Kids Matter

Kids Matter is an outcome-based early childhood systems building framework that was developed in Washington state.  Three statewide system building efforts sponsored by four organizations combined to create one plan. These efforts are the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems work in the Washington State Department of Health; the Head Start-State Collaboration Office now in the Washington State Department of Early Learning; and the Washington Build Initiative. Public and private partners in early childhood across the state have helped to develop and support the use of the common framework over many years. We use the Kids Matter framework in our Early Learning Health Connections and Reach Out and Read program work so that our efforts support the development of state and local intergrated systems.

Kids Matter Core Documents

Kids Matter Executive Summary (pdf) 
Kids Matter FULL REPORT (pdf)
Kids Matter Framework “one page” (pdf)

Learn How to use Kids Matter

Read the Kids Matter Guide- An Introduction to Kids Matter (pdf)

Learn about the History of Kids Matter

Click here to read “Understanding Opportunities”, an article featured in the Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families publication. Written by Lorrie Grevstad and Dr. Jill Sells, it discusses the role of the Kids Matter framework in early childhood systems development in Washington State.

Perspectives on Early Childhood Systems

Click here to read “Perspectives on Early Childhood Systems: Highlights From Interviews of Key Stakeholders in Washington State”. This summary, prepared by Organizational Research Services (ORS), includes interviews with key early learning stakeholders in Washington State. The purpose of the interviews was to gather information about statewide early childhood systems-building work and to use the information and lessons learned to guide future efforts. 

The development of Kids Matter has been sponsored by the following lead organizations: