Pathwaves WA

Early childhood systems in Washington state and throughout the country continue to be inequitable, with Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) children facing poorer outcomes due to a history of systemic and structural racism. At the same time, leaders from BIPOC communities are grossly underrepresented in positions of power within policy development processes.

Pathwaves Washington believes the early childhood systems we collectively build now in Washington state will impact generations of children and their families. To eliminate racial disparities in early childhood outcomes, systems must be intentionally shaped by early childhood policy leaders who are aligned in a deep understanding of anti-racist principles and practices, and reflect the identities and lived experience of families and children of color.

Pathwaves Washington seeks to address representation gaps, create a supportive network of BIPOC early childhood policy professionals, and activate a network of early childhood organizations to disrupt systemic and institutional racism within their organizations and in broader policy development and implementation.

Pathwaves Washington begins by creating pathways for leaders of color to hold decision-making roles in early childhood systems so they can equitably drive and shape the design of policies that affect children, families, and communities. Our foundational program, the Pathwaves Fellowship, is a 20-month fellowship that elevates BIPOC leaders into the early childhood policy sector.

The Fellowship is employment- and cohort-based, and it posts Fellows within organizations doing early childhood policy work in Washington state. Pathwaves Washington intentionally cultivates leaders of color from communities furthest from justice so that they will inhabit decision-making roles that will shape early childhood policy systems for generations to come