Spokane-based Maddie’s Place ‘deeply grateful’ for $2 million award from new Washington budget

OLYMPIA – A Spokane nonprofit that helps infants born in substance withdrawal is celebrating after the Legislature last week approved $2 million in funding for the facility.

The money will help fund Maddie’s Place, which opened in October 2022, through June 2027. The funding accounts for around 45% of the facility’s annual $4.5 million operating budget.

The money was part of the supplemental budget passed by both the House and Senate on Thursday and is currently waiting for a signature by Gov. Bob Ferguson.

The additional funding follows a legislative session where a bill that could have allowed the facility to receive Medicaid reimbursements did not pass.

“We are deeply grateful to the Washington State Legislature for continuing to invest in this important work,” Shaun Cross, president and CEO of Maddie’s Place, said in a statement. “This funding ensures that Maddie’s Place can remain open and continue serving vulnerable infants and families while we work toward long-term solutions that make this model of care sustainable statewide.”

In addition to state funding, Maddie’s Place receives funding through a $750,000 contract with Spokane County and philanthropic donations. Since 2020, the facility has received $19.3 million in funding through public and private sources, including $9.95 million from the state government.

“We are incredibly thankful for the leadership and support of Senator Marcus Riccelli, who has been a tireless advocate for Maddie’s Place and the families we serve,” Cross said. “We also want to express our gratitude to Senator June Robinson, Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and Representative Timm Ormsby, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, for their support in ensuring this funding was included in the state budget.”

During the 2026 legislative session, which concluded last week, the facility urged lawmakers to pass a bipartisan bill that would have established a more stable statewide funding model for pediatric transitional care facilities in the state. The legislation, however, stalled in committee in both chambers.

The legislation would have directed the state Health Care Authority to study providing facility-based payments to Maddie’s Place and similar facilities, with a report to the Legislature due by Nov. 1. The bill would have also directed the agency to provide funding to Maddie’s Place and other facilities until the feasibility and cost study was completed.

The bill would have established a framework for the facility to receive Medicaid reimbursement for services.

The legislation was amended in committee to remove a requirement for the Healthcare Authority to classify Residential Pediatric Recovery Centers as a Medicaid benefit by July 1, 2027, to allow for facility-based payments.

“While we are disappointed that SB 6094 did not move forward this year, we remain committed to working with state leaders to develop permanent, sustainable funding solutions,” Cross said. “The extension of the pilot project gives us the opportunity to continue demonstrating the impact of this model while working toward policies that ensure these services are available for families who need them.”

A December 2024 report from Washington State University found that Spokane County had nearly double the rate of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome for babies born in a hospital in 2022 than the rest of Washington or the country as a whole.

The study found that of the babies admitted, they were exposed to approximately four substances at the time of birth, with the most frequent substances being fentanyl, meth and tobacco.