Being a parent is nonstop hard work, making it challenging to stay on top of news that impacts families in Washington state. This Hits Home is your weekly hit of news, commentary, and, occasionally, opinion. Want to have a say? Look for the ‘Take action’ prompts. Here’s the update for the week of Feb. 23-March 1.

From The Hope Festival’s 2025 gathering (Image: The Hope Festival)

First a big hit of hope

Last April at the Seattle Convention Center, 350 Bellevue teens came together to offer care and service to 1,575 people — including kids — experiencing poverty and homelessness.

The teens and their community partners provided tangible supplies such as clothing, hygiene packs, and toys, as well as personal services, including foot care, haircuts, health screenings, and more. Organizers of The Hope Festival made kids and families feel welcome by providing free face painting, games, music, and a raffle — winners walked away with a brand-new laptop, bicycle, or gift basket.

But the most important thing the festival offered visitors was a glimmer of hope during difficult times.

The festival will return for its 12th year on April 25, this time at Bellevue Highland Center, with hundreds of teen volunteers serving the community. The event is expected to draw more than 1,000 visitors (the festival refers to them as “guests”) in need of free groceries, clothing, hygiene items, toys, books, haircuts, dental care, vaccinations, health screenings, and other services.

The festival was launched in 2014 by Eastlake High School freshman Tyler Zangaglia and friends. Students at the school have spearheaded the festival ever since, and many say they get as much as they give.

“I have been a director with Hopefest since my freshman year, and I am now a senior,” says Grace Musser, Hopefest director. “While each year is filled with planning and logistics, it’s always the final hours of the event where I feel the true meaning of this work.”

“One woman stood out to me specifically from the first event,” Musser said. “She hadn’t had a haircut in years. I remember her face as she wiped away tears of joy after looking in the mirror and seeing herself in a new light — as someone ‘renewed.’ That moment reminded me that dignity can come from something simple, and that service is as much about emotional healing as it is about physical needs.”

TAKE ACTION: Have something to contribute to The Hope Festival? Reach out to directors on Facebook or via email at thehopefestival@outlook.com.

A single dose of the MMR vaccine. (Image: Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

WA moves to issue its own guidance for vaccines insurers must cover

Washington joined several Western states when they broke last fall from federal vaccine guidance following U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reshaping of the nation’s long-standing advisory panel on immunizations.

Now state lawmakers are moving to make that shift permanent.

On Thursday, the Washington Legislature approved a bill changing state law so that insurance coverage for vaccines will be tied to recommendations issued by Washington health officials — not to guidance from a federal advisory committee that has undergone significant changes under Kennedy’s leadership.

The newly passed legislation directs insurers operating in Washington to follow vaccine recommendations issued at the state level. Supporters say the move ensures stability and science-based continuity for families, particularly as national vaccine policy undergoes changes.

The move reflects a broader effort by Washington leaders to retain local control over public health decisions affecting children and families, rather than tying coverage mandates to shifting federal policies.

It now goes to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s desk for signature. Read the full Washington State Standard article.

TAKE ACTION: Should HB 2242 become state law? Make your voice heard by reaching out to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office.

Gun found at an Eastside School last year. (Photo: Bellevue Police Department)

Governor Ferguson’s budget proposed would cut firearm safety and violence prevention funding in half

Last year, 24 children were shot in King County, according to the county’s 2025 Year-End Shots Fired Review. Between 2020  and 2024, data from the Washington Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention (OFSVP) Injury Dashboard shows over 1,000 firearm-related injuries among children ages 0–17 across the state. OFSVP is the state’s arm for implementing evidence-based strategies to reduce gun violence across the state.

It’s also an office whose $8.6 million budget will be cut by more than half if lawmakers approve the 2025-27 supplemental biennial budget proposed by Gov. Bob Ferguson before the current legislative session ends March 12.

Such a reduction could have a devastating impact for Washington’s children, say the more than 26 organizations that signed on to a letter last week urging lawmakers to nix the proposed cut.

“Washington State’s Safe Storage and Suicide Prevention programs are poised to be entirely eliminated under this budget,” says Gregory Joseph, Alliance for Gun Responisibity communications director. “We know that states with strong storage practices report a 13% reduction in youth firearm suicide and a 17% decrease in firearm homicides committed by youth.” 

