Legislative News from Rep. Ruth Kagi (D-Seattle)
4/18/2016
OLYMPIA – On April 15, Rep. Ruth Kagi, (D-Seattle) was appointed to the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Delivery of Services to Children and Families. Governor Inslee issued an executive order in February creating the Commission and calling on its members to make recommendations on creating a new agency dedicated to improving outcomes for the youngest Washingtonians.
“When programs for children are dispersed throughout numerous agencies, there is not enough focus on providing services that help children in the long term,” said Rep. Kagi. “Providing appropriate and robust services to children and families can do much more than solve immediate problems, it can reduce the need for assistance far into the future.”
Other states around the country have created similar agencies solely focused on children and families. Where these agencies are in place, data indicates an improvement in the services provided to children and the overall outcomes for young people.
“Starting from the ground floor gives us the opportunity to look at how services are currently provided and design an agency that will bring all of these services together to better serve children and families,” says Rep. Kagi. “I am honored to serve on this Commission and I look forward to continuing my advocacy on behalf of our next generation in this capacity.”
The Commission will make recommendations to the legislature on the mission and vision for the new agency. Recommendations will also include organizational structure, estimated costs for the reorganization, and benchmarks for measuring the effectiveness of the new agency.
The Commission starts meeting on May 10 and will continue meeting throughout the summer and fall. The Commission will make its recommendations to the legislature by November 1, 2016.