Seattle Children’s External Affairs Team Shares a Summary of 2024 Legislative Wins for Our Kids and Communities

Seattle Children’s External Affairs team serves as the liaison and ambassador between Seattle Children’s and external entities, be they government and regulatory agencies, or partner organizations, such as the Washington State Hospital Association or University of Washington. A big part of this work involves managing Children’s relationships with local, state, and federal governments.

Public policy and governmental regulations mandate how Seattle Children’s delivers our mission of cares and cures. It’s important to foster positive working relationships with these entities so we can advocate for our patients’ and communities’ needs. To that end, the External Affairs team facilitates conversations with senators, those in congress and city council members.

Below are summaries of some of the legislation and budget “wins” that passed during the 2024 legislative session that Seattle Children’s advocated for or partnered with other groups to support.

• Inclusion of youth in 23-hour crisis relief centers.
• Secured $12.3 million in operational funding for a residential treatment facility at Lake Burien to support youth with developmental disabilities and behavioral challenges, requiring tailored care and structured support environments.
• Providing health home services for Medicaid-eligible children with medically complex conditions.
• Expanded health coverage for immigrant populations.
• Equitable use of Epi-pens in school settings.
• Extended the timeline of the statewide Prenatal-25 Behavioral Health Strategic Plan by one year.
• Funded behavioral health care coordination by Community Health Workers.
• Funded parent portal – a one-stop resource for families and caregivers in need of behavioral health services and support.
• Funded the expansion of the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program for high-needs children ages 0 to 3 years.
• Allowed conditional scholarships under the Washington Health Corps behavioral health program and provided a stipend to support recent graduates required supervisory training hours.
• Increased funding in support of youth stabilization teams in the state’s crisis system. Support is also included for rural crisis stabilization and withdrawal management facilities.
• Passed a fentanyl education bill, and a bill related to the education and marketing concerning high THC cannabis.
• Passed a bill restricting the possession of weapons, excluding carrying a pistol by a person licensed to carry a concealed pistol, on the premises of libraries, zoos, aquariums, and transit facilities.