Families in Tacoma, Lakewood and Federal Way will have additional options for free preschool as Washington expands its Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program by approximately 2,400 slots statewide for the 2026-27 school year.
Gov. Bob Ferguson and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families announced 42 new ECEAP sites across the state, along with additional openings at 105 existing sites. The expansion includes new locations at Birth to Five Learning Center in Tacoma, Just Like Home Daycare Center and Pierce College Milgard Child Development Center in Lakewood, and several sites in Federal Way.
Federal Way locations identified as part of the expansion include College for Kids, Planting Flowers and Green Gables Elementary School.
ECEAP is Washington’s state-funded prekindergarten program for eligible low-income families with children ages 3 and 4. In addition to preschool education, the program provides family support intended to help children prepare for school.
The expansion is being funded through a partnership between Washington state and Ballmer Group. More than $251 million in state and Ballmer Group grant funding will be awarded to early learning providers during the 2026-27 school year, according to the state.
“As we’re facing budget challenges, our public-private partnership is expanding access to high-quality early education for thousands of kids across our state,” Ferguson said. “This expansion means more children, including our most vulnerable, will get the support they need to thrive in school and beyond.”
The partnership was announced in November 2025 by Ferguson, DCYF Secretary Tana Senn and Ballmer Group representatives. Under the agreement, Ballmer Group is expected to provide approximately $1 billion over 10 years to support as many as 10,000 additional seats in ECEAP’s school-day program.
The approximately 2,400 new openings exceed the state’s original first-year goal of serving 2,000 additional children, but fall slightly below the number previously announced.
According to DCYF, some providers that initially accepted funding later returned it because of workforce shortages and other challenges associated with opening new classrooms. The department said it continues to work with applicants to address barriers to providing services.
The expansion comes as access to early learning remains dependent not only on funding but also on whether providers have enough workers and facilities to accommodate additional children. The experience of providers that returned funding illustrates some of the challenges involved in translating new investments into available classroom seats.
Families interested in ECEAP can find information about eligibility and programs through the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
