SPOKANE, Wash. — Maddie's Place was on the brink of closure, but in the 11th hour, the Legislature allocated the funding to keep it open.
Maddie's Place in Spokane is set to receive $2 million from the state's budget. The budget is waiting for final approval from Gov. Bob Ferguson.
Maddie's Place CEO Shaun Cross said KING5's story directly influenced this legislative decision.
"This is one of the happiest days of my life," Cross said. "I was really worried."
It's a collective sigh of relief for those who work at Maddie's Place and the people who've been helped there. One week ago, KING 5 exposed how Maddie's Place - a vital facility helping newborns and parents with addiction services - was at risk of closing.
"We should have alarm bells that are going off," Cross said previously. "And I don't care what the budget crisis is in the state of Washington, this should be our number one priority in dealing with this. We're in a freefall."
Growing crisis in Washington
Federal records reveal Washington needs these services more than ever. Babies born with drugs in their systems are declining nationwide. A recent Washington State University report reveals that in 2022, babies born withdrawing from drugs were nearly double the national average. In Spokane, that rate is more than triple.
"Our services have doubled in the last five months," Cross said. "We've gone from a new infant coming here every eight days to a new infant every four days, and we are full."
Mothers say it's working
KING 5 spoke to mothers in recovery in various phases of treatment at Maddie's Place. They emphasized that these types of resources should expand beyond Spokane to the rest of the state.
"Unfortunately, there's a lot of people out there who need the same help we did and there's just no places for it," said Alexia, a mother who benefited from the program.
Another mother, Erin, highlighted the importance of Maddie's Place.
"I think there needs to be amenities everywhere," Erin said. " I think that bringing this kind of nurturing environment to so many more cities is going to break a lot of the generational trauma."
Cross said other cities in the state have shown interest in building their models.
Funding source
The money allocated by the state's House and Senate is not coming from taxpayers. It's from a fund created when large opioid companies had to pay states for their role in the opioid epidemic. It's called the Opioid Abatement Fund.
Gov. Ferguson will officially approve the budget in May. If the budget is approved, the $2 million will last until summer 2026.
Cross said Maddie's Place is looking for a long-term solution.