ECEAP

ReadyNation Fact Sheet on ECEAP

Mission: Readiness Fact Sheet on ECEAP

The Pre-K to Workforce Pipeline: Washington State business leaders know that we need a highly-skilled workforce to compete in the global marketplace.

High-Quality Preschool in Washington State: A National Security Imperative. High-quality preschool will address the problems that disqualify 69% of Washington’s young adults from military service.

Access to ECEAP, a program with Quality Early Learning Can Reduce Crime. Download the fact sheet (PDF).

Why has Washington committed to expanding our nationally respected Pre-K program? Because decades of research, including our own Washington State Institute for Public Policy, has shown that it closes race and income gaps, reduces costs in K-12, and puts children on the path to becoming healthy and self-sufficient adults that can strengthen our economy.

National research shows sizable short and long term outcomes of high quality preschool. ECEAP serves our state’s most at-risk children – families below 110% of the federal poverty line, homeless,children with disabilities, and involvement in the child welfare system.

One in 17 children under 6 in WA are homeless. One hundred sixty four homeless kids are on the ECEAP waitlist. Download the complete fact sheet (PDF). 

The mission of the Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program is to work with children and families to ensure that they are ready to succeed and thrive in school and life. Since the program is not fully funded, ECEAP prioritizes children at highest risk of school failure, using income and risk factors that have been linked by research to school performance.

Our economy requires that 80% of workers obtain post high school education of some kind. This leads to large
gaps in supply of qualified workers. Research shows high quality pre-k improves graduation rates, college

Study after study has shown that when kids start kindergarten behind, they stay behind. That’s why the legislature has committed to serving all eligible children who want ECEAP by 2020. Download the complete fact sheet (PDF).