OFSVP also supports community-based intervention suicide prevention and violence prevention programs with grant funding, training, and gun violence data tracking. The office has partnered with Seattle Children’s Hospital and other organizations to distribute more than 5,600 safe storage devices across Washington.

“We demand our leaders in Washington protect all funding approaches that increase access to these life-saving devices,” Joseph said.

Cutting OFSVP funds to balance the budget will cost Washington families far more, in both personal pain and money, in the long-run. According to research by Everytown USA, gun violence costs $11.9 billion each year in Washington state—$171.7 million of it paid by taxpayers.

TAKE ACTION: Should lawmakers reduce the budget deficit by cutting the Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention (OFSVP) budget? Make your voice heard by reaching out to your representatives in the state House and Senate. 

Kids prefer nstructured play (image: iStock.com)

As kids adapt to boredom, unstructured fun rises again

Here’s important information parents who spend a lot of time planning organized activities for their kids: 

At least 45% of children surveyed say they’d take unstructured time (like playing outside with friends or joining pick-up games) over organized or adult-led activities like team sports. The Harris Poll, which surveyed 500 U.S. children between the ages of 8 and 12, also found:

• Almost three-quarters (72%) of 8 to 12-year-olds say they would rather spend most of their time together doing things in person, without screens (rather than spend most of their time together on screens and devices).
• 30% said they would participate in an organized activity or class, like soccer, dance, or karate
• 25% said they would participate in an online activity with their friends, such as playing video games
• 61% want to play with friends in person without adults
• 87% wish they could spend more time with their friends in person outside of school

The bottom line? Kids want freedom to play and to connect live with their peers. 

But the survey is old news, released in 2025, what gives?

I bring it to you now after reading an article last week in The Seattle Times that explains the science behind and benefits of free play for kids, noting a January 2026 clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics that confirms unstructured play helps kids develop executive function skills. The article brings the “old news” poll story up to date: Turns out parents. communities and schools are all on board with kids having more unstructured time.  Read full story in The Seattle Times.

Measles blisters (Image: iStock.com)

Essay Review: “This is How a Child Dies of Measles”

What could happen when two unvaccinated children in one family are exposed to the measles virus? I say “could,” because the worst outcomes from this preventable disease will not befall every infected child. According to National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, about 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 children who get measles will die from it, even with medical care, because of severe complications like pneumonia and encephalitis. As a recnt essay in The Atlantic makes clear, if that child is your child, there is no number or percentage to measure the pain.  

The piece, written by Elizabeth Berg, is not about a specific parent or children. It is a heavily researched, fictionalized, hypothetical about a family experience based on extensive interviews with physicians who have cared directly for patients with measles. 

It left me gasping for breath. If you’ve followed this column, it’s likely not news that I personally believe in vaccination and in the recommendations by public health departments in King County and Washington that children get a first dose of the MMR vaccine between 12 and 15 months of age. 

But it doesn’t matter what I think. It matters what parents know and understand about the scientific evidence behind the vaccine and the disease. Hypothetical thought it may be, “This is How a Child Dies of Measles” offers a hard look at a parent’s worst nightmare: a child dying of a preventable disease.

If there were ever a must read for an actively spreading disease, this is it.’

The Great Listen: What happens when a school rumor ends in a teacher’s suicide?

Remember the first gripping story in the Peabody Award-winning investigative journalism podcast Seriel hosted by Sarah Koenig? It felt like everybody was tuned in. 

It’s got competition in a new series that launched on KUOW’s immersive audio documentary channel, Focus. Last week, the station introduced the first episode of “Adults in the Room,” a series about events, including the suicide of a beloved teacher, that  happened during the1999-2000 school year Seattle’s Garfield High School. KUOW’s managing editor Isolde Raftery reports the story, one in which she was a primary player. 

That year, Raftery and a fellow student heard a rumor about Hudson and when police didn’t respond, they decided to investigate it themselves. The story is a lesson in what happens when adults work to protect an educator and fellow students turn on their peers. In the podcast, Raftery returns to the investigation that was sidelined and vilified after the suicide. In the words of the podcast set up: “What really happened that year? Was a whole school community groomed by a charismatic predator? Or was [Raftery] part of a whisper campaign that cost the life of a great teacher?” If episode one is any indication, this series is likely to keep parents and teens riveted. Listen to KUOW’s “Adults in the Room.’

While your at KUOW.org….

Transgender pride flag (Image: Alxey Pnferov)

How will trans youth navigate a state with less gender-affirming medical care? 

