Licensing Current Initiatives Webpage

Constituents sometimes reach out with questions about licensing. This area of work, like many others at DCYF, is constantly innovating and evolving in response to client needs and best practices. The DCYF Licensing Division launched a Current Initiatives webpage as a repository of new developments and implementation updates in the licensing space. Please share this resource with constituents if they come to you with licensing needs!

Recent Reports (ECEAP)

The DCYF Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) team submitted two reports to the Legislature last month.

The Early ECEAP Pilot Project, directed by SB 5437 (2019), began “phased implementation of a birth to three early childhood education and assistance program pilot project for eligible children under 36 months old.” This model is based on the highly successful child and family outcomes of both Early Head Start (EHS) and Washington’s state-funded preschool, ECEAP. The report details the Early ECEAP pilot and lays out a roadmap of what’s next for the program.

The Tribal ECEAP Pathway Recommendations Report, also written per SB 5437 (2019), explores the development of a DCYF ECEAP Tribal Pathway that meets the needs of Tribal Sovereign Nations in providing ECEAP in their communities and decreasing the opportunity gap for tribal children. The report explores the great strength of tribal communities as well as the trauma that tribal people have experienced since colonization. It provides a series of recommendations on changes to ECEAP structure, funding model, and training.

First Community Transition Services Workgroup Meeting

On Sept. 23, DCYF convened the first meeting of the Community Transition Services (CTS) Stakeholder Group that was authorized in HB 1186 (2021). DCYF Assistant Secretary of Juvenile Rehabilitation, Felice Upton, shared a presentation on the group's purpose and scope, and DCYF's Office of Innovation, Alignment, and Accountability Research and Data Administrator, Sarah Veele, shared a presentation on understanding the strengths and needs of youth exiting Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR). These were followed by a robust discussion of goals and next steps.

"We are looking forward to thoughtful conversations with people from across the state about how we can all come together in service of the young people in JR as they reenter communities," said Felice. "We are hopeful that we will continue to have thought-provoking conversations about the ways we can support young people as their 'villages.'"

You can learn more about the CTS Stakeholder Group, including information about upcoming meetings, agendas, and minutes on their webpage.

Fair Start for Kids Act 

Changes to Subsidy Eligibility & Copayments

On Oct. 1, income eligibility increased to 60% State Median Income (SMI) for families accessing subsidy, and copays have decreased based on a new scale that reduces copays on child care services from a current rate of up to 20% of a family’s monthly income to no more than 7%. We anticipate that these changes will allow up to an additional 6,000 families in our state to afford care. These changes do the important work of reducing the benefits cliff and empowering Washington parents with more options for early learning for their children.

Implementation Updates

There are many exciting updates related to implementing the Fair Start for Kids Act! The new ECEAP slots awarded over the past months are enrolling and beginning to serve children this fall, and in an Oct. 12 webinar, DCYF will release information on stabilization grants for providers totaling nearly $400 million.

For continued updates on implementation, visit DCYF's Fair Start for Kids Act webpage.

Child Care Stabilization Data Dashboard is Now Published

DCYF’s Office of Innovation, Alignment, and Accountability (OIAA) is building a suite of dashboards and maps related to different topics in early learning. This is a follow up to the Child Care Need and Supply Data dashboard that went live in July. The primary purpose of these dashboards is to help inform planning efforts at the state, regional, and local level.

Current dashboards available on the DCYF website include Child Care Need and Supply Data, Child Care Stabilization Zip Code Factors, and Early Achievers Data. We will be updating dashboards quarterly, as well as making the underlying data publicly available. 

DCYF Agency Structure Update

A few weeks ago, DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter introduced a shift in DCYF's leadership structure to agency staff as part of the agency’s work to integrate and streamline practices and center our work around the DCYF Strategic and Racial Equity Plan. He recently shared more details about the new teams that will support families in ways that keep them from going deeper into DCYF’s systems and help them improve their quality of life. You can read more about the DCYF agency structure changes here.

Agency Request Legislation & Decision Package Webinar

DCYF's Government Affairs and Community Engagement team hosted a webinar for external stakeholders on DCYF Agency Request Legislation and Decision Packages submitted for the 2022 Supplemental Session. Hundreds of guests joined to learn about our vision for the next session and to have their questions answered about our proposals. If you missed the webinar, you can access slides from the presentation here, under 2022 Legislative Session Updates.