A program that connects Thurston County families raising children with developmental disabilities to experienced parent mentors could lose its state funding when its contract expires August 31, prompting 44 Washington legislators from both parties to push back.
The bipartisan group sent a letter July 28, to Gov. Bob Ferguson and Department of Social and Health Services Secretary Angela Ramirez urging the state to preserve the Parent to Parent program, the Washington State Standard reported.
State officials had already extended the DSHS contract one month from its original July end date.
Locally, South Sound Parent to Parent operates the Helping Parent Program, Building Blocks Program, and a Spanish Support Group serving Thurston and Mason counties, according to Thurston County's developmental disabilities services page.
Sylvia Davenport coordinates the Thurston County program. The organization also runs "sibshops," peer support groups for brothers and sisters of people with disabilities, in Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties.
What the program does
Parent to Parent pairs families new to navigating disability services with experienced parents who have walked the same path. The statewide network, administered by The Arc of Washington State from its offices at 2638 State Ave. NE in Olympia, serves all 39 counties and fields tens of thousands of calls and emails each year. It costs $900,000 annually.
The budget threat
Ferguson has directed state agencies to identify spending cuts as Washington faces a potential multibillion-dollar shortfall, specifically targeting programs created or expanded after 2019. Parent to Parent predates that threshold by nearly four decades.
DSHS spokesperson Jessica Nelson said no funding decisions have been made for Parent to Parent or any other DSHS program. Spokespeople for Ferguson and Ramirez did not provide comment on the legislators' letter as of Tuesday.
The legislative pushback
In their letter, the 44 lawmakers acknowledged the state's fiscal challenges but argued the program's low cost prevents more expensive interventions down the line.
They wrote that Parent to Parent helps families become stronger advocates for their children while connecting them with services they need.
Dym called the letter a clear indication of the program's widespread impact and said she hopes Ferguson and Ramirez will reconsider how they prioritize limited state funding.
Cathy Murahashi, advocacy and policy specialist at The Arc, warned that eliminating the program would be short-sighted. She told KUOW: "It's destructive, and it doesn't make a lot of sense, and probably would cost more to rebuild the infrastructure."
What's next and how to weigh in
State agencies submit their funding requests to the governor in September 2026. Ferguson will release his two-year budget proposal in December, and the Legislature will take it up during the 2027 session.
Advocates say the executive-branch contract review bypasses the normal legislative budget process, which includes public hearings. The Arc of Washington State hosts a public letter-writing tool where residents can contact Ferguson and DSHS directly about the program's future.
Thurston County's 22nd District delegation includes Sen. Jessica Bateman, Rep. Beth Doglio, and Rep. Lisa Parshley, all Democrats. Whether any local legislators signed the bipartisan letter has not been confirmed.
