Who We Are
The Early Learning Action Alliance is a broad coalition of organizations representing a diverse array of Washington nonprofits, professional associations, businesses, and industries. We are united by the belief that all children in Washington state deserve to have the opportunities and support they need in their first five years of life to be prepared for school and a bright future. View our members.
Why Early Learning
Children are born learning. Evidence shows that high-quality early learning in culturally and linguistically responsive environments, characterized by nurturing relationships and rich opportunities for play and exploration, lays the foundation for essential social, emotional, and cognitive skills. High-quality early learning is an essential part of any strategy to close the opportunity gap facing too many of Washington’s children in low-income families and children of color.
The Problem
All children deserve the chance to succeed in life. Yet more than half of the children in Washington state enter kindergarten without the basic skills they need to thrive. Quality child care, preschool, and family care options remain out of reach for hundreds of thousands of middle- and low-income families. Too many Washington parents do not have access to high-quality, culturally and linguistically responsive care that they can afford.
Our Long-Term Priorities
We need researched, market-driven policies that will give all young children the skills they need to start school ready to succeed. These policies should support parents as their children’s first and most important teachers and provide a range of culturally relevant support services to families who need them.
A range of top quality child care, family care and preschool options must be available to all families. Professional development opportunities must be accessible to the thousands of child care professionals across the state. Together, we can help make Washington state a place where all families and young children have the opportunities they need to thrive.
Who Benefits
When we close the opportunity gap, we’ll narrow the school achievement gap, which will result in higher employment levels later on in life. Communities that prioritize early learning see substantial social and economic returns. Smart investments in early learning yield positive returns for families and communities across Washington state.
Our 2021 Legislative Agenda
We call on state lawmakers to:
Raise Revenue to Invest in Kids
- Create progressive state revenue streams that provide robust, stable, and necessary funding and do not supplant existing state nor federal early learning funding
Help Families Afford the High Cost of Quality Child Care
- Strengthen Working Connections Child Care (WCCC), which helps tens of thousands of Washington families connect their kids with trained and experienced caregivers so parents can work.
Support the Early Care and Education Workforce
- Stabilize and strengthen our early learning system and support the dedicated professionals who care for Washington’s next generation.
Assure Ongoing, Direct Support to Families Through Home Visiting
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Maintain funding for voluntary, long-term home visiting services, so families have the resources, information, and services to support their children’s overall development
Keep Strong Preschool Supports in Place
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Maintain 2020 investment levels in the Early Childhood Education Assistance Program: quality pre-K that fights poverty with a two-generation approach.
Expand Access to Quality Early Learning with Deep Investments
- Expand early learning options so that all families have access to quality environments that are culturally relevant and responsive. Invest in the ‘true cost of quality’ with rates, compensation, eligibility and affordability strategies. Early learning experts, including families and providers, should provide oversight and accountability of longer-term investments.
Read our complete 2021 Legislative Agenda (PDF).
In 2015, we worked with Governor Jay Inslee and the Washington State Legislature to pass the Early Start Act, along with an historic investment, to develop Washington’s base of high-quality early learning opportunities. In 2017 we expanded access to high-quality prekindergarten through the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, or ECEAP, and ensured a continued high priority to early learning within the new Department of Children, Youth and Families.
Find more resources in the ELAA Link Library. Or sign up for the ELAA newsletter.
Membership
Membership is open to any organization that agrees with our mission and guiding principles and is not a target of our advocacy at the state or federal level. For membership details, please read the Early Learning Action Alliance Charter (PDF).
The Early Learning Action Alliance is convened by the Children’s Alliance. To learn more, please contact:
Laura Hitchcock, Interim Director: elaa(at)childrensalliance(dot)org
Jenny Yi, Legislative Analyst: jenny(dot)yi(at)childrensalliance(dot)org
American Federation of Teachers WA * The Arc of King County * Archdiocese of Seattle * Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound * Blueprints for Learning * Centralia College * Child Care Action Council * Child Care Aware of Washington * Child Care Resources * Children’s Alliance * Children's Campaign Fund * Children’s Home Society of Washington and Trust Foundation * Committee for Children * Community Center for Education Results * Denise Louie Education Center * Doulas for All Coalition * Early Learning Public Library Partnership * Economic Opportunity Institute * Edmonds School District * Educare Early Learning Center * First 5 FUNdamentals * Foundation for Tacoma Students * KinderCare Education * League of Education Voters * League of Women Voters WA * Lutheran Community Services Northwest * MomsRising * Neighborhood House * Nurse Family Partnership * OneAmerica * Open Arms Perinatal Services * Organization for Parenting Education Programs * Parent-Child Home Program * Parent Trust for Washington Children * Partners for Our Children * Pike Market Child Care and Preschool * Project Child Success * Puget Sound Educational Service District * Reach Out & Read Washington State * Save the Children * Save the Children Action Network * School’s Out Washington * SEIU Local 925 * SOAR * Social Venture Partners * Sound Child Care Solutions * Southeast Seattle Education Coalition * Stand for Children * Statewide Poverty Action Network * Thrive Washington * Tiny Trees Preschool * Toxic-Free Future * United Way of King County * United Way of Pierce County * United Way of Snohomish County * United Ways of Washington * Voices of Tomorrow * Volunteers of America Western Washington* Washington Association for Infant Mental Health * The Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics * Washington Dental Service Foundation * Washington Educators in Early Learning * Washington Federation of Independent Schools * Washington State Alliance of YMCA’s * Washington State Association of Head Start & ECEAP * Washington State Budget & Policy Center * Washington State Community Action Partnership * Washington STEM * Washington Childcare Centers Association * Washington Communities for Children * Washington State Family Child Care Association * Wellspring Family Services * WithinReach * YMCA of Greater Seattle * Zeno