The first inklings that Rebecca might be trans surfaced when she was in the sixth grade. They evolved to certainly for now 15-year-old who lives with her family in Tacoma, according to Eilís O’Neill’s report last week on KUOW.com. Over the next several years, with the support of her family and medical providers at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, Rebecca began taking puberty blockers and then estrogen injections . 

Then, last month, Mary Bridge closed its Gender Health Clinic. How is the Trump administration’s attack on gender-affirming medical care for tweens and teens impacting the kids who need it align their inside with their outside? O’Neill’s report puts a real face on the declining availability of such care in Puget Sound. Read it online at KUOW.

(Image: Thai Liang Lim)

New study finds majority of teens us AI for schoolwork

Some interesting numbers from recent surveys and research:

• A study of 3,000 responses by AI chatbots released in the fall by  the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the BBC found that about 45 % contained at least one significant error.
• Another even broader evaluation by Statisca found that around 48 % of responses were inaccurate with around 17 % containing significant errors. 
• Research conducted in India shows some specialized tasks show error rates 70 % or higher.

Despite those disturbing numbers, more than half  U.S. teens ages 13-17 surveyed for a new study out of the Pew Research Center said they use A.I. chatbots for schoolwork. One-in-ten teens admitted to using chatbot help on all or most of that work. The study included 1,458 teenagers and at least one parent per teen. 

Exactly how do they use bots?

• Approximately four-in-10 turn to a bot to summarize articles, books or videos or create or edit images or videos. 
• Approximately one-in-five say they AI to get news
• Approximately four-in-10 durig to AI for topic research or math help.
• 35% of teens surveyed used AI to help edit something they wrote. 
• 59% of participants believe cheating with AI in school happens regularly.
• Teens are slightly more likely to believe AI will have a positive impact on them than on society (36% vs. 31% thinking the impact will be negative).
• About 25% of teens feel  “extremely” or “very” confident about how they navigate AI. 

The findings are more evidence of  the need for  policymakers and technology companies to design, regulate, and oversee AI and social media to not only protect kids from addictive platforms and to provide accurate information.

Washington House Bill 1834, a proposal that would have barred social media companies from serving so-called “addictive feeds” to minors and  restricted platforms from sending push notifications to kids overnight or during school hours without a parent’s consent has failed in the current session..

Signs with information about climate change and Indigenous history removed from Acadia National Park (Image: Jay Elhard / NPS)

Why are we erasing history and science at our National Parks | Op-Ed

Here’s an important part of how history was made real to me as a child — and how I, along with my kids’ dad, helped it come alive for our children:

Whenever we traveled — especially in national parks and at roadside historic markers — we stopped and read the signs. We read about geological changes, the impact of American industry on nature, increasing scientific understanding of climate change, and — on many signs and displays — how the country’s roads, rails, parks, and other landmarks were shaped by devastating, racist treatment of Native Americans, enslaved Africans, Black Americans, immigrants, prisoners, and other marginalized communities.

When our family stopped, we moved around the signs, trying to feel their truth beneath our feet and imagine that history. Then we talked about it together. These signs and displays taught us — especially our children — a deeper respect for the land and for the backs upon which this country was industrialized. They sparked interest in science and empathy — both essential if we hope not to repeat the country’s worst moments.

And yet, nearly a year ago, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” decrying what Trump called “the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology.” The order directs federal agencies overseeing museums, parks, monuments, and landmarks to ensure public spaces do not “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”

Critics argue that the order has led to the review, removal, or revision of interpretive signage and exhibits addressing slavery, Indigenous displacement, civil rights history, and climate change at national park sites across the country.

According to the democracy and civil liberties organization Democracy Forward, the National Park Service began flagging and removing interpretive signs in early 2025. Public reporting and legal filings state that signs referencing slavery, climate change, and Native American history have been removed from at least 17 national park sites nationwide, with additional exhibits flagged for review. There have been no confirmed reports, to date, of signage removals at Washington State national park sites.

Last week, several organizations filed a lawsuit seeking to halt further removals, arguing that the administration’s actions threaten the National Park Service’s mission to preserve and interpret the full history and scientific record of the United States.

In an article published by Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), Alan Spears, Senior Director of Cultural Resources for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), summed up concerns about signage removal or censoring this way:

“National parks serve as living classrooms for our country, where science and history come to life for visitors. As Americans, we deserve national parks that tell stories of our country’s triumphs and heartbreaks alike. We can handle the truth.” The NPCA is among the litigants challenging the policy.

