Our guiding vision at Friends of Youth is that very youth should have every opportunity to succeed. Despite our daily efforts to achieve that vision, too many of our children still don’t get the opportunities they need to succeed in life. That’s why we are supporting the Best Starts for Kids Levy, King County Proposition 1.

The Best Starts for Kids levy gives our community a new opportunity to achieve our vision.  The levy will provide funding for prevention and early intervention programs designed to increase the number of King County children and youth who reach adulthood healthy and ready to contribute to the region’s prosperity.

More than half of the revenue from this levy would be invested in strategies focused on children under age 5 and pregnant women. At Friends of Youth, we see firsthand the importance of early intervention for young mothers and their children. With more than 44 units of housing dedicated to homeless young mothers and families parenting small children we know that new parents need help to find stable housing, finish the education and training that will set them on a path to self-sufficiency, while simultaneously nurturing the next generation. The levy will help to ensure that the resources, support and training those young parents need are there when they are needed — a modest investment today that will yield a lifelong benefit for their children.

The evidence is clear — the earlier we invest in a child, the greater the return for both the child’s development and our society.

Please join us in investing in our youth and their future by voting “yes” on King County Proposition 1.

Terry Pottmeyer

President and CEO, Friends of Youth