Governor Inslee has created a new inter-agency work group on family economic security that is a big step in the right direction to help families move themselves out of poverty in our state. The work group will be tasked with developing a 10-year strategy for poverty reduction in Washington state, based on an intergenerational approach to addressing poverty.

Intergenerational approaches to poverty promote the economic well-being of whole families across generations so that children can thrive and reach their full potential. The approach is centered around coordinated support for families across five key areas: high-quality early childhood education; higher education and career pathways; asset building; health and well-being; and social capital.

Nationally, similar initiatives that focus on economic success of families, as opposed to a focus on children or adults alone or in silos – are gaining momentum and showing very promising results. In Colorado, Utah, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma – to name just a few states – early investment in intergenerational programs are paying off and are leading to living-wage careers for parents, better education outcomes for kids, and a low rate of return to social benefit programs.

The governor’s directive to create this work group is an important step to help families move out of poverty. It is also an important step to grow the middle class so that more residents can benefit from economic growth. As more families move out of poverty permanently and contribute to economic activity, that will pay dividends for the state economy.

The directive was the result of bipartisan efforts advance intergenerational strategies to address poverty in Washington. The creation of the work group is a sign that Washington’s leaders are turning a new page on how we go about policy development on economic security. The initiative calls for broad participation by state agencies, stakeholders, employers, people who are in poverty, and other communities that have historically not been included in conversations on public policy.

Advancing poverty reduction policies using an intergenerational approach has long been a priority of the Washington State Budget & Policy Center. We look forward to continuing to work with the governor and his staff as well as with legislators and other key stakeholders to develop specific data-driven policy recommendations to reach poverty-reduction goals. This is a monumental step toward ensuring that every child, parent, and grandparent in Washington is able to reach their full potential and thrive.