A statewide peer support program that serves families of people with disabilities in every Washington county, including Whatcom, is facing an uncertain future after the state Department of Social and Health Services signaled its contract may not be renewed. The program, called Parent to Parent, has been codified in state law since 2016 and fielded more than 93,000 calls and emails for assistance statewide in fiscal year 2025-2026. For Whatcom County families navigating disability diagnoses, medical systems, and insurance paperwork, it has been a lifeline.
What Parent to Parent Does
Founded in 1980, Washington's Parent to Parent program now employs more than 50 coordinators across the state, all of whom have personal experience raising a child or caring for an adult with a disability or complex medical needs. The model is built on a simple premise: people with lived experience are the most effective guides for parents who are just entering unfamiliar territory.
For a family that has just received an autism diagnosis, or that has a child born prematurely with complex care needs, Parent to Parent provides something that professional social workers and medical staff often cannot: a person who has genuinely been through the same thing. Coordinators offer advice on therapies, tips for dealing with insurance companies, guidance on disability paperwork, and emotional support. In a system full of waitlists, bureaucratic forms, and clinical appointments, having a peer who knows what it actually feels like matters.
"Any disability is a whole new world," said Kassidy Logan, a Mount Vernon mother who connected with the Skagit County Parent to Parent program after her son received an autism diagnosis during the pandemic. "It's very intimidating." The isolation she felt while waiting for a diagnosis lifted once she found the program. "Having other people is what has gotten me through mentally and emotionally," she said.
The program serves Whatcom County through the Arc of Whatcom County, the local affiliate of the statewide nonprofit network that runs Parent to Parent across Washington. Beverly Porter, executive director of the Arc of Whatcom County, has described the potential loss of funding as devastating for families who depend on the program in a county where rural geography and limited services can make isolation especially difficult.
How the Funding Threat Emerged
Parent to Parent has historically been funded through an annual state contract with the Department of Social and Health Services. In late June 2026, Stacy Dym, executive director of the Arc of Washington, received an email from DSHS stating that the contract was under review and would extend only through the end of July. The contract was subsequently extended again through August, but the uncertainty itself has sent shockwaves through the network.
"We expected a routine process for renewal of the annual state contract, especially given that the program was funded in the legislative budget," Dym wrote in an email. "It was shocking news to us that the state may not consider renewal." A DSHS spokesperson confirmed that the department has not made final funding decisions for its programs and did not specify when those decisions will be made.
Washington state is navigating a significant budget shortfall, and DSHS, which administers a wide range of social services contracts, is reviewing multiple programs. Parent to Parent's situation is part of a broader pattern of uncertainty for organizations that rely on state contracts, even when their programs are explicitly funded in the legislative budget. The gap between being funded in the budget and actually receiving a renewed contract has created anxiety for dozens of organizations across the state.
The Community Response and What Is at Stake
The potential cuts have prompted an unusually strong public response. Tracie Hoppis, who leads the statewide Parent to Parent network and has an adult son with autism and cerebral palsy, said more than 1,500 actions have been taken in support of the program, including emails and calls to state legislators and DSHS. "We have had a groundswell of support that is completely humbling," Hoppis said.
The program's advocates argue that cutting Parent to Parent would be a false economy. When families have strong peer support, they are better equipped to navigate systems, access services, and maintain their own wellbeing. Families that are not well-supported tend to rely more heavily on more expensive state and county services over time. Parent to Parent's annual cost relative to the 93,000 contacts it handled in a single fiscal year represents a fraction of what those contacts would cost through professional social service channels.
For Whatcom County families who want to weigh in on the funding decision, contacting your state legislators is the most direct avenue. Whatcom County is served by representatives in the 40th and 42nd legislative districts. Residents can find their legislators and contact information at the Washington State Legislature's district finder. The Arc of Whatcom County can connect Whatcom County families with Parent to Parent services and provide guidance on how to make their voices heard as the DSHS contract review continues. For more context on how proposed state and federal cuts are affecting Whatcom County residents, see recent coverage on local impacts of policy changes.
