Best Starts for Kids, a voter-approved initiative in King County, Washington, has released a new funding opportunity under its Help Me Grow strategy. The Help Me Grow King County (HMGKC) initiative aims to support families by ensuring access to community-rooted and linguistically responsive services during the prenatal to age five developmental period. The strategy prioritizes support for families who face systemic barriers, helping children thrive through early interventions. This Request for Proposals (RFP) seeks to fund Family Connection Partners who can provide warm and direct connections to services—more than mere referrals—by supporting families through relational, culturally informed guidance.
The funding opportunity opened on June 16, 2025, and applications will be accepted until July 18, 2025, at 12:00 PM Pacific Time. The total budget allocated for this round is approximately $3,748,600. Applicants may request up to $650,000 each for a two-year contract period, spanning from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027. Best Starts for Kids anticipates awarding funding to four to six applicants under this RFP.
Organizations eligible to apply include nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, tribes, tribal organizations, and public or governmental agencies operating within King County. Small nonprofits and community-based organizations are especially encouraged to submit proposals. Collaborative partnerships are also welcome to apply, provided one organization assumes the lead role and contractual responsibility.
Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to attend one of two scheduled virtual information sessions to learn more about the opportunity. These will be held on Thursday, June 26, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and Monday, June 30, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Technical assistance is available at no cost through Best Starts for Kids' partnered consultants, who can offer guidance on fit, application preparation, and effective communication of qualifications. The final date to request technical assistance or submit questions is Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Applications will be reviewed from July 22 to August 14, 2025, and interviews may be conducted between August 18 and 22, 2025, if applicable. Final notifications to both selected and non-selected applicants are expected in September 2025, with contracts set to begin on January 1, 2026. Questions regarding this opportunity can be directed to Phillip Thompson, the RFP Lead, at cpres-bsk@kingcounty.gov.
Free technical assistance available. Consultants can help with alignment, question response strategies, editing, and strengthening clarity.