What more can I say than “HEAR, HEAR!” 

Not only can we and our children handle the truth, it is critical to our freedom and democracy that we — especially our children — do.

The recent lawsuit speaks to the right of all of us to learn about the many communities, people, histories, and scientific realities — good and bad — that brought us to today and help guide tomorrow.

TAKE ACTION: Do you have an opinion about censoring signage in national parks, museums, monuments and other sites? Reach out to your lawmakers in Congress at Congress.gov. Contact the Pacific West National Parks Service. Share your position by reaching out to the U.S. President.

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The post This Hits Home: News of impact to Washington families appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Krystina Cummins, Marblemount (2 nominations)

Krystina is a parent leader and brings her voice, her enthusiasm, and her kind, loving presence to share with other parents and professionals in a number of settings.

She serves on the Parent Advisory Group for DCYF, and I know her through her work on the Early Learning Coordination Plan Outcome 2 Lived Expert Leadership Team, as well as her work as a Community Correspondent collecting family stories for the Our Tomorrows Story Project. She also attended the Prevent Child Abuse America national conference, and shared her learnings along with a group of other lived experts at our Stronger Together conference in Spokane. Krystina has even supported past Unsung Heroes events as a volunteer.

Krystina has persevered through challenges like being a young parent, homelessness and supporting biracial and neurodiverse children. Her commitment to continued growth, learning, engagement and leadership is inspiring. As she shares in her own words, “I want to make sure that boxes aren’t just checked. What differences are made? Voices are heard, and we create a better system. So our children and our children’s children don’t have to go through the things we did to get to where we are today.”

–Joy Lile

Krystina’s dedication to supporting parents shines through every aspect of her approach to this work.

As a lived expert herself, she’s dedicated more than seven years to the Parent Advisory Group (PAG). She navigates difficult conversations with empathy, curiosity and a focus on finding meaningful solutions. When a PAG member or staff partner is facing a challenging moment, Krystina is often the first one to reach out with her signature term of endearment “thinking about you Queen!” – creating a culture of care, connection and genuine community.

Her expertise and parent leadership have strengthened PAG and been an asset to our system as a whole.

-Emily Morgan

NOTE: Seattle’s Child is running these stories unedited, as written by the people who nominated them, in keeping with the DCYF Unsung Hero process.

More Unsung Heroes:

Hard-working mom is also strong in her convictions

Seattle dad worked very hard to get his daughter back

She cares for her kids and her siblings, and goes to school

The post Creating a culture of care, connection and community | Unsung Hero appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Linda Porter, Seattle 

Family support has always been important to Linda: You can see that in everything she does. She is a caring mother and grandmother who adopted a former foster child. Later she became a kinship caregiver and ultimately adopted two of her grandchildren. Some of the children have lifelong disabilities, and Linda devotes much of her time to skillfully navigate systems to support them as their legal guardian. The children have different cultural backgrounds and Linda is diligent in learning about their cultures so she can support their identities. Linda is an enrolled member of the sduhubš (pronounced “sdu’hobsh”), Snohomish Tribe of Indians, and is a proud advocate for tribes.

Linda is retired from a career in social services and family support. She continues to draw on her lifetime of personal and work experience by continuing to advocate for disability awareness and services, kinship and Indian child welfare whenever she has an opportunity. She serves on an Indian Child Welfare Advisory Committee and the Kinship Oversight Committee for over 20 years and steps up wherever she sees a need.

–Marilyn Gisser

NOTE: Seattle’s Child is running these stories unedited, as written by the people who nominated them, in keeping with the DCYF Unsung Hero process.

More Unsung Heroes:

This mom overcame many obstacles and odds

Foster mom has helped 100+ kids to thrive

CASA volunteer gives children a voice  

The post Linda Porter steps up wherever she sees a need | Unsung Hero appeared first on Seattle's Child.

In the initial House and Senate budget plans, this paring of Working Connections Child Care totals more than a half-billion dollars over the coming years. The largest portion of proposed spending reductions for the program deal with how child care providers are reimbursed by the state and federal governments based on when children attend day care.

The aid is available to working Washington families earning below 60% of the state median income. As of last February, the program had an active caseload of over 33,000 families.

