Executive Constantine proclaims Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in King County
King County Executive Dow Constantine today proclaimed April 4, 2018, to be Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in King County: View the PDF document here.
ESJ Legislative Branch Committee guest speaker to discuss Dr. King, April 6
The Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Legislative Branch Committee and Councilmember Larry Gossett invite all employees to attend the first event in an ESJ lunch and learn guest speaker series, entitled “The Forgotten King” with author and activist Bill Fletcher, Jr. The event will be held Friday, April 6, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. in the Superior Courtroom, E-942. The King County Council passed King County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan 2016-2022 and the goal of the ESJ Legislative Branch Committee is to help advance the vision of the Strategic Plan.
KCIT ESJ speaker series to feature seminar instructor, March 30
The KCIT Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Committee is excited to bring in Dr. Heather Hackman to the ESJ Speaker’s Forum. Heather has been leading a series of three day seminars for managers and staff on “Building a Racially Just King County” that have been very well received by employees. The event will take place on Friday, March 30, at noon in the City of Seattle Bertha Knight Landes conference room located on Fifth Avenue and James Street.
Juvenile Justice: The stats
Children and Family Justice Center $210 million: Levy amount King County voters approved in 2012 to build a Children and Family Justice Center to replace the outdated Youth Services Center $45 million: Estimated detention portion of the $210 million CFJC $40 million: Estimated cost of repairs to existing YSC 112: Number of juvenile detention beds at new CFJC, a reduction of 100 from the YSC’s 212 beds Juvenile Detention 136: Reduction in number of youth in detention from 187 in 1998 to 51 in 2016 49%: African American composition of youth in detention in 2016 (see below): African… Read More
Program helps young people mend family relationships, stay out of detention
A young person can act violently in the home for all kinds of reasons. FIRS – Family Intervention and Restorative Services – is an innovative King County program that works to address the underlying issues that led the youth to in-home violence and keep them out of juvenile detention. “Domestic violence can be pretty complex and it’s not just as simple as a kid acting badly and being violent in the home – sometimes it is – but more often there is a bunch of other factors at play,” said Jeremy Crowe,… Read More
First workshop for US–The Untold Story Project is March 29
US-The Untold Story was launched last month as the most recent installment of the Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Literary Project, which uses the empathic power of story to initiate discussions of race and racism. The project aligns with the county’s goal to “confront the historical and racial inequities that continue to exist in our community and our organization.” Such inequities lead to “adverse outcomes and conditions for communities of color compared to white communities.” For this reason, The Untold Story project invites members of communities of color within the community of… Read More
Women’s History Month proclaimed by Council
The King County Council is proclaiming March as Women’s History Month. The vote occurred on the same day the council took yet another significant step in making the county code gender-neutral. The council took the opportunity to celebrate the historic contributions that women of every race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background have made, and continue to make, in the growth, and strength of King County, Washington State, our nation, and around the world. “While celebrating how far we’ve come we must also acknowledge the work that remains to be done,” said Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles…. Read More
Kudos! RASKC assists homeless residents with pets
As part of outreach to local homeless shelters, RASKC received a request for assistance from a homeless-in-cars shelter at Lake Washington United Methodist Church (LWUMC) in Kirkland. LWUMC had been able to secure complimentary dog grooming at a local business for two residents’ dogs, but the dogs required current rabies vaccinations and documentation to attend. RASKC was able to coordinate a veterinarian visit during a Friday commute. This effort further demonstrates King County’s commitment to equity and social justice, and helping people experiencing homelessness to be able to keep their animal companions healthy and… Read More
Op-ed: Our antiquated tax system can be changed and made fair for all
In a joint Seattle Times op-ed with King County Assessor John Wilson, Executive Constantine calls on the Legislature to create a fairer tax system. Here is an excerpt: “Hiking property taxes in Democratic King County was the former Republican state Senate majority’s parting gift — a neat solution to addressing the Supreme Court’s order to better fund schools statewide. While next year the taxes may actually decrease in other areas of the state, higher property values in King County mean that won’t be the case for most of our region’s homeowners. But,… Read More
Public Health program provides education for caregivers, opportunities to succeed for children
Promoting the health and development of children, families and child care staff is a priority for King County. Multiple programs are dedicated to healthy and safe environments for children to ensure their education and well-being. One standout program is the Child Care Health Program within Public Health. The program includes a team of public health nurses, a dietician, mental health consultants and a community health worker who delivers Child Care Health Consultations (CCHC) to child care providers throughout the community. This team has been providing these CCHC services in King County for over 30 years. “In my work I can… Read More
Employee News 