Early Achievers

What is Early Achievers

Early Achievers is Washington state's quality recognition and improvement system, known as the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). It helps early learning programs create safe, supportive, and healthy environments for children.

Early Achievers helps:

  • Children get strong early learning experiences that prepare them for school and life
  • Early learning professionals by offering training, coaching, mental health support, and financial help
  • Families find high-quality child care and education that meets their needs
     

Early Achievers gives providers tools and support to improve the quality of care they offer.

It also helps families by providing:

  • Trusted, research-based information about child care quality
  • Confidence when choosing child care
  • Assurance that their child’s child care respects their unique skills and cultures

Vision

Equal access to an anti-racist and welcoming early learning setting that provides high-quality, responsive services so that every child and family in Washington may thrive. 

Mission

Early Achievers builds upon the foundation of quality early care and education to support ongoing improvement for educators in Washington state so they can offer meaningful early learning experiences that honor diversity, equity and inclusion for each child and their family.  

  • We honor the strengths and contributions of early learning professionals and recognize that there are many ways to demonstrate quality.
  • We provide resources and supports in ways that advance equity and quality.
  • We work with communities to co-design system improvements.
  • We work to increase transparency and accountability for DCYF and its implementing partners.
  • We work to break down systemic and institutionalized racism and strive to advance anti-racist policy.

A high-quality learning environment sets children up for success in school, improves health, and leads to many positive outcomes in life.

Early Achievers focuses on five main areas of quality. Each area is important to high-quality child care, supports early learning professionals, and makes a positive difference in young children's development:

  • Learning Environment
  • Child Outcomes
  • Interactions and Curriculum
  • Family Engagement and Partnerships
  • Professional Development and Training

All early learning programs can join Early Achievers. Per RCW 43.216.085, early learning programs that receive state funding must join.

This includes:

  • Licensed or certified child care centers
  • Family home child care
  • Outdoor nature-based child care
  • Programs serving non school-age children
  • Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program providers (ECEAP) 

DCYF leads Early Achievers and oversees how programs work together. DCYF sets the policies for and guides these program. 

DCYF has several partners in this work who have specific roles:

  • Child Care Aware of Washington - provides training and coaching
  • Cultivate Learning - supports quality recognition, creates assessment reports, and supports coaches through training and consultation

For additional resources, please visit the Supports and Resources webpage.

Early Achievers Impact Videos