Currently, providers can receive a full month of subsidies even when a child who qualifies for the subsidies only attends one day that month. The budgets would make this policy more restrictive.

In total, the Senate calls for $168 million in reductions for the program in the current biennium that started last July, and $857 million over the next two budget cycles. The House proposes roughly $112 million in the current budget and $601 million over the next four years.

The competing plans would make changes to the two-year budget lawmakers passed last year.

Grappling with another shortfall, Democrats in both chambers of the Legislature are proposing a range of cuts to deal with rising caseloads in state-funded social services and mandatory spending due to federal changes to Medicaid and food stamps.

Lawmakers have two weeks to hatch compromises to pass a supplemental budget before the legislative session adjourns March 12. Overall spending in the plans they’ve proposed is around $79 billion over two years.

Under the Senate plan for Working Connections Child Care, providers would be able to claim reimbursement worth 15 days if a child attends at least one day per month, and further payments for each day beyond 15.

The House handles this a bit differently. Under its framework, families are eligible for a full-month subsidy if their child is absent up to 10 days, while 11 days or more of absences qualifies for half a month of reimbursement. Under the current practice, a month of attendance is 21-23 days, according to the Department of Children, Youth and Families.

“This is a cut to child care providers, because child care providers who have a child in a classroom for 10 days or fewer out of the month will get half of the payment they would have otherwise gotten,” said House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, D-Seattle. “That’s a challenge for providers, because they’re not necessarily able to enroll more kids just because they know that some of them aren’t there every day.”

The Senate proposal is outlined in Senate Bill 6353, sponsored by lead budget writer Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett. The reimbursement changes would take effect Oct. 1 for child care centers, and July 1 for family home providers who care for up to a dozen children in their homes. The legislation also changes the scope of collective bargaining for family home providers with the state.

Budget writers are also assuming $45 million in savings in this budget from a federal rule axed by the Trump administration requiring states pay child care centers prospectively based on enrollment and not specifically how many days the child attended. There’s also $15 million in reductions in both budgets from eliminating longstanding enhanced subsidy rates in a few counties.

Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson also floated cutting from Working Connections to help balance the budget. He took a different approach, proposing to cap enrollment to save an estimated $217 million in this biennium.

Neither the House nor Senate budget frameworks use the governor’s idea.

“We heard from many people, people who use Working Connections Child Care, people who provide those services, advocates in the larger community, that that is a policy that many people believe really destabilizes the child care workforce,” Robinson said.

Robinson added that her proposal “should have less of an impact on families” than the governor’s plan.

“There’s certainly a conversation that we’ll have in the remaining days of session about the impact on providers and trying to mitigate that impact,” Robinson said. “We want to keep a robust provider network.”

Republicans could support the proposed attendance policy changes on their own, said state Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn. But alongside other cuts and without reforms to improve accountability with state child care spending, he said Republicans aren’t on board.

“We have to look at everything at once and how that affects our communities and the things that they’ve put together are devastating,” said Couture, the leading budget voice for House Republicans.

Robinson wasn’t sure why lawmakers hadn’t made the proposed changes sooner to the attendance policy. “The Legislature is slow to react sometimes,” she said.

This would be the second year in a row that state lawmakers have scaled back child care and early learning funding to make ends meet.

Last year, they delayed expansions to the 2021 Fair Start for Kids Act and Working Connections that would have opened programs to more families. Robinson’s legislation eliminates entirely expansions for Working Connections, set for 2029 and 2031.

This year, both the House and Senate are also proposing reductions to the Transition to Kindergarten program.

The post Why WA child care program could bear brunt of budget cuts appeared first on Seattle's Child.

And on Thursday, the Washington Legislature passed legislation to change state law so that vaccine coverage is tied to recommendations from the state, not a federal panel filled with Kennedy appointees. It requires insurers to follow the state’s guidelines instead of the ones from the feds that Democrats say can no longer be trusted.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices had been made up of vaccine experts from across the country, including one from the University of Washington, but Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, fired them last year. Kennedy replaced them largely with anti-vaccine activists or doctors without expertise in the field. Kennedy has said he wanted to restore trust in a panel he believed was rife with conflicts of interest.

For decades, the committee has reviewed vaccine efficacy and recommended who should receive which shots. The guidance goes to the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, who usually follows the group’s decisions.

