Remarks of Paola Maranan, Executive Director
Annual Meeting of the Children's Alliance
November 20, 2008
Good morning and thank you for being here this morning! I know that there are a lot of other places you could be at 8:30 in the morning. We are grateful that you choose to be here to learn about and talk about what we must do for kids in Washington.
My job in the next few minutes is to talk a bit more about our theme today: now that the votes are in, what’s next for kids… and for their advocates. With today’s news of the state’s projected $4.6b shortfall, perhaps we should adopt a new theme: now that the budget forecast is in, what’s next for kids?
But before we look ahead to the work before us, I want to talk a bit about how the Children’s Alliance starts its 26th year of work on behalf of Washington’s children. I hope you’ll agree that we are well-positioned to continue to make progress for our kids.
Even as we look ahead, we are renewed and inspired by the opportunity we’ve had this year to look back over our 25 year history together as advocates and to take stock of the real results we have created for kids in Washington.
We are strong because we have invested 25 years into building and solidifying our mission. We enter our 26th year continuing our commitment to advocate for those kids who are most vulnerable and who are most disproportionately failed by our systems – low-income children and children of color. We continue to be called to this focus not just because it is logical but also because it is just.
We begin our 26th year strong because individuals, organizations and institutions continue to invest in our efforts. We are especially grateful to those individuals, those member organizations and those foundations who have made multiple year funding commitments to us or who just simply answer the call each and every year. The stability of this commitment allows us to go deep and to achieve greater results for kids because we have the capacity to develop the policy work and the relationships needed.
We are strong because the network of child advocates is strong and getting stronger. We continue to bring people together to show their support for kids. Our Children’s Action Network grew by more than 1,500 members last year. And hundreds of kids and adults continue to join us in Olympia for our annual Have a Heart for Kids Day.
Not only are we strong as a Children’s Alliance, we are a strong as part of a vibrant and motivated movement for change.
And we need to be. We stand at an extraordinary intersection between challenge and promise.
If we have learned anything out of these last few months, we have learned about possibility. We have learned that we can engage our neighbors and friends in the civic process to a degree we may have only previously dreamed of. Whether it was a presidential candidate talking about early learning or an incumbent Governor calling children’s health care one of her greatest successes and highest priorities, we’ve learned that we can make children a core part of the debate.
At the Children’s Alliance, we worked hard to make sure kids issues were portrayed positively during the election. We distributed over 3,500 “I’m Voting For Kids” bumper stickers on bikes and cars around Washington State. And over 1,000 people signed the petition to the candidates for Governor asking them to stand up for kids.
We believe that the results should bode well for children. For the first time in the 25 years of the Children’s Alliance, there is alignment on three levels: our vision of the kind of state we can build for our children, a Governor and state legislative leadership that put kids first, and a President who stands poised to do what he can to help all of us help kids.
This is an historic opportunity to change the odds for children in our state. This alignment of good leadership will be just what is needed to ensure that this era of hope and political possibility doesn’t pass children by.
But the intersection that we’re at isn’t just about promising leadership. The cross-street, if you will, is the greatest economic downturn most of us have seen in our lifetimes.
The projected deficit for the next two-year state budget is now estimated at $4.6 billion. Legislators are asking us unprecedented questions: not what are your priorities, but what do you want to save?
We face unprecedented challenges. And we must meet these challenges head on by doing at least five things:
First, we have to continue to keep kids at the center. As advocates we are called upon to be realistic about the projected shortfall but we must demand that children and their families be placed at the center of these tough conversations.
Second, we must remind policymakers that we can’t afford to make tough times tougher for families.
The projected economic shortfall at the state level mirrors the shrinking budgets and tightening of household spending that families across the state are now faced with. We know that, of all age groups, children are the most poor. And the youngest children are the poorest children.
Low-income families and children are disproportionally impacted by these tough economic times. More and more families are resorting to the safety net services and programs offered by the state – many for the first time in their lives. At a time when more people must turn to assistance to make it, we shouldn’t act to make the safety net smaller. We’d be better served making sure it is strong enough for all the families that will be forced to fall into it.
Third, we have to encourage taking the long view.Dire economic times tempt us to be penny wise and pound foolish. We have to measure the long-term impact of every budget decision. Not all spending is the same. Some expenses can be delayed – but the needs of children cannot. Children will stubbornly continue to be born, to grow and to develop. The window that we have to give them the right start and help ensure decades of success is a short one. Closing that window would be the most short-sighted thing we can do. We don’t get to pry it open again later.
Fourth, we have to call for courageous policymaking. There are tough revenue questions on the table. We have to ask the tough questions and push for the right answers. Questions like whether a $21 million tax break for the soda pop industry is more important than pre--school programs that help close the achievement gap.
Finally, and most importantly, we have an obligation as advocates to keep hope and possibility in our hearts and actions. We need to keep a historical perspective. We have had deficits before. The state will still spend money. Every budget carries the possibility of doing good for kids. This one can, too.
It is possible for us to do good things despite hard times.
So that’s five things we are asking of advocates. Here are five things you can expect from us.
First, we will continue to provide you with the analysis you need to understand what is at stake for kids in this landmark session.
Next, we will continue to convene our partners and serve our joined efforts.
Third, we will continue to consult with our members throughout the state.
Fourth, we will keep kids and the perspective of child advocates in the news
Finally, you will continue to get the timely information you need to inform your own advocacy. That information will be easier than ever to access from our redesigned website that will go live on December 5th.
The next months will challenge us in ways we’re only starting to imagine. It’s true that times are tough. But we’re tougher.
We have to be. Because every day 238 new kids are born in our state that need us to fight for them from day one and through each of the days of their childhood.
To fight to make sure that this new era of promise and possibility does not indeed pass them by. To fight to keep the childhoods they deserve within their reach. Childhoods where every child is safe. Where every child is fed. And is healthy. One where every child feels beloved.
They deserve no less.
