If your program requires paraeducator credentials, you must meet both:
- The paraeducator requirements, and
- The qualifications for your ECEAP role.
If you hold more than one role, you must meet the requirements for each role.
New staff may be placed on a Professional Development Plan (PDP) and have up to five years from their hire date to meet education requirements.
If you move to another program, your timeline continues, it does not restart.
If you leave the field and return later, the timeline pauses and resumes where you left off.
This is tracked in MERIT, so be sure to keep your employment records updated.
Work with your employer to document your progress. These records can be kept on-site.
Some education, certificates, or credentials can count as equivalents. These are listed in the Equivalent Option for Education chart.
PACE, the community-based training, and the experience-based competency models do not apply to ECEAP, they only apply to licensed staff roles.
Aligned credits are college courses that cover the same knowledge and skills as Washington State ECE Stackable Certificates. These must be reviewed and recorded in MERIT. For a list of courses that may meet each Core Competency area, please see the Evaluating Early Childhood Coursework guide.
Submit an education application in MERIT. Education toward certificates, degrees, or aligned coursework will be reviewed and counted if approved.
Submit an education application in MERIT and upload your documents. If you can’t upload them, email them to Edverification@uw.edu.
Many colleges offer scholarships and grants, including the Early Achievers Grant. Start by contacting your college’s financial aid office. DCYF also offers funding opportunities, incentives, and awards for early learning professionals.
To learn more, visit our Scholarships, Incentives & Awards webpage.
You must meet:
- Licensing requirements under WAC 110-300, and
- ECEAP staff qualifications under the ECEAP Performance Standards.
If you have more than one role, you must meet the requirements for each.
All college credits 100 level or above are recorded in the MERIT Workforce Registry.
Early Childhood Education (ECE): Birth–Age 8
- Example terms: infants, toddlers, young children. Depending on course content other codes may include CFS, CHDV, EDUC, etc.
School-Age: Ages 9-21
- Example terms: adolescents, middle school. Depending on course content, other codes may include EDU, SOWK, PSYC, etc.
ECE/School-Age: Covers both early childhood and elementary-aged children
- Example terms: youth, elementary
Credits not related to Washington State Core Competencies are marked N/A and are not visible in MERIT.
- High school diploma or GED: Copy showing completion date
- College credits (no degree): College transcript
- Completed degree: College transcript showing degree date
- Certificate or credential: Copy of certificate or transcript showing completion date
- College coursework for in-service hours: Unofficial transcript
If you can’t upload documents in MERIT, email them to Edverification@uw.edu.
Important: Keep your original transcripts. Submit scanned copies (front and back). Transcripts do not need to be sealed.
