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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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.

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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)

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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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The editors pointed out that daily marijuana use in the U.S. has climbed from about six million in 2012 to nearly 18 million today, as has the number of people (youth and adults) with pot-related illness and marijuana-linked paranoia and chronic psychotic disorders.

And another number has also risen. According to a 2023 study published in the journal Pediatrics, the number of edible cannabis exposures among children under age 6 increased by about 1,375 % from 2017 (207) to 2021 (3,054). According to Washington Poison Center, “One of the most common calls we receive about cannabis is little kids mistaking an edible for candy.”

The bottom line for the NYT editors? They still support legalization. But their position has evolved, and they now say the feds need to step in — with a federal tax on pot, by restricting high THC and other harmful types of marijuana, and by “cracking down” on spurious and unproven health claims about weed.

Thankfully, Washington has been been forerunner in two of those three areas. In this state, pot is subject to a 37% cannabis excise tax along with regular sales tax (state + local), making Washington one of the heaviest taxing states for legal cannabis. And while the state does not limit THC concentration in marijuana flowers and concentrates, it does limit each edible “serving” to no more than 10 milligrams of THC. In fact, Oregon lawmakers are considering mirror legislation right now to prohibit the sale of individual edibles that have more than 10 milligrams of THC. According to a report in the Washington State Standard last week, in 2023, children ages newborn to 5 made up one-third of all cannabis-related cases reported to the Oregon Poison Center.

There’s good news when it comes to cannabis. Over the last decade, teen use rates have not risen in King County or Washington state. They have gone down by most measures. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports declines in current cannabis use among King County students (grades 8/10/12) from 2008-2021; the Washington Department of Health’s 2023 Healthy Youth Survey notes youth substance use stayed mostly stable post-pandemic, with current cannabis use around 8% among 10th graders.

President Donald Trump supports states’ rights to legalize pot. For once, I agree with him. If alcohol — despite its well-documented health and social harms — is legal and regulated, then marijuana should be treated the same way. I believe that added federal regulation of THC levels (my vote would be for lowering it to 5% in individual edibles), is an important next step and would go miles to discourage weed companies from creating new, stronger strains. Cannabis has gotten significantly stronger over the last 20 years — cannabis growing is a business, and its bottom line is money, not addiction control. And yet, research shows the newer strains of pot are addictive — and that most addiction begins with teen use.

Cannabis companies don’t care if a new strain is strong or addictive. They care about making money.

For now, if you have cannabis at home, heed the poison center’s warning, no matter how old your kids are: “Keep your kiddos safe by always storing your stash up high, out of their reach, and locked up.”

TAKE ACTION: Do you have an opinion about whether the federal government should legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis? Make your voice heard. Contact your members of Congress.

This article is an opinion piece (Op-Ed) and reflects the views of the author. We encourage thoughtful debate and welcome a range of viewpoints. Readers who wish to submit their own Op-Ed for consideration can do so by emailing editor@seattleschild.com.

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“We have an area that is great for making up-close connections but is outdated and in need of major upgrades,” explains Dr. Luis Neves, Senior Director of Animal Care at Woodland Park Zoo. Those upgrades are underway and, beginning in the summer of 2026, zoogoers will be able to experience an array of very different up-close and hands-on experiences in a space the
zoo is renaming Wild Encounters.

The extensive transformation will include habitats for Aldabra giant tortoises, arboreal lorikeets and lories, and there are plans for additional species to be introduced in the future. The zoo’s existing herd of lively and popular goats will remain but will move into a refreshed area within Wild Encounters.

(Image: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo)

The first of the new species to be viewable to the public this year will be two Aldabra giant tortoises, one of the world’s largest land tortoises. The female pair were rescued with the help of longtime friends of the zoo, Madeline and Geoff Haydon. “We were happy to facilitate this rescue and give them the opportunity to become ambassador animals for Woodland Park Zoo where they can encourage curiosity, compassion, and respect for wildlife (…)” says Madeline Haydon.

