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1 week ago | 
seattleschild.com | Cheryl Murfin
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed what President Donald Trump has labeled his “big beautiful bill,” which incorporates his second-term conservative agenda and billions in government cuts. The bill now moves on to the Senate. If approved there, the federal Medicaid program would be cut by $700 billion over the next decade. In Washington, nearly 1.9 million people — children and adults — are enrolled in Apple Health, the state’s Medicaid program. According to Sen.
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1 week ago | 
seattleschild.com | Cheryl Murfin
Jana Parker’s journey into education advocacy began in 2017 after years of struggling to get adequate support from her eldest son’s Seattle school, following his mental health breakdown. Parker says she learned a lot about the “complicated maze” of the U.S. education system in that long process.
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1 week ago | 
seattleschild.com | Cheryl Murfin
Being a parent is nonstop hard work, which makes following all the news happening in city, state, and U.S. decision-making circles challenging. Here are highlights of Washington political news from last week (May 19-25) and a hint at what’s up this week. I hope you will consider taking action–reaching out to those who represent you and your family in Congress and state offices—on the issues of impact to families in our state.
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2 weeks ago | 
seattleschild.com | Cheryl Murfin
If you were to take kids to a Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) screening only once during the festival’s 10-day in-theater run (or its one-week streaming window May 26 to June 1 on SIFF Streaming), this is the one: “The Family Picture Show.”Why? Because it’s your chance to see 12 excellent family-friendly films together all in one 88-minute sitting. That’s the length of a typical feature film, by the way.
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2 weeks ago | 
seattleschild.com | Cheryl Murfin
No matter what age your kids, Seattle-based PEPS wants to bring parents together to learn and connect with each other around the myriad issues, concerns and joys of parenthood. Launched 42 years ago to provide peer connection and support to parents of newborns, the organization has expanded over time to offer connection and information for parents-to-be, as well as parents of toddlers and teens.
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2 weeks ago | 
seattleschild.com | Cheryl Murfin
If you or a family you know is living in Puget Sound and experiencing food insecurity, the City of Seattle, Metro Parks Tacoma, other cities, local nonprofits and a whole lot of volunteers want to help. To find a summer meal program and distribution site year you, go to United Way Free Summer Meals finder and put in your zip code and email. If you live in Seattle or Tacoma, here’s the scoop where to find meals and snacks your kids will love, for free.
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2 weeks ago | 
seattleschild.com | Cheryl Murfin
The parental “bill of rights” overhaul, one of the most divisive bills approved during this year’s Washington state legislative session, was signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday. The legislation stems from Initiative 2081, a citizen initiative lawmakers approved last year that granted certain rights to the parents of public school students under age 18.
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2 weeks ago | 
seattleschild.com | Cheryl Murfin
Some films are just for kids. And there are some films kids should watch with their parents. Then there are films parents should watch without kids (young ones at least) simply to be reminded of that… thing… that makes them a parent. I don’t mean biology. There are a lot of parents out there who are not biologically related to their children.
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2 weeks ago | 
seattleschild.com | Cheryl Murfin
No one is certain yet how federal decisions under the Trump administration will affect both budgets and policies of Washington’s public schools. But educators, parents and government officials in this Washington are tracking closely whether President Donald Trump makes good on his threats to cut funding to states that do not prove they have abandoned K-12 diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Fear, anger and defiance have been the response here so far. The fear runs deep.
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2 weeks ago | 
seattleschild.com | Cheryl Murfin
This spring, the City of Shoreline launched a $670,000 program to bring about 100 free e-bikes to residents, as part of an ongoing effort to reduce air pollution caused by transportation. Pedal Forward Shoreline serves Shoreline residents who live in a designated area bounded by Northeast 165th Street to the north, Northeast 145th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue Northeast to the west and 25th Avenue Northeast to the east. E-bikes and warranties will be provided by Seattle Electric Bike.
