Recess in schools is a critical opportunity for children to engage in important behaviors that can promote their health and well-being, and daily recess is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other national organizations. In Washington state, school recess is not equitably provided, with parents reporting a wide range from as little as 10 minutes to >45 minutes daily. State laws can help promote equitable and high-quality recess, but most states in the United States do not have recess laws. In 2023, a bill (Senate Bill 5257) mandating a minimum of 30 minutes of daily recess for all elementary students with provisions for other recess best practices (including not withholding recess as punishment and encouraging movement breaks for middle/high-schoolers) passed with bipartisan support in the Washington state Legislature and was signed into law. In this case study, we describe the process undertaken and lessons learned by the cross-sector coalition that spearheaded the advocacy efforts, which included pediatricians, parents, educators, community organizations, and youth.
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Advocacy Case Study|
April 04 2024
Advocacy for Equitable Recess in Washington State
Pooja S. Tandon, MD, MPH;
aKing County Play Equity Coalition, King County, Washington
bDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
cSeattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
Address correspondence to Pooja S. Tandon, MD, MPH, CURE-3, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 4800 Sand Point Way Northeast, PO Box 5371, Seattle, WA 98105. E-mail: pooja@uw.edu
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Linnea Westerlind, M;
Linnea Westerlind, M
aKing County Play Equity Coalition, King County, Washington
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Julie McCleery, PhD;
Julie McCleery, PhD
aKing County Play Equity Coalition, King County, Washington
dUW Center for Leadership in Athletics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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King County Play Equity Coalition’s Advocacy Action Team
King County Play Equity Coalition’s Advocacy Action Team
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Address correspondence to Pooja S. Tandon, MD, MPH, CURE-3, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 4800 Sand Point Way Northeast, PO Box 5371, Seattle, WA 98105. E-mail: pooja@uw.edu
Pediatrics (2024) 153 (5): e2023064226.
Article history
Accepted:
January 17 2024
Citation
Pooja S. Tandon, Linnea Westerlind, Julie McCleery, King County Play Equity Coalition’s Advocacy Action Team; Advocacy for Equitable Recess in Washington State. Pediatrics May 2024; 153 (5): e2023064226. 10.1542/peds.2023-064226
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