We Believe:

Medicaid provider services must be accessible across state lines, especially for those who live near state borders, require highly specialized life saving care only available out of state, or while traveling domestically.

Our county, state, and federal governments must be prepared for pandemics, which includes providing adequate annual support, funding of our public health institutions, and a stockpile of medical supplies for use when a rapid response is required;

Social services must be integrated, culturally competent, linguistically, financially & physically accessible, free of faith-based requirements, and based on the needs of the individual;

Human services are an essential component of community safety strategies and must be funded accordingly;

That support for families should be enhanced with resources and education on mental health in order to foster supportive health environments

Measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of our earned benefit safety-net programs – Social Security and Medicare – are urgently needed now;

Our elders have a basic right to health, comfort, dignity, respect, and a vibrant life;

Our children have a basic right to health, safety, comfort, dignity, respect, and adequate opportunities for education and play;

People who suffer from substance abuse deserve safe consumption sites, funding for social workers on-site, and first responders who are trained and equipped for overdose response;

In dedicating state resources to building more long term addiction recovery housing programs for the homeless and programs that would provide for 18 months to prevent relapse;

More government subsidized housing with surplus funds for seniors and people with physical or mental disabilities;

Children of low-income families, need adequate public assistance including but not limited to:

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP);

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC);

Earned income tax credit;

Child tax credit;

Housing, including funding emergency assistance for low-income renters facing temporary financial difficulties; limiting move-in fees, rental application costs and late fees; and increasing the Washington statutory notice period for rent increases from  60 to 75 days;

All people should have equal access to healthy, affordable, and culturally-appropriate foods.

Social Security benefits should be improved by:

Expanding these earned benefits to immigrant populations;

Providing Social Security benefits that address inequities for low-income families, women, people with disabilities, public sector workers, and people of color;

Crediting individuals serving as caregivers of dependent relatives with deemed wages;

Ensuring that the annual cost of living adjustments keep pace with the actual costs that seniors and people with disabilities face – especially those related to health care and basic needs;

Removing the cap on Social Security payroll taxes;

Increase Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) to meet or exceed the federal poverty level-to address the poverty our disabled citizens face in society;

Allow the disabled on SSI, and those that are in transition stages between their full time job, semi-retirement and full retirement, to work part time to supplement the low-income they are forced to live on without deductions for work that results in income below the federal poverty level;

Remove the marriage penalty for the disabled on SSI—allowing them to retain their financial supplements and medical insurance.

 In-home caregivers deserve training and adequate compensation with a pay differential to reward caregivers willing to care for individuals with more complex or extensive needs and those willing to work evenings, nights, and weekends;

Adequate funding is needed to provide preventative services, early intervention, and crisis care for behavioral and mental health issues including ongoing counseling, residential programs, and community reintegration services.

Medicaid benefits should adequately cover home, private adult family homes, and community-based and facility-based care services without impoverishing working families;

Child care requires public and/or employer financing so that parents do not have to choose between their jobs and childcare;

That childcare is fundamental to the early learning and development of children in Washington state, especially those who are under-resourced and marginalized;

Rural areas have an immediate crisis because of “child care deserts,” areas where there is no available child care.

All parents should have parental leave benefits.

Specialized training should be available to all first responders, including social workers, police officers and fire department personnel to respond to mental health crises. Mental health crisis teams, including social workers, should be a part of every jurisdiction’s first responder services.

The state must provide robust care for all foster children and resources and assistance to foster parents and caregivers in order to retain and recruit high quality individuals.

Repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision to remove veteran disability payments from being included as income for low-income assistance programs.

It is imperative that the state furnish high quality and best practices care and essential resources for the well-being of foster children within the system. Furthermore, we must ensure that these services are extended to individuals aging out of the foster care system until they reach the age of 26.

Source: 2024 Washington State Democratic Party Platform