Washington County Coalition for Children

We are the region's child advocacy organization in southern RI. 

The Washington County Coalition for Children engages the region’s private/public non-profit organizations serving children and families, as well as interested community members in our work.  Because our workgroups and committees are open to anyone interested, we have engaged a broad cross-section of community members.  Our members include: youth, parents, residents, therapists, social service staff and administrators, school personnel, retired professors and doctors, elected officials, and consultants in various related fields. The Coalition is primarily driven by volunteer time and effort with the support of a part-time Coordinator to provide leadership and facilitate partnerships. We achieve amazing things, working together. Better outcomes for our region’s children is always what we seek. 

Long a priority for the Coalition, the nation's current youth mental health crisis has spurred us to make child and adolescent mental well-being our sole focus.

3 words best describe the Washington County Coalition for Children and its 20+ year legacy advocating on behalf of our region's children: Advocates, Collaborators, Innovators.

We convene multi-sector stakeholders and community members, including youth, to identify needs/assets, barriers/opportunities, and engage in collaborative problem-solving to improve outcomes.  We track data to address pressing needs and track progress. Not afraid to ask the tough questions, tackle seemingly intractable problems, or speak truth to power, we work together to develop bold, innovative initiatives and programming. With a keen eye on prevention, we work upstream to prevent problems and seek to transform systems, rather than support the broken behavioral health system status quo.

The Coalition’s mission is to be a voice that advocates for the health and well-being of children and families, serving as catalyst and facilitator, in creating a culture where all children in Washington County can thrive.