In November 2015, voters in King County approved a property tax to create a dedicated source of funding, Best Starts for Kids, for early childhood initiatives in the county. The six-year levy was initially set at a rate of $0.14 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which raised about $65 million per year at a cost to the average King County homeowner of about $56 per year. Championed by King County Executive Dow Constantine, the levy generated $400 million over six years.
The Best Starts levy was renewed and expanded by King County voters in August 2021, investing over $800 million in funding for six more years, through 2027. The ballot measure passed with nearly 63% of voter support and authorized an increase in property tax of $0.19 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Best Starts for Kids funds services that target the prenatal period through adulthood. In 2023, the fund allocated $45,855,095 toward its early childhood initiatives, partnering with over 500 community-based organizations that target workforce development and educator retention, capital improvement projects for child care facilities, home visiting services, infant and early childhood mental health consultations, and parenting support, among other priorities. Best Starts also allocated an estimated $199,341,000 between 2022 and 2027 for the Child Care Subsidy Program and Child Care Worker Wage Boost Program.
Sources:
King County. (n.d.). About Best Starts for Kids.
King County. (n.d.). Best Starts for Kids Levy Proposal.
Harris, R. (2024, February 13). Investing Early in Child Well-Being Gives King County Kids the “Best Start”. Children’s Funding Project.
King County. (n.d.). August 3, 2021 Primary and Special Election.
King County. (2024, July 15). 2023 Best Starts for Kids Annual Report.
Connections to Key Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) Findings:
Stable, robust funding is essential to expanding and improving early education. Unlike K-12 education, early education has historically been supported through a fragmented – and largely insufficient – set of federal, state, and local funds. Research suggests there is a need for more accessible, affordable, and high-quality approach to early education across the mixed-delivery system – and for better financial and professional supports for the educators who serve children and families each day; creating dedicated funding streams can therefore help states and cities address these needs and achieve these goals.
Findings from the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) show:
- Families rely on a range of formal (e.g., Head Start, center-based care, public pre-K) and more informal (e.g., home-based, relative care) early education settings; when choosing a setting for their child, families balance many logistical constraints and personal preferences.
- But for many families – and especially low- and middle-income families – early education choices remain tightly constrained due to issues of affordability and supply.
- No one early education setting type is inherently of higher quality than another; children develop and learn well in every setting type, and in the study, all setting types showed room to grow in quality. – Early educators play a critical role in supporting the well-being of young children and families across setting types.
- Yet their pay, benefits, and other professional supports are often inadequate in light of the job demands and their cost of living.