Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Snohomish County Children’s Commission urges more funding for maternal behavioral health, early learning and youth supports
Summary
The commission’s 2024 annual report flagged preventable maternal deaths tied to behavioral health, shortage of early‑childhood workers and gaps for youth in foster care or with housing instability, and recommended investment and state/federal advocacy to expand programs and workforce supports.
The Snohomish County Children’s Commission presented its 2024 annual report April 28 to the county Health & Community Services Committee, urging county, state and federal action to expand prenatal and maternal behavioral‑health services, shore up the early‑childhood workforce and increase supports for youth at risk of not completing high school.
Monica Wilson, chair of the commission, said data from the Washington State Maternal Mortality Review Panel showed about 80% of deaths reviewed were preventable and that behavioral‑health conditions were cited as the leading cause of pregnancy‑related deaths. "We learned that 80 percent of deaths reported in the Washington State Maternal Mortality Review Panel were preventable, but behavioral health conditions were cited as the leading cause of these pregnancy related deaths," Wilson said. The commission recommended replicating and expanding local programs that address behavioral health, basic needs and parenting education through direct county funding and advocacy for state and federal resources.
Charlotte Zissel, a past chair of the commission, framed early childhood as a priority, noting that "90% of brain development occurs before the age of 5." Zissel and other commissioners said the county faces workforce shortages, low wages and lack of affordable facilities for providers. The report highlighted a local ARPA‑funded initiative to help high‑school students and early‑learning staff complete college credentials as one strategy to stabilize the workforce, and it pointed to recent county zoning amendments that aim to support facility development.
The commission also highlighted disparities in high‑school completion. Wilson said Snohomish County’s graduation rates track the state overall, but low‑income students graduate on time at a lower rate (about 77%). Populations with lower completion rates include youth involved in the child‑welfare system, youth experiencing housing instability, youth with disabilities and students whose home language is not English. The commission cited outcomes data from Sno Isle Tech and recommended further support for school‑ and community‑based programs and alternative high‑school pathways that serve students who struggle in traditional models.
Karen Masson, manager in the county Human Services Department for early learning, told the committee that state reports used to estimate service gaps remain imperfect but that Head Start and ECAP programs collectively serve "somewhere in the 2,000 plus range" of preschool‑age children while there are at least that many eligible — a gap that contributes to the county being characterized in the presentation as a "childcare desert," particularly for infant and toddler care. Masson said the state Department of Children, Youth and Families produces a saturation report the county references while work continues to refine the data.
Commissioners also identified a service gap for fourth‑through‑eighth‑grade children, especially in child‑specific mental‑health counseling, and noted foster parents cited difficulty finding supports for that age range. The report recommends sustained investment and continued advocacy to preserve effective programs amid federal funding reductions and to increase reimbursements and supports so child‑care programs can offer livable wages.
Committee members asked about credentialing and retention for early‑learning staff and whether advocacy should aim to change state criteria that affect entry into the workforce. Zissel and Masson said lead‑teacher certification is focused on early childhood and that some pathways toward K–12 require additional college credits; grants exist but funding remains insufficient to raise wages to levels that retain staff.
The committee thanked the presenters; the report will inform the commission’s advocacy and priorities for the coming year, and commissioners said they plan follow‑up work on data gaps such as families with incarcerated parents. The meeting adjourned with no formal vote on the report.
