Submitted by Whatcom County Health and Community Services, written by Children and Family Programs Supervisor Sarah Simpson
Did you know the Whatcom Healthy Children’s Fund represents more than a decade of effort by hundreds of community members from both public and private sectors? Their diligence and determination turned into a voter-approved initiative that supports the health and well-being of young children and their families in Whatcom County.
Grounded in the belief that improving children’s health leads to a healthier community, the Healthy Children’s Fund was approved in November 2022 as a 10-year renewable property tax levy.
Your tax dollars are now working to support new programs and additional services that benefit pregnant mothers, infants, preschool children and their families, especially those who live in underserved communities. We’ve accomplished a great deal in two years, and there is much more to come!
Below are answers to some of the questions people ask about the Healthy Children’s Fund. Additional FAQ can be found on HCF’s website.
Who oversees the fund?
The HCF is estimated to collect $10 million per year for early childhood learning and care, and for the support of vulnerable children. We are working to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars by braiding this funding with state and federal dollars in support of programs and service providers.
Oversight of the fund is provided by the Child and Family Well-Being Task Force. The task force monitors progress and provides feedback for the Whatcom County Health and Community Services staff who manage HCF. The Whatcom County Council also receives updates multiple times a year in public presentations.
In addition, government and community representatives who drafted the HCF’s two-year implementation plan ensure that it is followed. Accountability is maintained through a qualified, independent performance audit.
Who approves the spending of these funds?
The spending of HCF dollars is performed with care and consideration. The Whatcom County Council approves allocations over $40,000, and two members of the Whatcom County Health and Community Services department — the department director and human services manager — approve disbursements below that amount.
How are spending decisions made?
HCF dollars are intended to be spent in alignment with 10 strategies that were developed in collaboration with community partners. The strategies shown below are estimates based on data available when the implementation plan was developed (March 2023).
- Provide funds for small capital projects to expand, renovate or repurpose buildings to increase early learning and care slots.
- Coordinate current and develop new pathways to ensure a stable early learning and care workforce for high-quality programs.
- Improve access to early learning and care through subsidies that reduce program costs for children from cost-burdened families.
- Ensure access to early learning and care by promoting workforce retention and expansion.
- Create regional early learning hubs that include shared administrative services, co-located services for children and families, and support for smaller providers.
- Support innovative approaches to achieve HCF goals related to early learning and care.
- Recruit mental and behavioral health professionals to Whatcom County.
- Develop or expand resources for families who disproportionately experience housing instability.
- Expand and enhance early parenting support programs.
- Integrate and co-locate services via coordinated access to resource navigation.
Strategies may shift as new information emerges and circumstances change. Any decrease will shift to reserves or to another strategy, while any increase would come from reserves or decreasing or eliminating another proposed strategy. For additional information about fund allocation, see Page 19 of the Whatcom Healthy Children’s Fund Implementation Plan.
What types of organizations can apply for funding?
Funding opportunities are intended for a wide range of operators to develop and provide services throughout Whatcom County. Eligible applicants can include nonprofit, for-profit, private and public entities, higher education programs and/or early learning and care providers that can meet Whatcom County contracting requirements.
Most of the funds will prioritize equitable access for underserved communities. This includes but is not limited to areas located outside of the city of Bellingham, low-income children and families, and community members experiencing the greatest barriers.
If you know a service provider or organization that would benefit from receiving Healthy Children’s Fund dollars, especially providers in underserved areas, encourage them to sign up for RFP notifications or to join the MRSC consultant roster to learn about future funding opportunities.
How can I get involved?
The Child and Family Task Force holds open meetings that are accessible to the public. Anyone can attend a meeting in person or via Zoom.
The Child and Family Task Force is a committee of 30 members. There are occasional openings for new volunteers to serve on the committee. Parents, grandparents, medical providers, faith community members and others are encouraged to apply. A list of committee vacancies can be found on the Whatcom County website.
If you would like to receive occasional announcements related to programs that have been funded by the Healthy Children’s fund, please subscribe to the Healthy Children’s Fund newsletter.
