King County Executive Dow Constantine declared victory on Wednesday for Best Starts for Kids, a six-year property tax levy in the county that will invest in prevention and early intervention strategies to increase the number of children and youth who reach adulthood healthy and ready to succeed.
Constantine said it will be the most comprehensive approach to early childhood development in the nation, starting with prenatal support, sustaining the gain through teenage years, and investing in healthy, safe communities that reinforce progress.
“This is a victory for children, youth and families across King County and our opportunity to transition to upstream solutions,” Constantine said in a media release. “Best Starts for Kids is the comprehensive, performance-driven, science-based approach that will create a national model for expanding opportunity.”
A total of 53.5 percent (158,502) voted in favor of the proposition while 46.4 (137,454) were against it, according to King County Elections results on Wednesday.
The levy will generate about $65 million per year and cost the owner of a $300,000 house about $42 per year. The cost of the levy is 14 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
Unlike other metropolitan regions in the U.S. that primarily focus on preschool, King County’s strategy includes birth through age 24, intervention as the brain continues to grow through age 24, and healthy communities that reinforce progress. It will complement the city of Seattle’s preschool program by increasing the number of children who arrive at school healthy and ready to learn.
“As economic disadvantage increasingly locates outside of inner cities, Best Starts would send a promising signal that counties are stepping up to address the root causes of poverty across urban and suburban lines,” said Alan Berube, senior fellow and deputy director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings Institution.
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