Fostering curiosity, compassion, and respect for wildlife will be key aspects of all the visitor experiences within Wild Encounters. Programing by the zoo’s animal keepers will focus on bringing guests closer than ever to a variety of ambassador species and keepers will share their expertise on diet, behavior, and will allow guests to practice caring for individual animals.

(Image: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo)

And, coming next spring, Lorikeet Landing will be a paid experience to get up close with the brilliantly feathered, medium-sized parrots native to the Indo-Pacific region. Inside the aviary, visitors will be allowed to feed these colorful birds and view other bird species such as ground-dwelling pigeons and kookaburras.

For more information about Wild Encounters, future developments, and to contribute to the zoo’s fundraising efforts, visit Woodland Park Zoo – Wild Encounters.

The post Bye Family Farm, Hello Wild Encounters: WPZ announces major exhibit transformation appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson (Image: Seattle Mayor’s Office)

Family needs are a focus of Seattle Mayor’s first ‘State of the City’ address

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson gave her first “state of the city” speech last week at the Hughes Performing Arts Institute, laying out her plan for addressing the City’s affordability, child care, food cost, safety, and other parent concerns.  

Addressing gun violence: Following the recent shooting deaths of two teens, Wilson said her office will convene a panel of local and national experts to develop a strategy to address Seattle  gun violence that “is tailored to the needs of our neighborhoods and communities.”

Child care: Wilson said “It’s time we started treating child care and early education as public goods, accessible and affordable to all — just like our parks, schools and utilities. My administration will be pursuing this vision.”

Rising food costs: “The rising cost of food in particular has been a challenge for families that are already struggling,” Wilson said. “We have to start treating food access as core community infrastructure.” She added that, among other ideas, the City is exploring the idea of a public grocery store. 

On history and hope: Wilson noted the importance of Black History Month and that Ramadan is also celebrated in February this year: “In this season of reflection and new beginnings, I am so hopeful about what we can accomplish together. But that doesn’t mean I look at the city through rose-colored glasses,” Wilson said. 

“The hope I feel comes from history. From looking at an institution like this one here – how it’s evolved over time and overcome challenges to become what it is today. And from recognizing how that history lets us better imagine what is possible.” Read the full story at Seattleschild.com.

​​https://www.seattleschild.com/seattle-mayor-state-of-city-family-priorities/

TAKE ACTION: Have ideas for how Mayor Wilson’s administration can address your family’s and community’s housing, child care, food cost or other needs? Contact Wilson and let her know.

Class at Jose Mari Child Development Center in Seattle (Image: Joshua Huston)

Join the ‘Community Conversation’ about Seattle’s child care, K-12 student safety

Wondering what the City of Seattle has in store for improving child care and preschool access, keeping school-age kids safe and mentally healthy, and ensuring every kid gets a chance to go to college? Make a list of your questions and get ready to talk with city leaders on Tuesday.

Join the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) for family-friendly “Community Conversation” about how it plans to spend income from the $1.3 billion Families, Education, Preschool & Promise Levy (FEPP), the property tax approved by voters in November.  The “Community Conversation” is a kid-friendly event and includes free dinner, activities for kids, and interpretation services. Details: Feb. 24, 5:3˛ 0-7:30 p.m. at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, 104 17th Ave. S, Seattle. 

TAKE ACTION: Registration is required due to limited space. Sign up now. 

(Image: Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs)

 WA lawmakers advance bill restricting ICE access to schools

Legislation to force federal immigration agents to get court orders before entering schools and health care facilities cleared the Washington Senate on Thursday.

Senate Bill 5906 covers “nonpublic areas,” including preschools, K-12 schools, and health facilities. It also prohibits early learning providers and school district employees from collecting information about the immigration status of students and their families. It echoes Seattle Public Schools policies already in place and which were clarified earlier this month following a southend school lockdown. After that incident, district leaders also updated guidance for school principals and other leaders on how to handle unverified reports of ICE at or near schools. Read the SPS policies here.

TAKE ACTION: Do you have an opinion or stance on SB 5906? Make your voice heard by reaching out to your representatives in the state House and Senate. 

