The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) helped to coordinate this important visit from Ruth Kagi, a key early childhood legislator from Washington state. A core part of NCSL's mission is to promote policy innovation and communication among state legislatures.

This presented a great opportunity for legislators attending the caucus to talk early childhood policy directly with Kagi, who during her time in the legislature, was successful in working to pass key legislation that made important investments in early childhood education and care, including:

• The Early Start Act in 2015, in which lawmakers provided an opportunity for all children to arrive at school ready to learn; for families to break the cycle of poverty; and for state communities to reap the rewards and the return on investment we know comes from high-quality early learning. This act has been a driving force for new initiatives and improvements at the Department of Early Learning (DEL).
• The Washington State Department of Youth and Families (DCYF). Created in 2017, this newest state agency restructured how the state serves at-risk children and youth, with the goal of producing better outcomes in all Washington communities. DCYF is the lead agency for state-funded services that support children and families to build resilience and health, and to improve educational outcomes. They accomplish this by partnering with state and local agencies, tribes and other organizations in communities across the state of Washington. Their focus is to support children and families at their most vulnerable points, giving them the tools they need to succeed.

Senator Rebecca Millett introducing Representative Kagi to the Caucus