WA State Early Care & Education

Provide quality, affordable childcare, preschool and early education support to all families who need it.

mr-el-slide-000005848465.jpg
mr-el-slide-000009085443.jpg
mr-el-slide-000004387262.jpg
mr-el-slide-000004428753.jpg
mr-el-slide-000006345470.jpg

Did you know that learning begins at birth & the brain develops faster between birth & age 3 than any other period of life? That is why early care & education is an important & critical development phase.

But, $10,000 per year, per child, for childcare is out of reach for many families.

All families should have access to high-quality affordable options for their children's early care & education – whether their children spend their days at home, in childcare, or preschool. Join us & spread the word!

Join us & spread the word!

Share Your Childcare & Early Learning Experiences

Have an experience related to early care and education, childcare, or early learning of your own to share?

Ever had a good, bad, funny or sad experience with finding, paying for, or getting great childcare?

  • “For the first nine month of my son's life I was lucky to have my mother watch him. When my mother decided to go back to school I had to find daycare. My husband and I are both employed full time, but we can barely afford childcare and we do not qualify for any assistance.”

    —Sara

    Oregon

  • “I've had to pay ridiculous amounts of tuition to find decent pre-K education. I look for small child to adult ratios and well-qualified teachers. I also like to see clean and attractive play spaces both indoors and outdoors...”

    —Bree

    Washington

WA State Resources

Need help paying for childcare?

The Washington Department of Early Learning and the Department of Health and Human Services are the first places to go for help.
The Washington Department of Early Learning
The Department of Health and Human Services

Looking for breastfeeding or prenatal support?

Check out resources.parenthelp123.org/ to find resources near you

Looking for more fun things to do with your baby or toddler?

Check out the statewide events calendar at www.parentmap.com/

Research & Policy

And for more about Washington's state early care and education policies, visit our great partners:

MomsBlogging on
Early Care & Education

71% of US supports food for kids, will Congress?

Posted March 10, 2010 by Sarah Francis

Nearly 17 million U.S. children (almost 1 out of every 4 children) faced hunger at some point last year.
That is a staggering statistic. But for MomsRising member Yvonne, it’s much more personal:
“My sister, the mother of 2 preschoolers, has track marks up and down her arms. Last July both she and her husband lost their [...]

March Forth Today!

Posted March 4, 2010 by Sarah Francis

“My husband and I have to work opposite shifts because child care is unaffordable. He works from 6am to 2:30pm, and I have to meet my husband at his job to drop off our son so that I can be to work by 3:00pm. I miss out on putting my son to bed.” – Kristina, [...]

Posted Under: E: Excellent Childcare

When will we dictate policy to protect our future generations?

Posted February 18, 2010 by Janna Waldher

Why are other countries recognizing the need for a paid stay-at home option, yet we are not? When will we dictate policy to protect our future generations? Our country’s leaders seem to be primarily concerned with the here and now, instead of maintaining a balance that satisfies the present and the future. When will we, [...]

More from the Blog