Crossposted from Cultivating Connections

A message from DCHS Director, Leo Flor on the outgoing Best Starts leadership team.

Since King County voters first approved the Best Starts for Kids Levy in 2015, Sheila Ater Capestany (she/her) and Marcy Miller (she/her) have grown a powerful idea into a cutting edge, nation-leading program that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of children, youth and families all around the region. Following a strong first levy, voters renewed Best Starts for Kids in 2021 and the groundbreaking investments in the health and well-being of our youngest residents, from birth to 24-years-old.

What seemed novel to some, was a life-long pursuit for Sheila and Marcy: That governments and communities should want more for our kids than to avoid jail—that we must instead insist on and invest in a future where all our children, youth, and young adults are happy, healthy, safe, and thriving. Sheila and Marcy’s vision for these investments is changing the trajectory for thousands of people in King County. I am grateful to Sheila and Marcy for the way they led the Best Starts team and work. Read more.