These recommendations guide what vaccines insurers will cover, as opposed to forcing patients to pay out of pocket. Under the state legislation, House Bill 2242, insurance companies must cover the state-recommended immunizations for health plans starting or renewing after April 1.

Washingtonians have had access to no-cost immunizations and other preventive health services, like cancer screenings, since 2010.

The bill passed the state Senate on Thursday on a 36-12 vote. All Senate Democrats supported the legislation, along with about a third of Republicans. The House approved it on a party-line vote earlier this month.

“When guidance reflects rigorous research and expert consensus, patients and providers can make informed decisions with confidence and public trust in our health care system is strengthened,” said Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, the chair of the Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee.

The committee’s top Republican, Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, pointed out the legislation carries no vaccine mandates as he indicated his support.

The legislation now heads to the desk of Gov. Bob Ferguson, who requested it in the first place, along with Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer. This is one of the first measures to reach the governor this legislative session.

In his State of the State address to the Legislature in January, Ferguson, a Democrat, noted a new West Coast Health Alliance would be making recommendations reliant on science.

He then shouted out this bill so Washington can “shift vaccine recommendations away from science-denying federal committees and place it with our own Washington state Department of Health, which will be guided by — you guessed it again — science.”

When the governor signs it in the coming days, state law will change immediately.

After the advisory committee purge, Washington banded together with Oregon, California and Hawaii to form the West Coast Health Alliance to issue immunization guidance independent of the feds. The alliance has since announced recommendations on vaccines against COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, among others.

Last month, the CDC overhauled the childhood immunization schedule, reducing the vaccines recommended for kids from 17 to 11. For example, the federal government narrowed recommendations for shots previously advised for all kids, like those against hepatitis A and B and rotavirus.

This week, over a dozen Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration over the moves. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is not part of the suit. The West Coast Health Alliance rebuked the CDC’s changes, and sided with the schedule laid out by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has said the new guidance reflects “common-sense public health policy shared by peer, developed countries.”

Kennedy has also drawn fire for announcing COVID vaccines would no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, a decision also currently being litigated.

Photo: A single dose of the MMR vaccine by Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

The post WA moves to issue its own guidance for vaccines insurers must cover appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Bertha Oropeza, Wenatchee 

For nearly 30 years, she has quietly, consistently, and lovingly helped shape the lives of countless children through her in-home family care center.

Her unwavering commitment to nurturing, teaching, and supporting generations of children has made an indelible impact on families throughout our community. What makes Bertha extraordinary is not just the length of her service, but the depth of care she brings into every moment. She has welcomed newborns as young as 9 days old into her home, watching them grow, guiding them through milestones and continuing to care for them until they “age out.”

These children and families are not just clients — each one becomes a cherished part of her extended family. Her love and dedication do not fade with time. Many of the children she once cared for are now adults, and they return with their own children to entrust in her care. The generational cycle is a powerful testament to the trust and lasting bonds she builds. Parents feel peace of mind knowing that their children are safe, loved, encouraged, and valued under her care. Her work happens behind closed doors, in the early-morning hours, late nights, and in the messy, beautiful moments of childhood. Yet the impact she has made is profound and far-reaching.

Her selfless service, unconditional love, and lifelong dedication to children and families deserve to be honored. In every way, Bertha embodies what it means to be an unsung hero.

— Maria Cuevas

NOTE: Seattle’s Child is running these stories unedited, as written by the people who nominated them, in keeping with the DCYF Unsung Hero process.

More Unsung Heroes:

A commitment to strengthening families

This parent balances challenges with grace and strength

This teacher and single mom is an incredible person

The post Kids in her care are safe, loved, encouraged and valued | Unsung Hero appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Looking for fun (and free!) ways to keep the kids entertained this weekend? Whether you’re hoping to burn off some energy at a local park, explore a new museum exhibit, or catch a family-friendly event, the greater Seattle area is packed with activities that won’t cost a dime. Each week, we round up the best free events and outings for families so you can make the most of your weekend, without breaking the bank. Here’s what’s happening this weekend!

signals our Editor’s Picks, the most exciting and noteworthy events on our radar

Events that are happening all weekend

Feathers, Fossils, and Flight | January 23-February 28 | 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Daily | Birds Connect Seattle | Free | All ages | The Feathers, Fossils, and Flight hands-on exhibit explains how the first birds took to the sky.

Visit Kelsey Creek Farm | January 23 – March 2026 | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Open daily | Kelsey Creek Farm | Free | The farm is a free oasis for those who love farm animals and want to be outdoors (also check out the excellent playground right below the farm and the short trails in the woods above the farm).

