Governor Ferguson signs bill establishing account for private funds that will dramatically expand early learning

Washington's early learning program can now accept a Ballmer Group grant funding for 10,000 more kids

OLYMPIA - Governor Bob Ferguson's proposal to create a new state account that will dramatically increase access to early learning in Washington has passed the Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support. Today, he signed that bill into law.

The bill follows an earlier announcement from Governor Ferguson that the Ballmer Group is increasing accessto Washington's Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), which provides high-quality preschool for low-income families. The Ballmer Group committed to funding early learning for up to 10,000 more children over the next decade. That extremely generous investment could total more than $1 billion.

Senate Bill 5872was sponsored by Sen. Claire Wilson (D-Auburn). Rep. Steve Bergquist (D-Renton) sponsored the companion bill.

"Passing this bill was a critical step in accepting an incredible gift from the Ballmer Group," Governor Ferguson said. "The timing could not be better. Our state faces significant budget challenges, and families are dealing with rising costs. This is one way we are working together to transform the lives of kids and families across Washington."

"Washington has made a strong commitment to expanding access to preschool through ECEAP," said Andi Smith, Executive Director of Ballmer Group's Washington office. "The PreK Promise Account signed into law today enables philanthropy to support that work, paving the way for Ballmer Group's commitment to help bring high-quality early learning to more families, sooner. We thank Governor Ferguson, Washington's Legislature, and DCYF for making this partnership possible."

"Early learning opportunities help children establish foundational skills that prepare them for Kindergarten and can lead to long-term academic success," said Sen. Wilson. "Senate Bill 5872 will allow us to partner with the Ballmer Group to expand access to early learning. The benefits of the Ballmer Group's investment in ECEAP will be felt for generations because when we invest in early learning, we invest in the future of our state."

"ECEAP is one of Washington's most proven tools for helping our youngest learners excel when they start kindergarten," said Rep. Bergquist. "This bill creates a public-private partnership that will help expand access faster and allow thousands more of our three- and four-year-olds get the strong start they deserve."

This bill establishes the PreK Promise Account in the custody of the state Treasurer for private funds to be used to support ECEAP. It allows the state to receive any gifts, grants or donations, solely for the ECEAP program.

Funds in this account, made possible by the Ballmer Group, will be used to pay for up to 10,000 additional school day ECEAP slots for the next 10 years.

The secretary of Department of Children, Youth and Families will be responsible for tracking and oversight of expenditures.

Ballmer Group commits to expanding early learning in Washington

In November, Governor Bob Ferguson joined representatives from the Ballmer Group to announce the new grant to dramatically expand ECEAP. They made the announcement alongside early childhood educators and legislative leaders at a press conference at the Denise Louie Education Centerin Seattle.

Currently, ECEAP serves more than 14,000 children. It will take time to add capacity to the system to fully utilize the grant, but the state's goal is to enroll an additional 2,000 ECEAP students next school year. Over the next decade, the Ballmer Group's grant will likely provide more than $1 billion in support for early learning.

Governor Ferguson proposed governor request legislation to establish the account needed to accept the grant funds.

What is ECEAP?

ECEAP was created in 1985 to offer free preschool and family support for low-income 3- and 4-year-olds. Families can qualify if their income is at or below 36 percent of the state median income. For a family of four, that's $50,152 per year.

Families can also qualify based on other factors, including:

• Environmental factors such as homelessness, family violence, chemical dependency, foster care, or incarcerated parents.
• Developmental factors such as developmental delay or other special needs.

In addition, children with disabilities who qualify for special education services and/or previously participated in certain birth to age three programs are also eligible for ECEAP.

More information about ECEAP, including how to locate a provider and apply, is available here.

Information on how to become an ECEAP provider is available here.