of our state governments.

Wash., Ore. get money to expand health insurance | Seattlepi.com

Washington and Oregon are among 13 states getting federal money to expand health care insurance for uninsured residents. The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reports that Washington state is in line for $1.2 million, while Oregon will receive $9.9 million.

Democrats want comments on budget cuts | The News Tribune

A coalition of left-leaning House Democrats plans a forum Sept. 17 in Olympia to hear the public reaction to state budget cuts taking place this year.

US fares poorly in child welfare survey | The Associated Press

America has some of the industrial world's worst rates of infant mortality, teenage pregnancy and child poverty, even though it spends more per child than better-performing countries such as Switzerland, Japan and the Netherlands, a new survey indicates.

SCHIP's fate may hang in balance | POLITICO.com

Democratic members of Congress and advocacy groups are alarmed at a proposal in the Senate Finance Committee to move children out of the popular State Children’s Health Insurance Program when it expires in 2013 and into a new insurance exchange where they would be covered with their parents.

Back to school homeless | Crosscut.com

Estimates are that the count of homeless children has risen by 75 to 100 percent over the past two years as a result of family job losses and mortgage foreclosures, and will continue to rise at accelerated rates. This is bad news not just for parents and children but for school districts.

Top law officers tell kids the importance of education | Everett Herald

Three of Snohomish County's top law enforcement leaders returned to pre-school last week in hopes of taking a bite out of crime. Everett Police Chief Jim Scharf, Snohomish County Sheriff John Lovick and Prosecuting Attorney Janice Ellis read the children a book and urged support for federal legislation aimed at expanding early learning programs.

Editorial: Another DSHS horror story | The Everett Herald

Will Shayne Abegg’s horror story finally move us from merely acknowledging the deficiencies of our Department of Social and Health Services to actually changing it?

Report: More health insurance for thousands of King County children | Enterprise Newspapers

More than 5,700 children in King County are now receiving publicly-funded health coverage, with most already having seen a doctor and dentist, thanks to the three-year-old King County Child Health Initiative (CHI) effor, a public-private effort that started in 2007.

States draw down rainy day funds | Stateline.org

Washington is one of 11 states that tapped money from rainy day funds as part of their current budgets. All told, these 11 states committed upwards of $1.5 billion from their rainy day funds for the 2010 budget cycle. Depleted funds are bad news for the upcoming budget cycle.

Kindergarten transition program a positive first step | Yakima Herald-Republic

In its second year, the Kindergarten Transition Program allows little learners to come to school one or two weeks early and get comfortable with their new surroundings, procedures, expectations, classmates and teacher -- before the big kids show up. A program of the Ready by Five demonstration community

Basic needs of families in state are costing more | Seattle Times

A new report confirms what most Washington families already know — it's getting more costly to meet basic needs such as housing, food and child care. But the University of Washington report — "The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Washington State 2009" — aims at underlining the growing gap between wages and the costs of basic needs.

Peaceful Revolution: What's a Key Element of Health Care Reform? | Bruce Lesley | Huffington Post

Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus in Washington D.C., writes: The message from the American people is rather simple: Covering all children is a top priority in health reform. This means that no matter what action Congress takes, they must address the unique developmental needs of children by ensuring they have comprehensive benefits that cover them from head to toe. There are no do-overs for childhood. We must get health reform right the first time by enacting legislation that improves coverage and care for our most precious resource, our children. PLEASE SHARE THIS POST WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES.

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