Early Learning Policy

Born Learning Washington and the local Born Learning campaigns in many communities are working to build public will and provide input into the state policy dialogue. Click here to connect with Born Learning in your community.

Washington Learns


Washington Learns had three advisory committees encompassing the first comprehensive education study in 20 years-and the first ever to include early learning. The aim is to create a strong P-16 education system (that is, preschool through college) that can produce an educated citizenry and a thriving economy.

Washington Learns’ three advisory committees encompass all education sectors: early learning (Early Learning Council), K-12 and higher education.

Washington Learns presented its final recommendations in November 2006. Early learning is one of the study's recommended five major areas of reform. In addition, the study's 10 "Ten-Year Goals for a World-Class Education System:" include three related to early learning:

  1. Parents will be their children's first and best teachers, and will have the support they need to help their children "learn to learn" in their first years of life.
  2. Families will have access to high-quality, affordable child care and early education programs staffed by providers and teachers who are adequately trained and compensated.
  3. All children will enter kindergarten healthy and emotionally, socially and cognitively ready to succeed in school and in life.

Early Learning Strategies

The Washington Learns study includes early learning as the first of five "initiatives for a world-class education system." The study report details the following strategies based on recommendations of the Early Learning Council:

  1. Create a cabinet-level Department of Early Learning that reports to the Governor and is accountable to the public.
  2. Support public-private partnership focused on engaging the public and improving the quality of early learning.
  3. Make voluntary parenting information and support readily available to parents, grandparents and other caregivers.
  4. Improve the safety and well-being of children in child care and early education programs.
  5. Phase in a five-star voluntary rating system that gives parents better information about the quality of child care and early education programs, and expands the availability of high-quality early learning opportunities.
  6. Expand early learning teacher training to produce more well-trained, culturally competent, diverse and imaginative child care providers and early education teachers.
  7. Develop and implement a kindergarten readiness assessment tool.
  8. Phase in voluntary all-day kindergarten for all students.

Early Learning Council November 2005 Recommendations


In November 2005, the Early Learning Council (ELC) made preliminary recommendations to the Washington Learns Steering Committee. From their recommendations, Washington Learns identified three for immediate action:

  1. Support a public-private partnership focused on public engagement and quality improvement for early learning.
  2. Create a state department of early learning.
  3. Implement a voluntary, child care quality rating and improvement system (QRIS), with incentives and tiered reimbursement.

Progress and Further Recommendations

  • Public-private partnership: In December 2005, public and private funding partners joined to create Thrive by Five, The Washington Early Learning Fund. Thrive by Five Washington, its partners, and its grantees will promote community-based, market-driven solutions that will expand access to early learning opportunities for all our state’s children. Thrive by Five Washington will provide support and information to parents and caregivers. At the same time it will work to ensure that all children from birth to age five have access to excellent, affordable early learning, whether at home with a parent or caregiver, or in child care, or in a preschool. As of July 2006, EC2 is merging into Thrive by Five Washington.
  • Department of Early Learning: The legislature created a state Department of Early Learning (see below), as the ELC recommended. As of July 1, 2006, the Department consolidates existing early learning programs within state government. Governor Gregoire lauded this as a promising step: “The department will bring visibility and focus to early learning, along with the capacity to partner with the private sector to develop opportunities for children and their parents to tap into venues for learning.”
  • Quality Rating and Improvement: A QRIS technical advisory committee to the Early Learning Council developed recommendations for a QRIS system and implementation plan. The Washington Learns Steering Committee included phasing in a QRIS system as one of the strategies to advance early learning in its final study report.