Everett families earning under $50,000 a year have more options for free preschool this fall after Washington state added roughly 2,400 slots to its Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP).
Gov. Bob Ferguson and the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) announced the expansion Monday, Sept. 21. The new slots come from 42 new ECEAP sites statewide and increased capacity at 105 existing providers, funded by more than $251 million in state money and grants from the Ballmer Group, The Seattle Times reported. The Ballmer Group also funds early-childhood education coverage at The Seattle Times, which maintains editorial control.
None of the 42 new sites are in Everett.
One new site, a Volunteers of America Western Washington location in Lynnwood, was the only addition in Snohomish County, according to the DCYF announcement. Whether any of the 105 existing-site expansions include Everett Public Schools locations is unknown.
Everett Public Schools already runs ECEAP preschool at seven schools: Hawthorne, Jackson, Lowell, Madison, Silver Firs and Silver Lake elementaries, plus Cedar Wood Elementary in Bothell. The district reported 320 students enrolled in ECEAP as of Sept. 8, with spots still open for eligible 3- and 4-year-olds.
Anne Arnold, the district's director of P-5 instruction, said in a Sept. 8 district announcement that the start of the school year was a milestone for the youngest learners. "We know that high-quality early learning experiences set students on a trajectory of educational success and launch them toward high school graduation and beyond," Arnold said.
What the expansion restores
The 2,400 new slots essentially replace capacity the state cut last year. Lawmakers trimmed about $60 million from ECEAP during budget negotiations, eliminating roughly 2,000 slots statewide, according to The Seattle Times. Before those cuts, the program served about 16,900 children.
The Ballmer Group stepped in with a commitment announced in November 2025 to spend approximately $1 billion over the next decade, enough to add up to 10,000 ECEAP seats statewide.
The 2,400 slots added for 2026-27 exceeded the state's original first-year goal of 2,000. The total fell slightly below earlier projections after some providers returned funding because of workforce shortages, DCYF said.
Ferguson, in a statement, said the public-private partnership was expanding access to early education for thousands of children across the state despite budget challenges.
Who qualifies
ECEAP is open to 3- and 4-year-olds in families earning no more than $50,152 a year for a household of four, which is 36% of the state median income. Families can also qualify based on factors such as homelessness, foster care, domestic violence or a child's developmental delay.
A 2022 study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy found ECEAP graduates were more likely to be ready for kindergarten and less likely to need special education services in early grades than eligible children who did not attend.
The average annual cost of childcare for one child under 5 in Washington is roughly $18,700, according to a 2025 Child Care Aware estimate. ECEAP covers that cost entirely for qualifying families.
Everett families can apply by calling 425-385-4628 or mailing an application to Everett Public Schools ECEAP, Community Resource Center, 3900 Broadway, Everett, WA 98201. Snohomish County also operates ECEAP locations countywide through its Health and Human Services department at 425-388-7010.
