Advocacy

At Encompass, we believe that real, lasting change requires advocating for what children and families need.  Advocacy is at the heart of what we do, ensuring that every child and family feels seen and heard. By educating the public, engaging decision makers, and mobilizing our community, we bring attention to the issues that matter most in our efforts to achieve our purpose.

Advocacy helps turn awareness into action.

Why advocacy matters:

• Advocacy raises awareness: By contacting your legislators, you can let your voice be heard on issues that matter most to Encompass and community initiatives.
• Advocacy drives systematic change: Laws and policy shape our lives. Systems should support, not work against the best interests of children, families and our community.
• Advocacy empowers our community: Advocacy gives individuals and community a voice towards shaping their communities.

Current Advocacy Initiatives:

Protect and Strengthen Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT)

Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) is Washington’s first line of defense against lifelong disability. ESIT provides critical early intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays, disabilities, or medical conditions during the most important years of brain development. By identifying concerns early and equipping families with specialized, research-based support, ESIT helps children build the skills they need to thrive while preventing mild delays from becoming lifelong challenges. More than 21,300 children across Washington receive ESIT services each year through a network of 44 providers, making it one of the state’s most impactful investments in children, families, and long-term community health.

Encompass is the only ESIT provider serving the Snoqualmie Valley. Learn more by reading the one-pager here.

Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP)

Encompass is the sole provider of essential pediatric therapies and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) preschool in the Snoqualmie Valley, but our current state and Medicaid contracts are based on an unsustainable financial model. Right now, these contracts cover as little as 34% to 77% of our actual costs, forcing us to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in private donations just to bridge the gap for mandated services. We are asking the legislature to restructure Government Contracts, including ECEAP and Medicaid rates to reflect the full cost of care so that we can ensure every child in our community has the foundation to thrive for a lifetime.

Legislative Priorities Document

Join us!

Your voice matters. Together we can build a community where ALL children thrive.
Click here to find your legislative district and see how your representation can turn hope into lasting change.

Encompass is proud to partner with the following in on-going advocacy efforts:

Click the links below to learn more.

• • Save Human Services
    Save Human Services advocates for fair government contracting in Washington to ensure full cost coverage for essential services, protecting the human services sector from chronic underfunding.

• • King County Alliance for Human Services
    The King County Alliance for Human Services unites community partners to increase local investment in community health and human services by cities across King County, as well as by King County in unincorporated areas, ensuring that these investments include funding for BIPOC-led organizations, as well as programs that specifically support communities and individuals of color so as to increase the racial equity of our public funding systems.

• • Alliance of Eastside Agencies
    The Alliance of Eastside Agencies mission is to build healthy communities in East King County through a strong human services network by providing a strong voice for Eastside health and human services and by promoting organizational excellence among providers.

• • Children’s Alliance
    The Children’s Alliance strives to place racial justice at the heart of Washington’s laws and budget priorities so that every child can thrive.

• • Start Early
    Start Early’s mission is to advance quality early learning for families, from before birth through the earliest years, to close the opportunity gap and ensure every child has the chance to reach their full potential in school and life.

Advocacy Alerts

Follow along on our advocacy efforts and learn how you can speak up when the opportunity presents itself, by signing up for advocacy alerts.