Live Music at Third Place Commons | January 23 – March 28, 2026 | 7 to 9 p.m. | Third Place Commons | Free | All ages | Bring the kids to the Commons Stage at Third Place Commons for live music every Friday and Saturday night. Grab food or bring your own and enjoy the tunes.

Free live music on the weekends. (Image courtesy Third Place Commons)

Friday, February 27

Saturday, February 28 

Drop-in Board Games at Meadowbrook CC | January 31-March 28, 2026 | 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | Saturdays | Meadowbrook CC | Free | Ages 7+ | Bring your favorite game or try one of the games at the Community Center during this drop-in board games event. An adult must accompany children under 12.

Visit the University District Farmers Market | January 31 – December 12, 2026 | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Saturdays | University District; 50th and 52nd St, Seattle | Free, items for purchase | Visit the farmers market every Saturday throughout the year with vendors and more.

Story Walk Read-Along at the Lake Wilderness Arboretum | Saturday, January 31 – December 19, 2026 | 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. | Third Saturdays | Lake Wilderness Arboretum, Maple Valley | Free | Ages 3-8 | Join Librarian Sharon in the great outdoors to read the Story Walk book on the 3rd Saturday each month! 

Kids StoryTime at the Couth Buzzard | January 31- June 6, 2026 | 10 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Every Saturday | The Couth Buzzard | Free | Ages 2-5 | Enjoy a story, songs, games, and art! Geared towards ages 2-5, but fun for all ages at The Couth Buzzard located in Greenwood.

MaST Center’s Discovery Day | January 31-April 25, 2026 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Saturdays | MaST Center, Des Moines | Free | Visit their aquarium that holds 3,000 gallons of seawater, view 250+ native Puget Sound species, and experience 2 large touch tanks.

 Family Reading Time at Paper Boat Booksellers | January 31-March 31, 2026 | 11 to 11:30 a.m. | Every Saturday | Paper Boat Booksellers | Free | All ages | Join this weekly family reading time every Saturday morning with the little ones and make a day out of it!

Saturday Morning Story time at Barnes & Noble | January 31-April 4, 2026 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Saturdays | Pavilion Centre, Federal Way | Free | All ages | Come join the fun on Saturday Mornings for Story Time on the Children’s stage at Barnes & Noble in Federal Way.

Detective Cookie’s Chess Club | January 31 – March 28, 2026 | 12 to 2 p.m. | Saturdays | Rainier Beach Community Center | Free | Ages 7-20 | Detective Cookie runs a chess club for kids and community members every Saturday.

2026 Kin On Lunar New Year | Saturday, February 28, 2026 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Kin On Community Center- Seattle, 4416 S Brandon St, Seattle, WA 98118 | Cost: Free, get tickets here | Ages: All | Join us for a festive Lunar New Year Celebration at the Kin On Community Center! This family-friendly event is packed with exciting activities to welcome the new year with prosperity and happiness.

Lunar New Year at Kirkland Community Center | Saturday, February 28, 2026 | 2-4 p.m. | Peter Kirk Community Center, Kirkland | Free | Learn about the Lunar New Year and how it’s traditionally celebrated! Enjoy activities that include crafts. food, dancing. and cultural demonstrations.

Kraken Pregame at the Armory | February 28, 2026 | 5 p.m.-7 p.m. | Saturday | Seattle Center Armory | Free | All Ages | Two hours before puck drop, enjoy a live DJ, a massive screen with Kraken highlights, games, face painting, and Kraken photo ops. Don’t have a ticket to the game?  Stick around to watch the Kraken on the big screen.

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Indoor Tot Gym at Bitter Lake Community Center | January 25 – March 30, 2026 | 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Sun/Mon/Wed | Bitter Lake Community Center | Free | Ages 5 and under | The Tot Gym at Bitter Lake Community Center is a good opportunity to relax inside with your child 9 months to 6 years old in a comfortable, fun, safe, play space.

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Alexandria Burkard, Wenatchee (3 nominations)

Alexandria works a full-time job at Chelan County PUD, manages a rental property, is a licensed attorney and while doing all of that she has taken the time to be a guardian of vulnerable children with Chelan Douglas Court Appointed Special Advocates for the last decade.