Baby receiving Vitamin K shot soon after birth (Image: iStock.com)

More parents are rejecting Vit K for their newborn, despite the risks

A new study published in the January issue of JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association, found that the number of parents declining to give their newborns a vitamin K shot or eye drops at birth has increased. In 2017, less than three percent of parents declined Vitamin K. In 2024 more than five percent said no.

Vitamin K supports normal blood clotting and newborns are born with decient and breast milk is not an adequate source of it. Dosing a baby in the hours after birth protects them from potentially life-threatening hemorrhage. Not dosing at birth could have catastrophic results, which is why the single injection at birth has been recommended for six decades. 

If you are pregnant, or know of a pregnant person, consider this: 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) both recommend that all newborns receive a single intramuscular (IM) vitamin K injection shortly after birth to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB). Currently in the U.S., there is no FDA-approved standard oral vitamin K regimen for newborns, but the most common international oral regimen is two milligrams at birth, followed by two milligrams at 4-7 days, followed by 2 milligrams at 4–6 weeks. Consult with your pediatrician regarding oral vitamin K.

The most common side effects are minor and include temporary pain or redness at the shot site (usually the thigh), mild swelling or bruising, or short-term fussiness. Allergic reactions or infection are rare. 

The risks of not giving your newborn the shot are also rare, but could be catastrophic. The risk of late VKDB is 1 in 14,000-25,000 births. Between 30% and 60% of infants with VKDB brain hemorrhage. Read more about what doctors are seeing in The New York Times.

Seattle University (Image: Another Believer CC BY-SA 4.0)

Bill to boost financial aid for students at WA’s private colleges moves out of Senate

Washington students attending private colleges could soon receive more help covering tuition, after the state Senate voted Tuesday to restore scholarship funding that was scaled back last year.

Washington Senate Bill 5828, sponsored by T’wina Nobles, D-Fircrest, would boost funding levels within the Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship for students enrolled at private institutions. The move effectively rolls back part of Washington Senate Bill 5785, which reduced the state’s contribution for private college tuition support while leaving public college funding unchanged.

The proposal does not expand eligibility or add new recipients. Instead, Nobles said, it restores balance after earlier cuts — reinforcing “fairness and stability” for families and encouraging students to pursue the college option that best fits their goals, whether public or private.

TAKE ACTION: Reach out to your representatives in the state House and Senate. 

(Image: Alexander Castro at Rhode Island Current)

More bills to protect kids bite the dust, won’t go further this year

While other bills sailed on, yet another cut-off day to move bills forward came and went last week, leaving many bills to protect kids on the cutting room floor. Among the proposals that won’t go forward: 

House Bill 1834 would have barred social media companies from serving so-called “addictive feeds” to minors. It also would have restricted platforms from sending push notifications to kids overnight or during school hours without a parent’s consent.

In a statement, Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown chided lawmakers for failing to pass “a commonsense proposal” to protect children online. “We will not stop pursuing policies that can save young people’s lives,” Brown said.

Senate Bill 6308, Senate Bill 6319, and  House Bill 1544 sought to address the child safety crisis at Washington’s Child Protective Services (CPS) by, among other things, requiring stronger court monitoring of CPS cases involving children under 5 who remain at home with their parents and by creating a community-based referral system connecting families to services in cases involving children under 4 and exposure to high-potency synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

House Bill 1152, would have established requirements for safe storage of firearms in vehicles and residences. In the meantime, a bill to ban guns in parks and other locations kids frequent (SB 5098) and another to ban use of 3D printers to create firearms (HB 2320) are still in the running.

House Bill 2389 sought to address overloaded juvenile detention facilities by, among other things, easing criminal sentencing for youth.

TAKE ACTION: Are the lost bills ones you care about and want to see brought to the 2027 session of the state legislature? Reach out to your representatives in the state House and Senate. 

(Image: iStock.com)

In the meantime, millionaires’ tax bill keeps on moving, approved by state Senate

As other bills were gleaned and left behind, Senate Bill 6346 — dubbed the “millionaires’ tax” by supporters because it would impose a 9.9% levy on personal income above $1 million annually —took another big step forward last week. It was approved by the full Senate on a 27–22 vote after hours of debate over whether the policy would make the state’s tax code fairer or risk an exodus of wealthy residents. 

