Washington state’s early learning programs could face budget cuts

SEATTLE — As Washington stares down a multibillion-dollar deficit, the state Department of Children, Youth and Families has proposed cutting about $77 million from two state early learning programs.

The state is projected to face a $10-12 billion shortfall over the next four years. Earlier this month, the state budget office asked agencies to recommend potential spending cuts.

DCYF has proposed cutting nearly $68 million from the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, Washington’s free preschool for 3- to 5-year-olds. And it has proposed eliminating an Early ECEAP program for babies and children up to 3 years old, a budget cut of $9.25 million.

The proposals aren’t a reality just yet. The Legislature has the final say on where state dollars go and could make different decisions before the session ends next spring. And Democrats are already talking about potentially bringing more money into the state by raising new taxes.

A department spokesperson said the proposed reduction to ECEAP for 3- to 5-year-olds would not affect current students.

A department spokesperson said the proposed reduction to ECEAP for 3- to 5-year-olds would not affect current students. Some Early ECEAP families are already receiving a separate, subsidized state child care program.

DCYF’s proposal suggests cutting 1,800 slots from ECEAP and eliminating Early ECEAP, which serves 178 children.

The department says 846 ECEAP slots are not filled because the state was unable to find providers to contract with for those slots. In addition, ECEAP has about 2,000 empty slots.

On Thursday, the Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP criticized the proposed cuts to ECEAP, calling the program “an essential and highly effective service for thousands of low-income preschool-aged children.”

“Targeting some of the most vulnerable children of Washington for budget cuts is unacceptable and inequitable,” the association said.

When asked to suggest cuts, the department tried to minimize the impact by drawing from the number of non-contracted and unenrolled slots, said Allison Krutsinger, director of public affairs for the department.

“No one likes to make this cut, I want to be really clear,” Krutsinger said.

She also stressed that it’s early in the state budget process.

Some children enrolled in Early ECEAP, the program for 0- to 3-year-olds, receive care through Working Connections Child Care, a state program that helps eligible families pay for child care. Most, but not all, early ECEAP families may be eligible for Working Connections. DCYF has not proposed eligibility or copay changes to that program.

Early ECEAP provides wraparound services for kids and families, supporting not only their child’s education but also their physical and mental health. That support would be eliminated if early ECEAP were cut, Krutsinger said.

Megan Pirie, of Spokane, said her youngest daughter had been struggling in child care settings before enrolling in ECEAP.

“I think that I was on my fifth or sixth child care center telling me that this little 4-year-old couldn’t come back, wouldn’t take a nap, kept throwing her shoes at people,” Pirie said. “And I remember posting on social media that I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

Pirie’s adoption worker saw her post on Facebook and urged her to consider ECEAP. Her daughter, now 10, “did phenomenal” in ECEAP, which provided a learning plan and family supports, Pirie said.

When the pandemic hit, her daughter was in kindergarten. When schools sent students home, Pirie said they relied on things her daughter had learned in ECEAP, like social-emotional skills, learning online and how to calm herself.

Pirie believes providing services to kids eligible for ECEAP early in their lives is more cost-effective.

“It’s the largest impact we can make with our dollars,” she said.

About 14,000 kids are enrolled in ECEAP, according to DCYF.

Ninety percent of families served by the program live below 200% of the federal poverty level, according to the Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP. For a family of four, 200% of the federal poverty level is an annual income of $62,400.

Sixty-eight percent are children of color and nearly 18% have an Individualized Education Program, or IEP, for special education services.