In this role she makes sure that children, in one of the most difficult times of their lives, are safe, cared for, and have their best interests at the forefront of the court minds.

— Zachary Burkard

I am nominating Alex due to her decade of working with youth that have been removed from their homes. She does this with CASA as a guardian ad litem.

— Gabriel Rodriguez-Lopez

I would like to nominate Alexandria for her dedication and commitment in volunteering her time to advocate for children through CASA.

Her commitment and passion have made a meaningful impact on the lives of the children she serves. She gives children a voice and works to create lasting positive changes in their lives.

— Fabiola Sosa

NOTE: Seattle’s Child is running these stories unedited, as written by the people who nominated them, in keeping with the DCYF Unsung Hero process.

More Unsung Heroes:

A courageous advocate full of heart

This mom overcame many obstacles and odds

Foster mom has helped 100+ kids to thrive

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The Little Gym began 50 years ago in Bellevue, WA. Since its inception by founder Robin Wes, an educator and kinesiologist, its focused its programming on the development of kids from 4 months to 12 years through physical activity. This is built upon a core philosophy called Three-Dimensional Learning:

• Get Moving: Building flexibility, coordination, and strength through gymnastics and physical activity
• Brain Boost: Developing listening and focus skills that encourage strong decision-making
• Citizen Kid: Fostering collaboration, social skills, and leadership

The Little Gym offers classes from parent-and-child to pre-k to grade school, and if gymnastics isn’t your kid’s thing, they offer classes focused on sports like soccer, t-ball, and basketball, too.

Plus, they do birthdays. $500 for 15 attendees gets you a 90-minute birthday bash that includes instructor-led activities, setup and cleanup, and — for an extra cost — an optional theme like dinosaurs, unicorns, princesses, or superheroes.

Classes require a membership, and the Columbia City location is currently advertising a Founding Members Special on all membership tiers. Cost varies by level, ranging from $155 to $300 per month. All memberships include members-only events and discounts on camps, programs, and parties.

The Little Gym Columbia City has not announced an official opening date yet (beyond the general spring timeframe), but at the very least, the class calendar lists activities in September. Keep an eye on their Instagram for an official opening date announcement soon.

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The upcoming lineup features seven main season shows plus three optional add-ons, including fan favorites, new touring productions direct from Broadway, and several titles that could appeal to multi-generational audiences.

Subscription renewals opened Feb. 19, with new subscriptions expected to go on sale this spring.

A Season Filled with Big-Name Productions

The season kicks off late summer with the theatrical phenomenon “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” (Aug. 22–Sept. 12, 2026), the Tony Award-winning stage sequel to the beloved book and film series. With its dazzling stage magic and time-traveling adventure, the production promises an immersive theatrical experience for fans of the wizarding world.

Fall highlights include “Water for Elephants” (Oct. 6–11, 2026), a visually imaginative musical adaptation of the bestselling novel, followed by “The Outsiders” (Nov. 27–Dec. 6, 2026), the Tony Award-winning coming-of-age musical based on S.E. Hinton’s classic story.

Families may especially want to mark their calendars for the holiday run of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” (Dec. 22, 2026–Jan. 3, 2027), returning to touring stages with an all-new production featuring iconic songs and elaborate costumes.

Winter and spring bring additional variety, including the rock opera revival “The Who’s Tommy” (March 16–21, 2027) and the return of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s timeless classic “The Sound of Music” (June 1–6, 2027).

The season closes with “The Great Gatsby” (July 6–11, 2027), a Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Roaring Twenties tale.

Optional Add-ons and Returning Favorites

Three shows will be offered as Season Options, meaning they require an additional purchase beyond the standard subscription:

• “Oh, Mary!” (Nov. 3–8, 2026), a critically acclaimed dark comedy about Mary Todd Lincoln
• “Hadestown” (Jan. 19–24, 2027), the Tony Award-winning musical blending mythology and modern storytelling
• “Six” (April 20–25, 2027), the pop-powered musical retelling of the six wives of Henry VIII (Read our review the last time it was in town)

Planning Ahead

Season subscriptions are currently available for renewal, with new subscriptions opening later this spring. Signing up early allows folks access to priority seating and the option to add Season Option shows.

For families interested in introducing kids to live theater, holiday productions like “Beauty and the Beast” and classic titles like “The Sound of Music” may offer particularly accessible entry points.

Find more details or join the subscription priority waitlist at STGPresents.org/Broadway.

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