The proposal now heads to the House. If approved there and signed by Gov. Ferguson, the tax, estimated to add $3 billion a year to state coffers, would apply to household income, meaning married couples and registered domestic partners with combined earnings over that threshold would be subject to the surcharge. Would passage help kids in Washington? Child welfare and education advocates think so. 

TAKE ACTION: Make your voice heard on the “millionaire’s” tax,” SB 6346. Reach out to your representatives in the state House and Senate. 

The Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1983. (Image: Warren K. Leffler)

Black History Month: Teach your children about the Rev. Jesse Jackson

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a leader of the The Civil Rights Movement in America, a mentee of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and an unofficial diplomat and champion of Black History Month, died last week. 

The passing of a Black leader who spent his life advocating for the poor and underrepresented is a teachable moment: an opportunity to sit down with your kids, no matter their age, and discuss his example of peaceful protest as a way to move a nation forward toward good for all. Read more about the Rev. Jesse Jackson in The Seattle Times.

Most important, Jackson popularized the empowering phrase, ‘I am Somebody,” from the poem of the same title by civil rights activist Rev. William Holmes Borders, Sr. Jackson integrated those words into many speeches to encourage Black pride and uplift the poor, young, BIPOC and other marginalized communities. Here’s that poem—and its critical sentiments— in full.

I am Somebody

By Rev. William Holmes Borders, Sr.

I am Somebody!
I am Somebody!
I may be poor,
But I am Somebody.
I may be young,
But I am Somebody.
I may be on welfare,
But I am Somebody.
I may be small,
But I am Somebody.
I may have made mistakes,
But I am Somebody.
My clothes are different,
My face is different,
My hair is different,
But I am Somebody.
I am Black,
Brown,or white.
I speak a different language
But I must be respected,
Protected,
Never rejected.
I am God’s child!

(Image: Courtesy White Center HUB)

White Center ‘HUB’ is community space designed for families and gathering 

White Center families have a new place to gather — and, for many, a new place to call home. On Jan. 24, the long-anticipated White Center HUB (Hope, Unity and Belonging) community center opened its doors beside the new Canopy Apartments, marking years of organizing and advocacy by neighbors.

The HUB is built to serve daily life: a health clinic, coffee shop, recording studio and maker space, all woven around outdoor play areas and space to simply sit and connect. The design is intentional: housing and services, creativity and stability, all in one place, built for the families. Read all about it in the South Seattle Emerald.

Kids deserve federal and state pot regulations | Op-Ed

Have children in the house? Lock up edibles or other cannabis, add this symbol and teach your kids what it means danger. (Graphic: Washington Poison Control)

Last week I read an opinion by the New York Times editorial board that gave me pause, and left me shaking my head in agreement. 

The editors pointed out that daily marijuana use in the U.S. has climbed from about six million in 2012 to nearly 18 million today—as has the number of people (youth and adults) with pot-related illness and marijuana-linked paranoia and chronic psychotic disorders. 

And another number has also risen. According to a 2023 study published in the journal Pediatrics, the number of edible cannabis exposures among children under age 6 increased by about 1,375 % from 2017 (207)  to 2021 (3,054). According to Washington Poison Center, “One of the most common calls we receive about cannabis is little kids mistaking an edible for candy.” 

The bottom line for the NYT editors? They still support legalization. But there position has evolved and they now say the feds need to step in—with a federal tax on pot, by restricting high THC and other harmful types of marijuana and and by “cracking down” on spurious and unproven health claims about weed. 

Thankfully, Washington has been been forerunner in two of those three areas. In this state, pot is subject to a 37 % cannabis excise tax along with regular sales tax (state + local), making Washington one of the heavier taxing states for legal cannabis. And while the state does not limit THC concentration in marijuana flowers and concentrates, it does limit each edible “serving” to no more than 10 milligrams of THC. In fact, Oregon lawmakers are considering mirror legislation right now to prohibit the sale of individual edibles that have more than 10 milligrams of THC. According to a report in the Washington State Standard last week, in 2023, children ages newborn to 5 made up one-third of all cannabis-related cases reported to the Oregon Poison Center. 

