Health Care Politics WA facility caring for drug-exposed newborns at risk of closure after state funding cut
The only medical facility focused on caring for drug-exposed babies in western Washington is pleading for help after Gov. Bob Ferguson vetoed its funding and the state abruptly canceled its contract.
And a group of GOP lawmakers is urging Ferguson to find a way to keep the Kent facility operating.
For decades, the Pediatric Interim Care Center has tended to babies born to mothers with substance use disorder. Just under half of its annual $1.7 million budget has usually come from the state, said Development Director Elaine Purchase. Fundraising makes up the rest.
But this year, lawmakers slashed that funding to $100,000 in the face of a steep budget shortfall. The facility, known as PICC, was ready to make do with the deep cut and dip into its reserves, with the hope of making up for it when the Legislature returns next year.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/06/27/wa-facility-caring-for-drug-exposed-newborns-at-risk-of-closure-after-state-funding-cut/