June 2025 ECEAP Reminders and Links

Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families sent this bulletin at 06/05/2025 04:34 PM PDT

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ECEAP is Washington’s pre-kindergarten program that prepares 3- and 4-year-old children furthest from opportunity for success in school and life.

June 2025 Issue

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ECEAP Updates

ECEAP Celebrates 40 Years!

In 1985, Governor Booth Gardner signed legislation that helped Washington state create one of the first state-funded preschool programs in the nation, known as the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP). Originally part of the Washington State Department of Commerce, ECEAP was awarded 1,000 slots for the 1986-87 school year. ECEAP became part of the Department of Early Learning in 2006. It moved to DCYF in 2018.

Since 1985, ECEAP has focused on the well-being of the whole child by providing high-quality comprehensive health, education, and family supports services. In 2023-24, ECEAP served 16,472 children in ECEAP and B-3 ECEAP.

DCYF ECEAP celebrates the children, families, staff, and partners across the state.

“Through word of mouth in my community I learned of the ECEAP Preschool Program in Pullman, Washington, and as a parent I went through the process to enroll my son at the Community Child Care Center. At the time, I was a stay-at-home mother, and within a month I was provided with volunteer opportunities in my son’s classroom. I was so happy with the staff, environment, learning opportunities, and it wasn’t long before there was a paid position opening, which I applied for. This was 1990, and over the past 35 years I have worked with this same ECEAP program in the roles of Parent Volunteer, Assistant Teacher, Family Support Services, and now Enrollment/Recruitment for the past 24 years. I have seen children whom I taught become parents and enroll their children in the program. I have seen so many successes and even seen children go off to college. I have firsthand seen the positive impacts that a holistic preschool program can offer and continue to offer beyond their years in the preschool classroom. There is a quote from my culture that I fully believe in and embrace; this quote translates to: “Education at a young age is like a sculpture on a stone that will last for a lifetime.”

~ Mona, ECEAP Enrollment/Recruitment staff-35 years

ELMS Update

Closing the 2024-2025 School Year Classes

The following are some important guidelines for closing out the 2024-25 school year in ELMS. For additional questions, email ELMS support at dcyf.elms@dcyf.wa.gov.

  • All children must be exited from their 2024-25 classes in ELMS with a last date attended on or before June 30, in accordance with the actual last day that they showed up in person or the last day that modified services were offered.
  • You must exit all children from their classes, before ELMS will allow you to submit your Monthly Report for the final month of class.
  • By July 1, Working Day classes must be set up in ELMS.
  • July 10 is the last date you can enter information in ELMS for 2024-25.

Please check the ELMS News page for information and updates.

ECEAP Performance Standards Updates

Changes were made to the 2025-26 ECEAP Performance Standards as of May 30, 2025. Based on questions and feedback during our May ECEAP Directors meeting, our team made the decision to remove the definition of Regular Early Childhood Program from the performance standards. We also removed all references to this definition. Our team is developing an information sheet on this topic that will be posted on the DCYF ECEAP Contractor webpage.

Teaching Strategies – Student Portfolio Archival Paused

Between May and July, DCYF pauses the automatic archival of child records in SmartTeach as they are exited in ELMS. Children will continue to appear in SmartTeach as active until July. This is to allow for teaching staff to complete spring assessments for children who are enrolled through the end of the school year, even if classes end before June 15. Once the June 15 spring checkpoint due date passes, Teaching Strategies will do a mass archival of all ECEAP records for children who are not enrolled at that time. No action is needed from ECEAP staff regarding this pause, or the archival later. Just complete GOLD assessments for all children who were enrolled in ECEAP for the spring checkpoint period. DCYF and Teaching Staff will handle the rest!

Learn About the State Budget

On May 20, 2025, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the 2025–2027 Washington state budget into law. The following webinar was hosted by Director of the Office of Public Affairs, Allison Krutsinger and Chief Financial Officer, Rene Newkirk and shares the latest updates and impacts of the new budget. The slides have been updated to reflect the signed budget.

ECEAP Links

Contractors | Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families

Fiscal | Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families

Reports | Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families

In This Issue:

Important Dates:

June 15-ELMS Child and Family Updates, A-19 Invoice, ELMS Monthly Report

Questions?