There’s good news when it comes to cannabis. Over the last decade teen use rates have not risen in King County or Washington state. They have gone down by most measures.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports declines in current cannabis use among King County students (grades 8/10/12) from 2008–2021; the Washington Department of Health’s 2023 Healthy Youth Survey notes youth substance use stayed mostly stable post-pandemic, with current cannabis use around 8% among 10th graders. 

President Donald Trump supports states’ rights to legalize pot. For once, I agree with him. If alcohol—despite its well-documented health and social harms—is legal and regulated, then marijuana should be treated the same way.  I believe that added federal regulation of THC levels (my vote would be for lowering it to 5% in individual edibles), is an important next step and would go miles to discourage weed companies from creating new, stronger strains. Cannabis has gotten significantly stronger over the last 20 years—cannabis growing is a business and it’s bottom line is money, not addiction control. And yet, research shows the newer strains of pot are addictive—and that most addiction begins with teen use.

Cannabis companies don’t care if a new strain is strong or addictive. They care about making money. 

For now, if you have cannabis at home, heed the poison center’s warning, no matter how old your kids are: “Keep your kiddos safe by always storing your stash up high, out of their reach, and locked up.”

TAKE ACTION: Do  you have an opinion about whether the federal government should legalize but regulate and tax cannabis? Make your voice heard. Contact your members of Congress.

The Good Reads: For the karate-chopping kid in all of us

New Bruce Lee Forever stamp (Image: USPS)

A generation before Hollywood routinely cast Asian American leads, Bruce Lee lit up movie screens with his fast, fierce mastery of martial arts. Not only did Lee prove non-white actors could carry a film, he encouraged millions of kids to jump up on the couch and karate chop their way to dinner. 

Fifty years later, kids are still chopping air as Lee’s choreography and camera work emphasizing speed, fluidity, and realism remain a mainstay of action films today.

This week, the United States Postal Service made Lee’s legacy official. During a festive event in  Seattle’s Chinatown International District, the agency unveiled the new Bruce Lee stamp, part of the postal service’s Forever stamp series. Lee, a one-time Seattleite, is buried at Lake View Cemetery on Capitol Hill, a spot that lures tens of thousands of fans of all ages every year. 

A win for writing? Perhaps the new Bruce Lee stamp will inspire your karate kids to write more letters to their grandparents!

The post This Hits Home: News that impacts Washington families appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Flounder comes to Seattle following the closure of Miami Seaquarium in October 2025, part of a broader effort to relocate animals to accredited facilities where they can continue receiving specialized care. Born in human care and dependent on caregivers for food and daily support, Flounder was deemed non-releasable, meaning he cannot safely live in the wild.

Now, Aquarium staff say he’s settling into his new home alongside harbor seals Casey and Hogan.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Flounder,” said Lisa Hartman, Seattle Aquarium’s Vice President of Animal Care, in a statement. “We are always seeking opportunities to advance our mission by providing safe and welcoming homes to marine mammals that cannot live in the wild and for whom we can provide excellent care.”

The arrival comes after the passing of Barney, one of the longest-lived harbor seals in human care, which created space within the Aquarium’s harbor seal habitat for a new resident. The habitat features a large pool and a haul-out area where seals can rest, along with multiple viewing panels that give visitors an up-close look at these playful marine mammals.

Harbor seals are a familiar sight along Washington’s coastlines and waterways, but seeing them at the Aquarium offers families a chance to observe their behaviors, learn about their role in marine ecosystems, and explore conservation efforts aimed at protecting local wildlife.

In addition to harbor seals, guests can see northern fur seals Chiidax and Flaherty — among fewer than 10 northern fur seals living in zoos and aquariums across the United States — as well as river otter Molalla and sea otters Mishka, Ruby, and Sekiu at the Aquarium.

Families interested in meeting Flounder can visit the harbor seal habitat during regular Aquarium hours, currently 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Animal care teams encourage guests to watch for the seals’ playful interactions both with one another and with their caregivers during enrichment and feeding sessions.

The post Seattle Aquarium welcomes new harbor seal Flounder appeared first on Seattle's Child.