History and Progress

Brief History of EC2

EC2, now a project of Thrive by Five: The Washington Early Learning Fund, was established in 2002 by a group of public and private organizations that fund services for young children and families. Each organization realized that to accomplish its individual goals, there needed to be greater public understanding and support for policies and investments that can make a measurable difference in young children’s lives.

EC2’s aims:

Increase public understanding about high-quality early care and education; and
Build public will for policies and investments that help young children and their families thrive.

High quality child care and early learning programs:

Offer highly trained teachers.
Use proven effective curriculum that fosters all areas of child development.
Provide a safe and healthy physical environment.
Promote positive relationships with children, families and staff, and connections with community resources.
Use teaching practices that are appropriate to the child’s stage of development, culture and language.

However, current program quality varies widely. Some programs are excellent, while others are barely safe.

Washington currently has no statewide quality standards for early learning. Accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the National Association of Family Child Care are widely recognized measures of quality early learning. But accreditation reaches an extremely low number of children. Only 6 percent of total child care centers in Washington are accredited. There is a dramatic shortage of affordable, high-quality early learning.

As of July 2006, EC2 is a project of Thrive by Five, The Washington Early Learning Fund. This public-private partnership is working to help ensure that all Washington children succeed in school and life.

Recent Progress

Since early 2005, EC2 has focused on four strategies to promote parenting information and high-quality early care and education. Significant progress has been made in each area.

1. Born Learning
Strategy: Coordinate a network of local and state partners to mount a three-year public engagement campaign affiliated with the national Born Learning campaign
Today: Born Learning Washington is now well underway, with 10 locally-led campaigns and a statewide presence.

2. Governance
Strategy: Create a high-level, public/private planning and governance structure for the state’s early learning programs.
Today: The Governor’s appointed Washington Learns study and its Early Learning Council proposed and the state legislature passed a new approach for an early learning system in Washington. This includes:

a public-private partnership (which has become Thrive by Five Washington) to engage the public and improve the quality of early learning;
a new state Department of Early Learning; and
a quality rating and improvement system for child care.

The Washington Learns final report includes these as three of 10 strategies for early learning.

3. Child Care Quality Rating and Improvement
Strategy: Champion a system of quality rating and improvement for child care.
Today: The Early Learning Council has proposed Quality Rating and Improvement System and Tiered Reimbursement recommendations. The Washington Learns final report includes the strategy of phasing in a five-star voluntary rating system, guided by the Council's recommendations.

4. Great Beginnings Preschool Program
Strategy: Promote this model through a flexible system.
Today: The 2005 legislature increased funding for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP). This is helping to enhance program quality and add 282 more enrollment spaces for children.

2006 Legislative Wrap-Up

Victories: The 2006 legislative session (which ended in March 2006) was a big year for early learning. Legislative victories included the new Department of Early Learning, collective bargaining rights for family child care providers, and wider availability of birth-to-three intervention services. Budget victories included: start-up funds for the Department of Early Learning; a $525,000 investment in the early reading initiative; $1 million in funding for the career and wage ladder; a $2 million investment in school meals for children; and $2.5 million in funding for the 2-1-1 Network.
For more information on early learning and children’s welfare and health, see the Children’s Alliance end-of-session report. For information on early learning and K-12 education, see the League of Education Voters’ legislative wrap-up

EC2’s Funders, 2002 – 2006

Special appreciation goes to the early investors in EC2, who stepped up to galvanize public support for policies to ensure that young children get the early learning opportunities they need. Representatives of the funders serve on the EC2 Steering Committee.

Alhadeff Foundation - Marleen Alhadeff

Paul G. Allen Foundation - Peter Berliner

Boeing Company - Joyce Walters

Committee for Children - Wendie Bramwell

Comprehensive Health Education Foundation (past funder)

Department of Health - Lorrie Grevstad

Child Care & Early Learning - Rachael Langen

Head Start-State Collaboration Office - Sangree Froelicher

Foundation for Early Learning - Jeanne Anderson

Kirkpatrick Family Foundation - Kathleen Pierce

Kirlin Foundation - Ron Rabin

Janet Levinger & Will Poole/Seattle Foundation Donor Advised Fund - Janet Levinger