Olympia — A recent report published by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) shows that Washington State continues to expand access to preschool while also increasing enrollment and state funding.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) has a goal to ensure 90 percent of children in the state are ready for kindergarten by 2020 with race and income eliminated as predictors of their readiness.

According to NIEER’s The State of Preschool 2018 annual report, Washington increased funding for state preschool and enrolled more 3- and 4-year-olds compared to last year, but access remained below the national average, with just 9 percent of 4-year-olds and 5 percent of 3-year-olds attending state programs.

“This report illustrates the progress of our state’s investments in providing access to high-quality early learning,” said Ross Hunter, Secretary of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. “We have a high quality program in Washington, but need to keep expanding access to young children to meet our legal requirement to serve all eligible children.”

Data from the report shows that Washington’s investments in preschool increased more than 10 percent while enrollment also increased. DCYF’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) is a large part of the state’s strategy to accomplishing the goal of kindergarten readiness, as it prepares 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families for success in school and life.

Washington State’s highlights from The State of Preschool 2018 report include:

• Eight of 10 quality standards benchmarks met
• 12,491 enrolled children—an increase of 800 from 2017
• $110.5 million in state funding—an increase of almost $11 million from 2017
• Ranked ninth in the nation for state spending per child
• Ranked 16th in the nation for access for 3-year-olds
• Ranked 37th in the nation for access for 4-year-olds

“Nationally, we are disappointed by the lack of progress,” said NIEER Founder and Senior Co-Director Steven Barnett, Ph.D. “Washington is moving in the right direction, increasing investments in young children. More progress is needed for the state to meet its goal of serving all eligible children within the next five years.”

For more information and detailed state-by-state profiles on quality, access and funding, please visit nieer.org.