Ruth Kagi appointed to national advisory group to help young children

March 4, 2008

OLYMPIA—When  a new national partnership convenes in June to encourage states to design and adopt successful policies that benefit vulnerable children, state Rep. Ruth Kagi will be helping to lead the way.

The Lake Forest Park lawmaker will be one of only eight-to-10 legislative and executive officials from across the nation to serve on the core advisory group for the national Partnership for Early Childhood Science and Policy.

The new partnership is a joint project of the Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, and the National Conference of State Legislatures.  It was formed to build the leadership capacity of state policymakers to implement successful, science-based birth-to-five policies that improve the life chances of vulnerable children and their families

“This is a wonderful honor and opportunity,” Kagi said after receiving official word of her appointment. “It shows national leaders are paying attention to the progress we’re making in Washington state to improve child care, early childhood education and other vital services that help young kids and their moms and dads.”

The Feb. 21 letter announcing Kagi’s appointment said she was selected for the advisory group because “we feel strongly that your expertise and passion would be real assets to this venture, as they have in the past.”

According to the letter, the mission of the advisory group includes:

• Exploring how science can influence state-based early childhood policy agendas;

• Seeking and evaluating innovative ideas for policy and practice;

• Studying the relevance of new scientific research and findings for early childhood policy; and,

• Strengthening the ability of the Harvard Center on the Developing Child and the Partnership for Early Childhood Science and Policy to have an impact on states nationally.

Kagi, a Democrat, chairs the Early Learning and Children’s Services Committee in the House of Representatives. She authored several of the policies that launched Washington state’s pioneering efforts in early learning, including the laws that created the Washington Early Learning Council and the cabinet-level Department of Early Learning.

As the Legislature enters the final weeks of the 2008 session, Kagi is working on legislative proposals and budget policies to improve child care, foster care and the state’s early childhood education and assistance program.

The advisory group for the Partnership for Early Childhood Science and Policy will hold its first meeting on June 26 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.