The public perceives dental problems as more a cosmetic concern than a health issue. But Washington advocates are trying to seize the moment created by the Surgeon General's May 2000 report on children's oral health to make this largely ignored issue a top public priority.

A Village Project Parent Partners is a community service organization offering support, education and guidance to children, youth and families at risk of becoming involved with one or more of King County, Washington's child and family serving systems, i.e.

Making Washington's preschools, public schools, and colleges the best in the nation.

The mission of this organization is to work with organizations working with low-income families and help them bring public policymakers together with low-income familes for a UNIQUE one-month education experience.

The mission of the Childrens Alliance is to improve the well being of children by effecting positive changes in public policies, priorities, and programs. Childrens Alliance strives to provide all of Washington's children with what they need to grow up to be the people they dream of becoming.

60 policymakers and numerous low-income constituents in Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, Washington, and West Virginia are spending a month together "walking a mile" in each other's shoes to learn from one another about poverty, public policies and politics. It's part of the national Walk a Mile (WAM) project based in Seattle. Among the object lessons: policymakers will try to feed their family on the amount of money they would receive in food stamps for their family size.

High-quality early childhood programs can produce broad, long-term societal benefits -- including increased employment and associated tax revenue, reduced crime, and reduced dependency on social welfare systems. Many states are moving toward providing universal pre-K to all children. This RAND report describes eight states' efforts to create statewide systems of high-quality pre-K.

This Mass Insight Education brochure outlines the benchmarks and reform strategies in standards, testing, curriculum and investment that have helped boost achievement among struggling students in Massachusetts and Washington state.

Issue Areas:
Community Service
Data and Trends
Foster Care
Minority Youth
Model Practices and Policies
Strengthening Systems of Support
Social Services and Welfare
Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

Issue Areas:
Education
Foster Care
Life Skills
Minority Youth
Work and Life Skills
Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

Casey Life Skills tools and products
Ansell-Casey Life Skills Assessment
Life skills preparation for adulthood

A holistic approach to serving youth and young adults transitioning from foster care to self-sufficiency.
Chafee Foster Care Independence Program.
A variety of tools and products developed to assist professionals and systems responsible for the transition related needs of young people from out-of-home care
Life Skills