Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, more children and families in the Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD) region will have access to high-quality preschool through the state-funded Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP).

ECEAP is a preschool and family support services program, administered by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), for eligible children ages 3 to 5 and their families. The program is designed to support school readiness, strengthen family engagement, and connect children and families with resources that promote long-term success. In school year 2026-27, 110 children in our region will have access to ECEAP, more than doubling access to high-quality preschool opportunities for children and families.

NWESD’s ECEAP program will grow from serving 49 children to 110 children. The expanded program will partner with Bellingham, Burlington-Edison, Concrete, and Sedro-Woolley school districts.

“This expansion means more children will have access to the kind of early learning experiences that help them feel safe, supported, and ready to learn,” said Maureen Hodge, NWESD Early Learning & ECEAP Manager. “Our ECEAP classrooms are grounded in the belief that strong partnerships between schools, families, and communities create the foundation for lifelong success.”

The expansion follows a year of uncertainty. In 2025-26, reductions in state funding resulted in ECEAP slot reductions across Washington, including NWESD’s ECEAP program which moved from serving 70 children in 2024-25 to 49 children in 2025-26. In spring 2026, DCYF announced its partnership with the Ballmer Group to expand ECEAP access in support of the state’s vision of providing high-quality preschool for every eligible child.

When the opportunity to expand ECEAP was announced, NWESD was ready.

The NWESD Early Learning team spent the year planning, developing partnerships, and assessing regional needs. “We began with a regional early learning survey to assess the baseline of services offered throughout the service area, as well as what districts needed beyond what they could provide,” said Chelsea Johnson, NWESD Early Learning & Family Services Coordinator.

That information helped the team begin targeted planning and partnership conversations with districts and community partners in areas where the need for comprehensive preschool services was clear and readiness existed.

The expansion of ECEAP provides critical support to children and families who need us most and are farthest from access.

“Early childhood brain research reveals that 90% of a child’s brain development happens before age 5,” Hodge said. “During this period of heightened brain plasticity, the brain forms over one million new neural connections per second, laying the foundation for all future learning, cognitive function, and emotional health.”

ECEAP’s whole child approach supports not only early learning, but also relationships, stability, and family connections that help children thrive now and into their future. The NWESD has seen the impact firsthand.

One child and her mother came to ECEAP while facing significant challenges, including housing and financial instability, mental health needs, and significant family stress. At first, the child was guarded and had difficulty connecting with her teacher. The mother was hesitant to ask for help. ECEAP staff responded with consistent, patient, and nonjudgemental support, creating a safe space for both the child and her mother.

Over time, trust grew. The mother reached out to share a need the family was experiencing, and staff were able to connect the family with resources that helped relieve immediate stress. Not long after, during lunch at school, the child quietly reached for a teacher’s hand and asked if the teacher would sit next to her while she ate.

“What may have seemed like a small moment reflected something much bigger,” Hodge said. “Trust had been built, connection had formed, and the child finally felt safe enough to let someone in and so did her mom.”

A family can become eligible for ECEAP in many ways, including being at or above the poverty line, a child has been on an IFSP or is on an IEP, a family is experiencing homelessness, etc. If you or someone you know may benefit from participating in this program, reach out to Juan Madrigal at eceap@nwesd.org. Our NWESD Early Learning team is working collaboratively with Head Start and local school districts to coordinate pre-school recruitment and enrollment efforts. Together, we are creating a streamlined system that allows families to complete a single interest form and easily learn which preschool programs they may be eligible to access.

“This expansion represents exactly the kind of regional partnership we need to better serve children and families,” said David Forsythe, NWESD Deputy Superintendent of Student and Instructional Services. “By increasing access to ECEAP, we are helping more children build the early relationships, skills, and confidence they need to be successful in school and beyond.”

If you have questions about ECEAP, contact Maureen Hodge. If you have questions about enrollment or eligibility in ECEAP, contact Juan Madrigal.

ECEAP is a part of the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Learn more about the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program or fill out an interest form at https://www.nwesd.org/eceap/.

Check out our Early Learning professional development opportunities today!