Early Learning

  • Equity in Kindergarten Readiness

    Although the statewide rate of kindergarten readiness has improved somewhat over the past ten years (as measured by the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills assessment), this change has not benefitted all racial/ethnic groups equally. The readiness rates for American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander children remain substantially below the rates for children from other groups. Readiness rates for all groups have returned to their pre-COVID levels, but Asian and White children continue to have the highest rates of kindergarten readiness and those rates have increased faster than have the rates for other groups. Equity in kindergarten readiness is an outcome indicator for our strategic priority to eliminate racial disproportionality and advance racial equity. In 2025, 66% of Asian children, 62% of White children, 62% of children of 2 or more races, 47% of Black children, 41% of American Indian/Alaska Native children, 41% of Hispanic/Latino children, and 36% of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander children were fully ready for kindergarten.

    Kindergarten Readiness by Race/Ethnicity, 2015-2025 School Years

     
    Early Learning
    Racial Equity
    Strategic Priority Outcome

  • Foster Care Kindergarten Readiness

    Children who experience foster care are consistently prepared for kindergarten at lower rates than children who do not experience foster care. Although the overall rate of kindergarten readiness has increased over the past few years, there has not been a substantial increase in kindergarten readiness for children who have experienced foster care. For both groups, annual readiness rates vary, but for non-foster students, improvements made prior to 2020 have been maintained since 2020. In the 2015-2016 school year, 46.8% of non-foster students were ready for kindergarten, and in 2025-2026, 58.7% of them were ready. For foster students there is annual variation but not evidence of sustained improvement in kindergarten readiness. In 2015-2016, 33.1% of foster students were ready for kindergarten, and in 2025-2026 37.9% were ready.

    READ THE ERDC REPORT ON EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE

    Kindergarten Readiness by Foster Care Status, 2015-2025 School Years

     

     
    Early Learning
    Strategic Priority Outcome

  • ECEAP Kindergarten Readiness

    Kindergarten readiness is an outcome indicator for the DCYF priority to create a high-quality, integrated B-8 system. During the 2023-2024 school year, 88% of children who participated in the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) came from families that qualified for Free or Reduced Price Lunch (FRPL). Across the years, children who participate in ECEAP are prepared for kindergarten at higher rates than their FRPL-qualifying peers.

    READ THE ECEAP ANNUAL REPORT

    ECEAP Kindergarten Readiness by Domain, Relative to Income, School Years 2018-2023

     
    Early Learning
    Strategic Priority Outcome

  • ECEAP Funded Slot Growth

    The Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) provides child-centered, individualized preschool education and health coordination services on a foundation of strengths-based family support. The Fair Start for Kids Act (FSKA) requires that by July 2026, ECEAP services be available for all eligible children. As a result, ECEAP is expanding throughout Washington State, and DCYF is monitoring its growth as part of our priority to create a high-quality, integrated B-8 system.

    LEARN MORE ABOUT ECEAP EXPANSION

    Funded ECEAP Slots, by Type, School Years 2015-2024

     

     
    Early Learning

  • Working Connections Child Care

    Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) helps eligible families pay for child care. When a family qualifies for child care subsidy benefits and chooses an eligible provider, the state pays a portion of the cost of child care. DCYF works to ensure that all WCCC applications are processed in a timely manner and is monitoring the rates at which they are approved.

    LEARN MORE ABOUT WORKING CONNECTIONS CHILD CARE

    Number and Percent of Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) Applications Processed and Approved, SFYs 2015-2025

     

     
    Early Learning

  • Early Achievers Rated Providers

    Early Achievers is an easy-to-understand quality rating system for participating early care providers. DCYF monitors Early Achievers ratings as a balancing indicator for our priority to create a high-quality, integrated B-8 system. 

    View the Early Achievers Dashboard

    View the Early Start Act Supplemental Measures

    Number and Percent of Early Achievers Enrolled Providers by Rating, SFY 2019-2025

     

     
    Early Learning
    Strategic Priority Balancing Indicator

  • Disproportionality in Subsidy Enrollment

    From 2016 to 2025, subsidized child care programs have enrolled 27 - 42 percent of the income-eligible population of children under 5 years of age in Washington State. The patterns of representation are fairly consistent over the years. Black/African American children have been consistently over-represented, although somewhat less so in recent years. In 2016 they participated at 1.85 times their presence in the eligible population, and in 2025 they participated at 1.68 times their presence in the population. In 2025, Hispanic/Latino children participated in subsidized child care at exactly the same rate that they’re present in the eligible population, although in 2016 they participated at only 0.84 times their presence in the population. White children are slightly under-represented. In 2016, they participated at 0.85 times their presence in the population and in 2025 they participated in subsidized childcare at 0.88 times their representation in the population. American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander children are more under-represented in subsidized child care participation. In 2016, American Indian/Alaska Native children participated at 0.71 times their representation in the population, while Asian/Pacific Islander children participated at 0.72 times their representation in the population. In 2025, American Indian/Alaska Native children participated at 0.73 times their representation in the population, while Asian/Pacific Islander children participated at only 0.67 times their representation in the population.

    LEARN MORE ABOUT WORKING CONNECTIONS CHILD CARE

    Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality Ratios for Child Care Subsidy Uptake, School Years 2016-2025

    Early Learning
    Racial Equity

  • Disproportionality in ECEAP Enrollment

    Each year, around 15,000 children are enrolled in Washington's Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP). DCYF tracks disproportionality in ECEAP enrollment using a Disproportionality Ratio. A disproportionality ratio of 1.0 would indicate that children of that race/ethnicity are enrolled in ECEAP at the same rate they exist in the underlying income-eligible population. The patterns of representation are fairly consistent over the years. Black/African American children were nearly proportionately represented in ECEAP enrollment in 2016 (.94) but since then have typically been over-represented, and by 2025 participated at 2.20 times their presence in the eligible population. The representation of other groups has varied a bit each year, but in most years has been fairly close to proportionate. In 2016, Hispanic/Latino children participated at 1.24 times their presence in the population, and in 2025 they participated at 0.92 times their population presence. In 2016, White children participated in ECEAP at 0.83 times their presence in the population, and in 2025 they participated at 1.17 times their population presence. In 2016, American Indian/Alaska Native children participated in ECEAP at 0.95 times their representation in the population, but by 2025 they participated at only 0.63 times their population presence. Their under-representation has increased in recent years. The participation of Asian/Pacific Islander children has also decreased. In 2016, Asian/Pacific Islander children participated in ECEAP at 1.29 times their representation in the population, and in 2025 Asian/Pacific Islander children participated at only 0.74 times their representation in the population.

    LEARN MORE ABOUT ECEAP

    Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality Ratios for ECEAP Enrollment, School Years 2016-2025

     
    Early Learning
    Racial Equity

  • Kindergarten Readiness

    One of DCYF’s child outcome goals is that children should be ready for kindergarten. Each year over 75,000 children enter kindergarten in Washington’s public school system. Across all income groups, 55% of children in Washington are ready for kindergarten (as measured by the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills assessment). Children from higher income families are most likely to be ready for kindergarten, while children from middle income and lower income families are ready for kindergarten at lower rates.

    VIEW THE EDUCATION RESEARCH & DATA CENTER’S EARLY LEARNING FEEDBACK REPORT

    READ THE REPORT ON ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION IN SUBSIDIZED CHILDCARE AND KINDERGARTEN READINESS

    Kindergarten Readiness, by Household Income Group (Relative to Federal Poverty Level), 2023-2024 School Year

     
    Child Outcome Goal
    Early Learning