Our new KIDS COUNT in Washington demographic profile, “Kids are Leading the Way Toward a New Washington,” shows how kids of color are leading our state into a more racially diverse future. The profile – the first release in our State of Washington’s Kids 2018 series – focuses on how Washington state’s population is projected to become majority people of color around 2050, and youth are at the forefront of this trend.
Already, 43 percent of kids in our state are kids of color. And in eight of Washington’s 39 counties, the population of children is already majority kids of color. Latino, Pacific Islander, and mixed-race children are the fastest growing segments of our youth population.
Kids of color in Washington state are diverse in ancestry, including Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, Ethiopian, Somali, and more. Additionally, over a quarter of Washington’s kids are immigrant or reside with at least one immigrant parent.
As kids of color continue to represent a growing share of Washington’s population, our state needs to create the conditions that allow all our children — regardless of race or ethnicity, immigration status, ZIP code, family income, gender, and whether English is their first language — to thrive. And the State of Washington’s Kids 2018 series provides recommendations for how policymakers can make this a reality. The first issue brief in the series, “Getting All Kids Off to a Healthy Start,” makes recommendations for how lawmakers and community leaders can help Washington’s kids have equitable opportunities for good health.
And in the coming months, keep an eye out for the next State of Washington’s Kids issue briefs. They will look at how our state can ensure kids in Washington have their basic needs met and how our state can ensure all kids have the opportunity to succeed in school and in life.
KIDS COUNT in Washington is a partnership between the Children’s Alliance and the Washington State Budget & Policy Center, supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The demographic profile, “Kids are Leading the Way Toward a New Washington,” is the first release in our State of Washington’s Kids 2018 series, providing a racial demographic overview of Washington’s youth population. This profile is available in a printed folder format. For a hard copy, please contact adam(at)childrensalliance(dot)org.
