Early Start Act

Washington’s Early Start Act, enacted in 2015, required DCYF to report on a number of measures related to the state’s implementation of Early Achievers. For past years, please refer to these comprehensive reports:

Additional legislation enacted in 2020 (SB 6507 Section 3 subsections 4-7), changed DCYF required reporting for Early Achievers from a comprehensive annual report to annual updates of online indicators. DCYF is required to report:

  • Indicators of childcare supply/demand at the local level. For this information, see the DCYF Need/Supply Dashboard.
  • ECEAP program need by school district. For this information see the annual ECEAP Saturation Study.
  • Number and percent of childcare providers enrolled in Early Achievers, waiting to be rated, and who have achieved required rating. For state-level information on these indicators, see the Early Achievers Data Dashboards, updated monthly.

Look for additional information in this section soon.

  • Licensed Capacity

    Licensed Capacity

    Washington State has more than 5,700 licensed or certified child care facilities, with a total licensed capacity of over 190,000 children. Licensed programs include child care centers, family home child care, school-age care, and licensed outdoor programs.

    READ THE REPORT FROM CHILD CARE AWARE OF WASHINGTON

    Licensed Capacity of Child Care Providers, by Type, End of State Fiscal Years 2018-2023
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    Number of Licensed Child Care Providers, by Type, End of State Fiscal Years 2018-2023
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    Early Learning

  • Child Care Licensed Capacity

    Child Care Licensed Capacity

    DCYF is tracking the licensed capacity of Early Achievers enrolled providers as a driver for expanding preschool access and associated kindergarten readiness.

    READ THE REPORT FROM CHILD CARE AWARE OF WASHINGTON

    Total Licensed Capacity for Non-School-Age Children, by Early Achievers Enrolled Provider Type, SFY 2017-2023
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    Early Learning
    Strategic Priority Balancing Indicator

  • Child Care Quality

    Child Care Quality

    DCYF monitors quality ratings of Early Achievers providers as a balancing indicator for our priority to create a high-quality, integrated B-8 system. Early Achievers uses an easy-to-understand rating system to track quality improvement of participating early care providers. At the end of the 2023 state fiscal year, we estimate that over 29,000 non-school-age children were served in settings rated 3+ or higher.

    Estimated Number and Percent of Non-School-Age Children Served, by Early Achievers Enrolled Provider Type and Quality, SFY 2023
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    Estimated Number and Percent of Non-School Aged Children Served by Early Achievers Enrolled Providers Rated 3+ and Above, by Type, SFY 2019-2023
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    Early Learning
    Strategic Priority Balancing Indicator