The Fair Start for Kids Act, passed by the Washington State Legislature in 2021, directs DCYF to distribute funds to support inclusive and culturally and linguistically specific early learning and early childhood and parent support programs across the state. The funds are distributed through the Early Childhood Equity Grant.
Early Childhood Equity Grants are intended to serve as a step toward expanding access to early learning statewide and transforming Washington's early learning system to make it more inclusive and equitable.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is open to:
- licensed or certified child care providers with an open license in good standing
- license-exempt Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) providers serving children receiving state subsidies
- ECEAP and Early ECEAP sites
- Play and Learn Groups that are recognized by Child Care Aware of Washington (CCA of WA) and currently receive funding and/or direct programming support from CCA of WA to actively provide direct and virtual education and materials to parents and FFN caregivers, as a result of a contractual agreement between CCA of WA and the State of Washington and passed on to the recognized Play and Learn Group.
Each facility applying must have at least one child enrolled or regularly receiving care at the time of the application.
Providers with multiple licensed locations will need to submit a separate application for each site that qualifies to apply for a grant.
How much funding is available?
DCYF will offer three rounds of applications for the Early Childhood Equity Grant (Summer 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023). Each round of applications will have $1.7 Million available, for a total of $5.1 Million.
How much can a provider apply for?
Award amounts will vary by provider type. DCYF expects to award programs funding in the following ranges:
Provider Type |
Minimum Award |
Maximum Award |
---|---|---|
Licensed/certified providers |
$15,000 |
$100,000 |
Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) providers |
$100 |
$2,000 |
Play and Learn groups |
$5,000 |
$30,000 |
ECEAP and Early ECEAP sites |
$15,000 |
$100,000 |
In the application, providers fill out a spending plan explaining how much funding is requested, and how the funds will be used.
An eligible provider may receive an Early Childhood Equity Grant once every two years.
Once the application period has ended, grants will be screened for eligibility and completeness using the criteria in the Application Preview Guide. Grants will then be prioritized according to factors that were decided in collaboration with providers, as outlined in the Prioritization Guide.
Based on data from the first round of applications, DCYF may adjust award levels and prioritization for future application periods.
Grant funds may be used for: |
Grant funds may not be used for: |
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How does a provider apply for a grant?
Licensed providers and Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) providers will log into the WA Compass Provider Portal, navigate to the Grant Information tab, select Current Grants, and select the DCYF Early Childhood Equity Grant application. The provider will answer a series of questions and then submit the application.
For ECEAP and Early ECEAP sites and Play and Learn Groups, we have provided the application in two different formats - choose the format that works best for you:
- Online Application
or - Fillable Form Application: English | Spanish | Somali | Russian | Mandarin | Arabic
Note: the fillable form application includes blank pages at the back for longer answers. Please email the completed form to DCYF.childcaregrants@dcyf.wa.gov
The application submission window opened on June 28, 2022 and will close at 11:59 p.m. on August 16, 2022.
Early Childhood Equity Grant Application Preview Guide
Preview the application questions:
English | Spanish | Somali | Russian | Arabic | Mandarin
DCYF Early Childhood Equity Grant Manual
Get more information about accessing the application:
English | Spanish | Somali | Russian | Arabic | Mandarin
DCYF Early Childhood Equity Grant Application Step-by-Step Guide
Get more information about the application steps:
English | Spanish | Somali | Russian | Arabic | Mandarin
Where to Find Assistance
Technical and Language Assistance
If you need technical assistance, including assistance in your language, guidance on preparing for and accessing the application, or have questions on spending and saving receipts, you can contact either the Imagine Institute or Voices of Tomorrow.
- Imagine Institute
Phone: 206-492-5249
Email: CCSG@imaginewa.org
- Voices of Tomorrow (supporting East African child care providers)
Phone: 206-278-8290
Email: childcaresupport@tomorrowvoices.org
Application Questions
If you have questions about a grant application, the timeline of a grant, or other questions specific to these grants, email dcyf.childcaregrants@dcyf.wa.gov.