Lynnwood Times@LynnwoodTimes
🚨Washington awards $55.8 million for early learning expansion at 74 providers
Gov. Bob Ferguson announced on Thursday that the state Department of Commerce, in partnership with the Department of Children, Youth and Families, awarded $55.8 million in grants to 74 early learning providers across Washington.
The funds, distributed through Commerce’s Early Learning Facilities program, will create 2,056 new child care spaces and expand high-quality early learning opportunities statewide, the governor's office said.
“As a parent, I know how critical high-quality child care and early learning opportunities are for working families in Washington,” Ferguson said. “I insisted that the Millionaires’ Tax provide significant relief for working families, including additional support for early learning. Thanks to the generosity of the Ballmer Group, we’re on track to provide early learning to thousands more kids over the next decade. With these grants, we are working to build more capacity — literally — for our child care and early learning providers.”
Commerce received 325 applications requesting a total of $277 million. Awardees were selected based on the number of early learning spaces for children from low-income families, the project’s location relative to other facilities and whether projects were in rural areas or low-income neighborhoods.
The Early Learning Facilities program provides financial assistance to Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program contractors and Working Connections Child Care providers to plan, expand, remodel, purchase or construct facilities. Since 2017 it has awarded more than $235 million to create nearly 15,000 child care slots statewide.
One previous recipient, Learning to Grow, which operates three facilities in Grays Harbor County, has expanded capacity more than 300% after receiving earlier grants, growing from 46 slots to more than 200.
Commerce Interim Director Sarah Clifthorne said the investments address a major barrier for working families.
“As a working mom myself, I know firsthand how much it means to know your kiddo is safe, happy, and learning while you’re at work,” Clifthorne said. “These investments in early learning spaces breaks down one of the biggest hurdles faced by working families with young children and will help neighborhoods across Washington state thrive.”
DCYF Secretary Tana Senn shared that the grants will reach underserved communities.
“When children have access to high-quality early learning, they gain a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success,” Senn said. “By providing capital funding through ELF, we can increase access to programs in communities that have been historically underserved, helping ensure more families — regardless of their income or location — can benefit from child care and early learning.”
Gov. Ferguson also signed legislation creating the PreK Promise Account in the state treasurer’s custody to accept private gifts, grants and donations for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program. Senate Bill 5872 was sponsored by Sen. Claire Wilson, D-Auburn, with a companion bill sponsored by Rep. Steve Bergquist, D-Renton.
The legislation follows the Ballmer Group’s commitment to fund early learning for up to 10,000 additional children over the next decade, a pledge that could total more than $1 billion.
