Early Achievers participants should work with their coach to help them reach their goals.
Coaches:
- Help early learning providers through the process
- Support providers in setting goals and growing their programs
- Are available at no cost to providers
- Offer help in many languages
- Connect in different ways, including online, by phone, or in-person
Coaching is provided by DCYF’s partner, Child Care Aware of Washington.
Don’t have a coach? Find your coach here.
Early Achievers providers use several online systems to track information, get support, and complete required steps.
MERIT is an online system for early childhood educators. It helps you:
- Track your training and education
- Keep your professional records up to date
- Find training opportunities
To learn more:
The Coach and Educator Community Interface (CECI) is an online system that supports professional development. It gives providers access to:
- Training materials and coaching
- Resources in the Media Library
- The Early Achievers section, where programs submit their Program Profile and Video Highlights
To use CECI:
- Log in to CECI
- For help using the system, watch short “quick start” videos
The WA Compass Provider Portal is an online system where providers can:
- Manage program and licensing facility information
- Apply for needs based grants or other funding
To access WA Compass:
- Log in to WA Compass
- For login help, email dcyf.providerportal@dcyf.wa.gov
If you need assistance:
Work with your coach or reach out to the QRIS Inbox at QRIS@dcyf.wa.gov.
- Early Achiever’s Timeline Guide - English | Spanish | Somali
- Participant Operating Guidelines - English | Spanish | Somali
- Quality Standards and Criteria - English | Spanish | Somali
- Professional Development Quality Standards - English | Spanish | Somali
- WA State Early Learning and Development Guidelines – English | Spanish | Somali
- Core Competencies – English | Spanish | Somali | Russian
The Program Profile is the first step in Early Achievers. It is a self-assessment where program leaders, staff, and families share information about the program. This helps you see what is working well and what can be improved.
Program Profile Resources:
Video Highlights is the second step in Early Achievers. This happens after the Program Profile is finished.
In this step, you will:
- Plan a lesson or activity
- Record your program teaching the lesson or activity
- Think about how the lesson or activity went
Video Highlights help show your teaching practices and support program improvement.
Video Highlights Resources:
The Records Review can help you earn extra points beyond Quality Level 3.
Records Review Resources:
- Records Review Fact Sheet - English | Spanish | Somali
- Records Review Webinar – English | Spanish | Somali
- Aligned Curricula List - English | Spanish | Somali
- WaKIDS Assessment Alignment Tool - English | Spanish | Somali
- Introduction to the Washington Early Learning Curricular Alignment Tool - English | Spanish | Somali
- Washington Early Learning Curricular Alignment Tool Worksheets - English | Spanish | Somali
- Washington State Early Learning Curriculum Consumer Report
- Strengthening Families Self-Assessment for Family Child Care
- Strengthening Families Self-Assessment for Child Care Centers
- Family Engagement Action Plan – English | Spanish | Somali
Accreditation is optional. It is a process where an outside group reviews a program’s services and daily operations to make sure it meets certain standards. DCYF accepts some national accreditations for Early Achievers.
The following policy explains which accreditations are accepted and how to request a review.
Early Achievers Accreditation Policy (English, Spanish, Somali)
DCYF offers monthly webinars to share updates and information. Topics change each month and are usually offered in English, Spanish, and Somali.
Visit the Professional Development Webinars webpage for more information.
Some past webinars include:
Tribal early care and education programs can choose to use The LOVIT Way as part of Early Achievers. The LOVIT Way Program Evaluation Process is a planning and review tool created by the Aboriginal Head Start Association of British Columbia (AHSABC).
This option gives Tribal programs another way to show quality that reflects their values and practices.
Learn more:
DCYF offers grants, awards, incentives, and reimbursements to support early learning programs. These funds help programs improve quality and continue serving children and families.
Available resources include:
- Quality Improvement Award Overview - English | Spanish | Somali
- Subsidy Quality Incentive FAQ
- Tiered Reimbursement Overview - English | Spanish | Somali
- Early Learning Scholarships
- Needs-Based Grants
The Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) program helps eligible military families pay for child care when care on a military base is not available.
Learn more:
