Joining Early Achievers
It’s never been a better time to be a licensed provider in Washington State! Early Achievers empowers providers and educators with resources to support each child’s learning and development so they can develop the skills they need to be successful in school and life! There is no cost to participate.
Early Achievers participants have access to a variety of resources and supports⃰,
- Free Coaching
- Free training
- Customized technical assistance
- Scholarships
- Grants
- Tiered subsidy reimbursement
- Quality improvement awards
- Branding and promotional supports
⃰Supports and resources may vary depending on the type of program. For detailed information on these supports, please visit the Supports & Resources page.
How do I become an Early Achievers participant?
Providers complete an online registration in MERIT to enroll. More information about MERIT is available at MERIT.
What timelines do Early Achievers participants follow?
Providers receiving state subsidy payments must follow legislatively mandated timelines. Providers must enroll in Early Achievers within 30 days of receiving an initial subsidy payment or providing ECEAP services. Early Achievers participants must finalize their Quality Level within 30 months of enrollment. ECEAP providers must finalize their Quality Level within 24 months. A Coach, provided at no cost to you, will help you understand the quality recognition components.
What do the Early Achievers Quality Levels mean?
Quality Levels demonstrate a program’s commitment to continuous quality improvement in early care and education, and intentional goal setting. This is supported through coaching services. Your early learning program’s Quality Level is determined by points earned throughout the three-year Quality Recognition Cycle (QRC). All licensed programs already meet Level 1 by becoming licensed. You then move through Levels 2 through 5 by earning additional points working through the QRC. The points are earned by submitting quality recognition components for review and feedback.
How do I finalize my level?
Once you reach the points needed for the quality level you want to achieve, you then finalize your quality level in MERIT.
To be eligible to Finalize a Quality Level, your early learning program must:
- Complete the Program Profile
- Have a non-expiring license in good standing
Some programs are eligible to Finalize a Quality Level 2 by completing the two steps above.
If you receive subsidy, you must achieve a Quality Level 3 or higher. To do this, you must:
- Complete at least 2 Video Highlights (2 videos per learning environment)
If you participate in ECEAP, you must achieve a Quality Level of 4 or higher.
