About Best
Starts for Kids
Building on the deep knowledge, connections, and skills within King County communities, and backed by what science and research tells us about human development, Best Starts for Kids meets children and families with the right services at the right time, catalyzing strong starts in a child’s earliest years and sustaining those gains through to adulthood.
King County voters overwhelmingly supported the Best Starts for Kids levy twice, first in 2015 and again in 2021, with more than 62 percent of the vote. During the first levy, Best Starts worked with 345 partners to reach 490,000 people. Since the beginning of the second levy in 2022, Best Starts has served 421,284 people.
Our Mission
Best Starts for Kids strengthens families and communities so that babies are born healthy, children thrive and establish a strong foundation for life, and young people grow into happy, healthy adults.
Our Vision
Happy, Healthy, Safe and Thriving
Happy, Healthy, Safe and Thriving
We want to see babies born healthy, kids thrive, and young people grow up to be happy, healthy, successful adults.
Our Values
At the heart of everything we do are four guiding values: Equity, Transparency, Relationships, and being Community-Oriented.
Our Impact
kids, youth, & caregivers served through mid-2020
Invested throughout King County
Community Partners
new community-led programs
Our Approach
Promotion
We increase positive opportunities available to babies, children, young people, and their families.
Prevention
We decrease factors that may prevent babies, children, and young people from growing up to be healthy and happy.
Early Intervention
We intervene early to support children and young people who need additional resources to succeed.
Policy & Systems Change
We work to change systems and policies so that all communities in the region can thrive and prosper regardless of race or place.