Email questions about newsletter topics to eceap@dcyf.wa.gov or your Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Specialist.

For additional information about ECEAP or the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), please visit our Contractor webpages.

DCYF Training Opportunities and Support

ECEAP On-Demand Training in the DCYF LMS

Sign up for training by logging into your MERIT account and select “Find Training.”

  • ECEAP No Expulsion: Overview of ECEAP’s no expulsion policy and practice.
  • ECEAP 101: Introduction to ECEAP for prospective ECEAP providers.

ELMS data entry for Family Support

We aim to get to know what users need and find ways to improve ELMS data entry. Our team is all about discovering the challenges folks face with data entry. We want to create processes that are not only more efficient and accurate but also super user-friendly. Please come with specific questions and ideas so we can accurately reflect your feedback.

June 9, 2 to 3 p.m.

June 20, 9 to 10 a.m.

B-5 ECEAP Coach Check-In

Tribal ECEAP Workgroup

Family Support Staff Check-In

Las Platicas De El Puente

This monthly check-in is offered in Spanish only.

Mobility Mentoring® Online Foundations Course

This course is available for all family support staff to access at no charge. It is designed for learners to see Mobility Mentoring® in action, learn about intentional practice, and prepare them to use the coaching approach. The course is broken into four modules that take between 8-10 hours to complete. If you are new to the platform, you must first click the button that says, “sign up.”

Mobility Mentoring® Foundations Monthly Reflection Session

Completion of this session is mandatory to receive STARS credit and to be eligible for Trauma-Informed Care incentives. After successful completion of the Mobility Mentoring® Foundations Course, you need to attend one reflection session to receive STARS credit.

Health Coordinator Check-In

Join us for the Health Coordinator check-ins as we discuss trends, share resources, and plan for the coming year.

Teaching Strategies ECEAP Office Hours

Register to attend Teaching Strategies ECEAP Office Hours. Register in advance and attend to get answers to your specific questions about any of your Teaching Strategies digital resources. 

ReadyRosie for ECEAP - How to Get Started

Join us to learn how to get started with ReadyRosie! This session is for administrators and educators new to ReadyRosie or those needing a refresher. In these sessions, we'll cover: What is ReadyRosie? How to invite families to join, share customized content, communicate with families, and read data.

Early Care and Education Newsletter

This monthly newsletter informs, educates, and inspires child care providers, professionals, and advocates. Read previous issues on the Engagement Efforts Newsletters webpage and subscribe at Early Care and Education Newsletter.

Trainings, Seminars, and Resources Offered by External Partners

UNITE: Early Learning Conference

NorthEast Washington Educational Service District 101 (NEWESD101) in partnership with Washington Association for the Education of Young Children (WAEYC) invite you to the UNITE: Early Learning Conference.

Barnard Center Free Lecture Series

“I am Never Enough” – Addressing the Infant and Early Childhood & Broader Mental Health Workforce Crisis

This presentation and reflective conversation seek to create a space for open dialogue about the mental health workforce crisis and the contributing factors. Together we will explore relational possibilities to addressing contributors to the crisis while also improving engagement and service outcomes for children and families. A systemic pivot is long overdue that moves the broader conversation, administration, and service provision in conjunction with and beyond funding.

Equity, Child Development, Education, and Health

Reducing Toxic Stress to Support Lifelong Mental Health

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University underscores that the foundation for sound mental health is built early in life. Negative experiences and exposures in the developmental environment during this critical period—like toxic stress or the challenges of poverty—can affect a child’s ability to learn and build relationships, impacting their well-being throughout the lifespan. Learn more below about toxic stress, how we can promote resilience and the importance of supporting both children and caregivers.

Sun Bucks is Back!

SUN Bucks, also known as Summer EBT, is a program that helps families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer. Families will get a one-time $120 benefit per year for each eligible child to help buy groceries during the summer months. Nearly 600,000 Washington children received SUN Bucks over the summer of 2024.

For questions about the SUN Bucks program, please call the SUN Bucks Contact Center at 833-543-3230 (TTY: 800-833-6348) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday (except observed holidays).