Our advocacy work doesn’t always make headlines, but it has a powerful impact on our clients and community. From early learning to immigrant rights to human services funding, these updates show how coordinated advocacy can create meaningful change.
This November, Seattle voters renewed the Families and Education Preschool to Promise (FEPP) Levy for a total of of $1.3 billion. This renewed funding will support Early Learning, school-based health centers, and universal access to a free two-year college degree. Neighborhood House’s ParentChild+ program was added to the levy, so we can continue our successful home visiting program, which serves 104 toddlers each year.
The Seattle Human Services Coalition (SHSC) advocates with the City of Seattle for resources and policies that support our most marginalized neighbors. For over 3 years, the SHSC Wage Equity Leadership Team, which I co-chair, has been advocating to raise wages for human services workers. According to this study, human services workers earn 37% less than workers of comparable skill and responsibilities in other industries. In 2023, the City of Seattle passed a 2% wage equity adjustment, and they did so again in 2025 for the 2026 budget.
Meanwhile, increased deportation in our communities – even in previously safe places like schools, churches, and clinics – has caused significant fear and trauma for our clients and community. New fees and additional hurdles to access citizenship, apply for and retain asylum, and changes to Temporary Protected Status and Special Immigrant Visa categories have all increased demand for legal aid, resource navigation, citizenship, and more. A coalition of immigrant advocacy organizations worked closely with the City Council and Mayor Harrell to add $4 million per year to the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA).
In early April, USA Today reported on the Trump Administration’s plan to zero out federal funding for Head Start. Thanks to the leadership of the National Head Start Association, the advocacy of current and former Head Start children and parents, and the strong bipartisan support Head Start enjoys, Head Start remains the leading early learning program in the nation.
These are just a few of the bright spots we celebrated this year. As we navigate the many challenges ahead that threaten our funding, our clients, and our communities in 2026 and beyond, we’ll share how policy decisions made in Washington, DC, Olympia, and right here at home impact our communities.
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