By Julie Barrett, Founder of CLA/CLW
When my 14-year-old and a Seattle Children’s Hospital social worker made mental health decisions behind our backs in 2021, I learned the hard way: Washington’s state programs aren’t always what they seem. HearMeWA, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) youth safety hotline, is sold as a lifeline for kids, but after exposing its paltry 161 reports and privacy risks last week, I’m calling it what it is – a trap for parents. The 2025 Annual Report brags about its “youth-centered” approach (p. 5), driven by a Youth Advisory Group (YAG) shaping the program. But who are these kids, and why are they steering a $2.5 million hotline (p. 3) that has a high likelihood of intentionally sidelining parents? With laws like HB 1296 boosting OSPI’s power to prioritize student privacy, HearMeWA’s youth-driven model feels like another state scheme to cut families out. Let’s unmask the YAG and ask: Is this empowerment or a dangerous disconnect?
The Youth Advisory Group (YAG)
HearMeWA’s YAG is a 25-member crew, ages 13-24, from 17 of Washington’s 39 counties, representing groups like BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, foster care, immigrant, and neurodivergent youth (p. 22). They meet quarterly to shape the program, giving feedback on everything from branding to privacy policies (p. 22). In 2022-2024, the AGO ran five surveys to get youth input on needs, trust, and data privacy, with 256 kids picking the logo and 339 reviewing the website (pp. 10, 21). The YAG’s subcommittees (outreach, data, and communications) push the program’s message, analyze trends, and suggest partnerships (p. 23). In 2024, 187 youth applied to join, showing heavy interest (p. 22). The report paints this as a win, quoting a YAG member, Makena: “HearMeWA will help youth who need someone to turn to” (p. 11). Sounds inspiring until you dig deeper.
Concerns About Youth Empowerment
Youth voices deserve a seat, but letting teens steer a state-funded hotline without parental input is a red flag. The YAG shaped HearMeWA’s “quick exit” button (p. 7), designed to hide activity from parents, and pushed for privacy and less police involvement in 2022 surveys (p. 10). Attorney General Nick Brown recently said,
“Often, young people who are in particularly vulnerable populations, LGBTQ, undocumented, those are people that are being targeted for various reasons right now, and we want to make sure that we fill any gaps that we can.”
This focus on specific groups like LGBTQIA2S+ youth (p. 22) mirrors the YAG’s makeup, but who’s guiding their priorities? Are schools or social media pushing state agendas onto impressionable kids? With 57% of tip awareness coming from schools (p. 25), where OSPI champions student privacy over parental rights (June 6, 2024), HearMeWA feels like a tool to bypass families.
HB 1296, signed in 2025, amplifies this concern by giving OSPI more power to enforce student privacy policies, potentially enabling HearMeWA’s secrecy. If a teen reports a crisis, say, suicidal ideation, will parents be notified? My 2021 experience screams no; state actors act fast, leaving families clueless…on purpose. The YAG’s influence, unchecked by parental oversight, risks aligning with laws that let kids access services without consent. This isn’t empowerment it’s a state-orchestrated wedge between kids and their parents, who know them best.
Balancing Youth Voice and Parental Rights
Youth input could help, but HearMeWA’s approach is a betrayal. The report never mentions parents in the YAG or tip process (pp. 22-23). Why no parental seats on the Advisory Committee (p. 27)? Why no parent surveys alongside the 339 youth ones (p. 21)? For “life-safety” issues like suicide threats (12%, p. 15), parents should be the first call, not schools or CPS. True balance means kids and parents together, not teens steering a hotline that shuts families out.
HearMeWA’s Youth Advisory Group isn’t a lifeline, it’s a $2.5 million trap, handing teens the keys while locking parents out. Demand your school board reveal how they’re pushing HearMeWA and whether they notify you of tips. Flood the AGO at InfoHearMeWA@atg.wa.gov with demands for parental inclusion. Watch your kids’ social media for HearMeWA’s sneaky ads. Next week, I’ll expose HearMeWA’s outreach: Is it helping kids or pushing a state agenda? Don’t let Washington continue to rip families apart, stand up and fight back now!
Don’t Let HearMeWA Silence Parents—Act Now!
This is just the beginning of exposing HearMeWA’s hidden dangers. Next week, my explosive YouTube video will rip into the program’s first-year data—161 reports, glaring gaps, and why the numbers scream trouble for families. Don’t miss it! If this sets your parental instincts ablaze like it does mine, join the fight with CLA/CLW. Subscribe to our mission, donate to fuel our battle, and share this post with every parent you know. Together, we must alert parents and empower them stand against state overreach and keep our kids safe where they belong—with their parents. Stand up, speak out, and stay tuned!
