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State officials overview sharp growth, near‑term shortfalls in early‑learning budgets
Summary
Staff and agency officials told the Senate Ways & Means Committee that spending on Washington’s early‑learning programs has risen sharply in recent years and is forecast to continue rising, driven by caseload growth and statutory rate increases; officials flagged current funding shortfalls for transitional kindergarten.
State Ways & Means staff and early‑learning agencies on Jan. 21 told the Senate Ways & Means Committee that budgets for major early‑learning programs have grown substantially since fiscal 2021 and are projected to keep rising through fiscal 2027.
Committee staff member Kayla Hammer and budget analyst Josh Hemmings walked members through charts showing three major caseload‑driven programs: Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT), the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECAP) and the Working Connections Child Care (WCC) subsidy. Agency presenters from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) provided program and policy context.
Why it matters: Lawmakers said the scale and pace of growth will shape budget choices this session. Hemmings said ESIT spending rose from $96 million in fiscal 2021 to $144 million in fiscal 2024 and is projected to reach $174 million by fiscal 2027, driven primarily by caseload growth (from about 8,890 to 12,010 cases) and by a reimbursement rate formula tied to the…
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