LEAP Bus Tour Highlights

We just returned from a week-long bus tour across the state of Washington to raise awareness about the importance of early learning, and we are still reflecting on the amazing conversations we had with lawmakers, advocates, and business owners. We want to thank our fantastic partners – the Association of Washington Business Institute – for their exceptional work on this issue.

We are working on a detailed report about this tour, but in the meantime, we wanted to share a few big takeaways.

• The lack of affordable, accessible child care is a state-wide issue that requires all hands on deck to fix. Though local communities have specific setbacks, (IE, the lack of transportation for child care in more rural areas, the need for child care early in the morning for farm workers’ families, and more) it is clear that families with children are struggling to find affordable, accessible care that works for them.

• Communities are finding solutions. Many people cited the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Y, and YWCA as successes in the community. Additionally, investments made through the Early Learning Facilities program (ELF), the Imagine Institute, and others improve facilities and teacher training.

• Child care worker pay and benefits are a major challenge. Across the state, many attendees cited that the low pay and lack of benefits are a big challenge for child care in the community. One provider said, “It’s not that there is a lack of people who want to work with children. It’s that there is a lack of people who can afford to.”

• Businesses want to find solutions. We were glad to have Paige Coleman with the Department of Commerce on the tour to discuss implementing family friendly workplace policies. Many employers offer FSAs, flexible scheduling, and hybrid work to accommodate family needs.

• High-quality early learning drastically improves outcomes for children. In the first five years of life, 92% of brain development occurs. Early learning sets children up for success in kindergarten and beyond.

• Providers, businesses, and advocates want to help. Many people told us that child care is essential for communities to function – without affordable child care, parents cannot work or go to school.

We are encouraged and inspired by the response to the bus tour! Stay tuned for our full report. To view our resources that we compiled for the bus tour, please click here.

LEAP (Legislator Education and Action Project) is a partnership between the Association of Washington Business Institute and Children's Campaign Fund Action. To learn more about LEAP, please visit washingtonleap.org.

Meet our new team!

Meet Alex! Alex brings a remarkably rich combination of experience and tremendous energy and enthusiasm to his new role as ED of CCFN. This new name also introduces Children’s Campaign Fund’s sister organization, Children’s Campaign Fund Action. Our new network brings enhanced capacity in advocacy, education and electioneering to deepen our influence to promote state policies that facilitate a thriving present and future for every child and their family with an emphatic commitment to those impacted by racism and poverty.

Alex began his career with organizing and legislative advocacy. As a student experiencing homelessness, he served on the Student Senate for California Community Colleges and successfully wrote and lobbied for passage of a bill allowing his peers to use their school’s shower facilities. After this, he worked as an Organizing Director for NextGen America, where he helped flip one of the most competitive congressional districts in 2018, CA-10. From 2018-2021, Alex was the Managing Director of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) Action Fund, where he ran the largest BIPOC voter engagement program in Colorado in the 2020 cycle and helped elect more Latinx city councilmembers into Denver City Council than in any point in the city’s history. Doing this was important to Alex, since, as a DACA recipient, he recognizes that building electoral power is critical in pushing our elected officials to pass pro-immigrant policy. Alex continued his commitment towards BIPOC voter engagement during his time at Strategies 360, where he provided electoral, fundraising, and organizing guidance to various progressive organizations and emerging 501(c)(4)s.

Most recently, Alex served as the New Mexico State Director for America Votes. In this role, he oversaw the state’s C4 and independent expenditure table tasked with 3 key election objectives, all met. These included flipping one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country, NM-2, and helping re-elect the only Latina Governor in the U.S., Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Alex is excited to begin this new journey with CCFN and build long-term political power for children, youth, and families.

Meet Kelly! Kelly Edens joined CCFN as the Deputy Director in June 2023, bringing her experience in political advocacy and her passion for social justice to the team. As the Deputy Director, Kelly handles operations, grassroots fundraising, electoral work, and program administration for the Children’s Campaign Fund Network.

Born and raised in Seattle, Kelly developed a fascination for state-level political work as a Senate Page in the Washington State Legislature. She earned her Bachelor’s of Arts from Carroll College in History and Political Science, spending time in the Montana State Legislature. After college, she volunteered with Mercy Volunteer Corps at a community center in Savannah, GA, assisting with GED classes, SNAP renewals, low-cost eyeglass clinics, and a small food pantry.

Her time in Savannah showed her that advocacy at the state level is the most effective way to enact change. With a renewed sense of mission, she moved to Austin, Texas, to work for Texas Watch, a 501(c)(4) leading state-wide consumer advocacy organization, where she was the Director of Organizing and the Development and Operations Director. Missing the mountains and excellent coffee, she is delighted to return to the Northwest and serve the children in her home state. She resides in Spokane, WA, with her husband and dog (Willie Nelson).

We look forward to working with you to build political power for children, youth, and families!

2022: A Year in Review

Before ringing in the new year, we're reflecting on some major milestones from 2022:

• The year kicked off with a short legislative session that delivered impactful policy wins for Washington's children, youth, and families. We were proud to celebrate those policies and the CCF champions who made them possible during our annual awards celebration.

• We interviewed over 100 candidates about their commitments to kids and families during CCF's biggest endorsements cycle yet. We're thrilled to see so many game-changing leaders heading to Olympia, and grateful for all the candidates who centered kids in their campaigns.

• Finally, we launched CCF Action -- our new affiliated 501(c)(4) advocacy arm -- to expand CCF's impact on behalf of kids and families statewide. Stay tuned for more details about this powerful new initiative.

We can't wait to share a few more exciting announcements and updates with you in early 2023. Until then, we wish you a joyful and safe holiday season -- and a happy and healthy year ahead!