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Tagged Articles:
Early Childhood Education

Program offering free books for families at risk due to Washington’s budget deficit

April 8, 2025, 6:06am Clark County News

Free books about family togetherness, achieving goals, starting kindergarten and more are sent to young children locally and statewide every month — but the program is at risk due to… Read story

Washougal district plans to bring back Community Education Preschool but has to wait on Legislature

March 25, 2025, 6:06am Clark County News

The Washougal School District is tentatively planning to bring back its tuition-based Community Education Preschool program for the 2025-26 school year. Read story

Advocates for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program rally at the state capitol on Feb. 6, 2025.

WA lawmakers weigh further delay to early learning expansion

Advocates for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program rally at the state capitol on Feb. 6, 2025.

February 24, 2025, 3:05pm Latest News Free

Nearly 15 years ago, Washington state lawmakers approved a plan to make a state-funded early learning program an entitlement for all low-income families who qualify. Read story

Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program lead teacher Emily Weil, right, works with students Sirenna Johal, from left, Jocelyn Avalos and Timothy Lepikash on Tuesday at Innovative Services NW in the Mary Firstenburg Family Center in Vancouver.

Innovative Services NW receives more than $30,000 to help fund large projects on the horizon

Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program lead teacher Emily Weil, right, works with students Sirenna Johal, from left, Jocelyn Avalos and Timothy Lepikash on Tuesday at Innovative Services NW in the Mary Firstenburg Family Center in Vancouver.

February 7, 2025, 6:05am Clark County News

For the past 62 years, Innovative Services NW’s mission has stayed the same: ensuring vulnerable Clark County families have access to equal employment, education and therapy opportunities. Read story

Child care advocates rally on the state Capitol steps on Jan. 22, 2025.

WA child care advocates push for higher pay and more support for providers

Child care advocates rally on the state Capitol steps on Jan. 22, 2025.

January 30, 2025, 7:41am Latest News Free

Tasha Fitzgerald didn’t want to leave her job as a child care provider. Read story

In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, Elliott O'Neil plays on a xylophone at the Wallingford Child Care Center in Seattle. A dire workforce crisis in a booming U.S. economy is forcing many in the child care industry to turn to business tactics more closely resembling Wall Street than Sesame Street. Non-compete and "hold-harmless" legal agreements, college tuition incentives for workers and steep waiting-list fees for parents are fast becoming the norm.

New Washington bill aims to end fees for child care providers

In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, Elliott O'Neil plays on a xylophone at the Wallingford Child Care Center in Seattle. A dire workforce crisis in a booming U.S. economy is forcing many in the child care industry to turn to business tactics more closely resembling Wall Street than Sesame Street. Non-compete and "hold-harmless" legal agreements, college tuition incentives for workers and steep waiting-list fees for parents are fast becoming the norm.

January 30, 2025, 6:08am Business

Dana Christiansen, owner of Tree Hill Learning Centers in Vancouver and Camas, is struggling to balance rising costs with the goal of paying her staff a living wage and keeping her facility running. Christiansen says raising prices for parents is necessary but challenging, especially when many families are already stretched thin.   Read story

WA needs more early childhood educators. But the pay is a problem

January 12, 2025, 5:53am Latest News

Each weekday morning, Savannah Stewart commutes to her classroom on the University of Washington campus. Read story

FILE - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee delivers his annual State of the State address to a joint legislative session in the House chambers of the state Capitol, Jan. 9, 2024, in Olympia, Wash.

Inslee’s budget proposal would delay state child care expansion

FILE - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee delivers his annual State of the State address to a joint legislative session in the House chambers of the state Capitol, Jan. 9, 2024, in Olympia, Wash.

December 31, 2024, 7:33am Latest News

More Washington children are expected to qualify for public child care and preschool programs in 2025 and 2026. Read story

Jenna Carodiskey-Wiebe, assistant teacher with ECEAP, right, watches as two-year-old Zakiah Jatta plays with Play-Doh in her classroom at Akin’s Early Learning Center in Auburn, Wash., Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Washington is doing more to help families access and afford child care, but huge gaps remain. Early ECEAP provides free child care and family support services to infants and toddlers from low-income households. But there are only 178 spots funded in the entire state. Some of those spots are at Akin’s early learning center in Auburn. (Ellen M.

Child care and early learning central to debate over how to close WA budget gap

Jenna Carodiskey-Wiebe, assistant teacher with ECEAP, right, watches as two-year-old Zakiah Jatta plays with Play-Doh in her classroom at Akin’s Early Learning Center in Auburn, Wash., Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Washington is doing more to help families access and afford child care, but huge gaps remain. Early ECEAP provides free child care and family support services to infants and toddlers from low-income households. But there are only 178 spots funded in the entire state. Some of those spots are at Akin’s early learning center in Auburn. (Ellen M.

December 26, 2024, 9:07am Latest News Free

Gov. Jay Inslee’s budget proposal offered some hope for child care and early learning advocates who were prepared to fight against deep cuts. Read story

Educational Opportunities for Children and Families CEO Rekah Strong poses for a photo with students Maycee Hawn, left, and Jameson Owens during a field day at Educational Opportunities for Children and Families on MacArthur Boulevard in July 2023.

Clark County could lose preschool slots because of state budget cuts

Educational Opportunities for Children and Families CEO Rekah Strong poses for a photo with students Maycee Hawn, left, and Jameson Owens during a field day at Educational Opportunities for Children and Families on MacArthur Boulevard in July 2023.

December 2, 2024, 10:44am Clark County News

More than 10 percent of Washington’s children are at risk of losing out on preschool services with state-proposed budget cuts — and Clark County early-education providers are concerned. Read story