Early supports and inclusive learning and social opportunities are critical for young children with disabilities and developmental delay. This year we are focusing efforts on expanding access to the state's volunteer preschool program, the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP).
Following are bills we are tracking. You can help ensure good legislation get passed by sharing your insight and letting your legislators know when you support (or have concerns) with a bill. Highlighted names indicate a legislator representing King County.
EARLY LEARNING
SB 5437 - Expanding eligibility to the early childhood education and assistance program
Sponsors: Wilson, C., Palumbo, Wellman, Hunt, Saldaña, Nguyen, Randall, Das, Billig, Mullet, Darneille, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Kuderer, Takko
Amended and referred to Senate Rules for consideration of a Senate vote. 3/1/2019
- Establishes two groups of children eligible for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP): entitles children and allowed children (Children who qualify for special education services are entitled; children with a developmental delay or disability that does not yet meet eligibility criteria for special education are allowed to enroll)
- Expands the group entitled to enroll in ECEAP to include families with an income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level ($33,475 for a family of 4)
- Directs the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to develop recommendations related to differential slot rates for ECEAP and submit a report by September 1, 2020.
- Establishes a birth-to-three ECEAP pilot project subject to appropriations.
Comment on SSB 5437
COMPANION BILL: HB 1351 - Expanding eligibility to the early childhood education and assistance program
Sponsors: Goodman, Senn, Callan, Lovick, Frame, Ortiz-Self, Kilduff, Appleton, Dolan, Stanford, Valdez, Kloba, Doglio, Pollet, Leavitt
Amended and referred to Rules for consideration of a House vote. 3/1/2019
Comment on HB 1351
SB 5089 - Increasing early learning access for children ages thirty months and older with developmental delays or disabilities
Sponsors: Wellman, Darneille, Palumbo, Wilson, C., Kuderer, Saldaña
Amended and referred to Rules for consideration of a Senate vote. 2/25/2019
- Adds a new category of children eligible for ECEAP — children who received early intervention services and are at least thirty months old by August 31st of the school year.
- Allows these children to enroll in ECEAP at any point during the school year.
Comment on HB 5089
HB 1267 - Eliminating the sabbatical year for three year olds in the early childhood education and assistance program
Sponsors: Senn, Goodman, Goehner, Pollet, Appleton, Ortiz-Self, Stonier, Griffey, Lovick, Callan, Kilduff, Frame, Eslick, Reeves, Doglio, Bergquist, Slatter, Thai, Leavitt
- Allows a 3 year old who has received Early Head Start or Early Support for Infants and Toddlers services to enroll in the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program at any time during the school year.
Comment on HB 1267
Is there a bill you like?
- Let your legislator know. From the bill page, click on Comment on This Bill
- Let the committee members hearing the bill know. If it passed out of committee, thank the committee members. You can find out who sits on what committees, below. A roster of all legislators is also below
- List of House committees (can click through for committee list of members)
- List of Senate committees (can click through for committee list of members)
ABOUT OUR EARLY LEARNING ADVOCACY
We work on early learning issues through our membership with the Early Learning Action Alliance. Some resources:Over the past two years, The Arc of King County succeeded in placing someone with expertise in developmental disabilities onto the Early Learning Advisory Council to help inform strategies and actions of the Department of Children Youth and Families. We also helped raise awareness on the high rates of suspension and expulsion of children with disabilities in early learning settings (Suspensions Are Not Support). Our goal is for families to have options and access to high quality, inclusive, early learning opportunities for children with disabilities and developmental delay.
