ECEAP access/military

AN ACT Relating to expanding access to the early childhood 1
education and assistance program for military families; amending RCW 2
43.216.512 and 43.216.514; adding a new section to chapter 43.216 3
RCW; and providing an effective date. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 43.216.512 and 2025 c 412 s 12 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
(1) The department shall adopt rules that allow the enrollment of 8
children in the early childhood education and assistance program, as 9
space is available, if the number of such children equals not more 10
than 25 percent of total statewide enrollment, when the child is not 11
eligible under RCW 43.216.505 and ((has)):12
(a) Has a family income level above 36 percent of the state 13
median income but at or below 50 percent of the state median income 14
adjusted for family size and the child meets at least one of the risk 15
factor criterion described in subsection (2) of this section; or16
(b) Has a family income level above 36 percent of the state 17
median income but at or below the maximum household income for 18
working connections child care eligibility as established in RCW 19
43.216.802, adjusted for family size, and is from a household with a 20
parent who is a military member. 21
S-3607.1
SENATE BILL 5907
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Nobles, Wagoner, Alvarado, Chapman, Conway, Krishnadasan,
Liias, Lovick, Orwall, Riccelli, Salomon, Shewmake, and C. Wilson
Prefiled 12/17/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
p. 1 SB 5907
(2) Children enrolled in the early childhood education and 1
assistance program pursuant to this section must be prioritized for 2
available funded slots according to a prioritization system adopted 3
in rule by the department that considers ((risk)):4
(a) Risk factors that have a disproportionate effect on 5
kindergarten readiness and school performance, including:6
(((a))) (i) Family income as a percent of the state median 7
income; 8
(((b))) (ii) Child welfare system involvement; 9
(((c))) (iii) Domestic violence; 10
(((d))) (iv) English as a second language; 11
(((e))) (v) Expulsion from an early learning setting;12
(((f))) (vi) A parent who is incarcerated; 13
(((g))) (vii) A parent with a behavioral health treatment need; 14
and 15
(((h))) (viii) Other risk factors determined by the department to 16
be linked by research to school performance; and17
(b) Additional factors affecting households with a military 18
member parent, including:19
(i) A military member parent who is currently deployed or has 20
scheduled deployment within the current school year; and21
(ii) A military member parent who is a single custodial parent.22
(3) Children enrolled in the early childhood education and 23
assistance program under this section are not considered eligible 24
children as defined in RCW 43.216.505 and are not considered to be 25
part of the state-funded entitlement required in RCW 43.216.556.26
(4) For purposes of this section, "military member" means an 27
active member of the United States armed forces, a member of a 28
military reserve component, or a member of the national guard, who is 29
either stationed in or a resident of Washington state.30
(5) This section expires August 1, 2030. 31
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.216 32
RCW under the subchapter heading "early childhood education and 33
assistance" to read as follows: 34
(1) The department shall adopt rules that allow the enrollment of 35
children in the early childhood education and assistance program, as 36
space is available and subject to appropriated funding, when the 37
child: 38
(a) Is not eligible under RCW 43.216.505; 39
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(b) Is from a household with a parent who is a military member; 1
and 2
(c) Has a family income level above 50 percent of the state 3
median income but at or below the maximum household income for 4
working connections child care eligibility as established in RCW 5
43.216.802, adjusted for family size. 6
(2) Children enrolled in the early childhood education and 7
assistance program pursuant to this section must be prioritized for 8
available funded slots according to a prioritization system adopted 9
in rule by the department that considers: 10
(a) Risk factors that have a disproportionate effect on 11
kindergarten readiness and school performance, including:12
(i) Family income as a percent of the state median income;13
(ii) Child welfare system involvement; 14
(iii) Domestic violence; 15
(iv) English as a second language; 16
(v) Expulsion from an early learning setting; 17
(vi) A parent who is incarcerated; 18
(vii) A parent with a behavioral health treatment need; and19
(viii) Other risk factors determined by the department to be 20
linked by research to school performance; and 21
(b) Additional factors affecting households with a military 22
member parent, including: 23
(i) A military member parent who is currently deployed or has 24
scheduled deployment within the current school year; and25
(ii) A military member parent who is a single custodial parent.26
(3) Children enrolled in the early childhood education and 27
assistance program under this section are not considered eligible 28
children as defined in RCW 43.216.505 and are not considered to be 29
part of the state-funded entitlement required in RCW 43.216.556.30
(4) For purposes of this section, "military member" means an 31
active member of the United States armed forces, a member of a 32
military reserve component, or a member of the national guard, who is 33
either stationed in or a resident of Washington state.34
Sec. 3. RCW 43.216.514 and 2021 c 199 s 507 are each amended to 35
read as follows: 36
(1)(a) The department shall prioritize children for enrollment in 37
the early childhood education and assistance program who are eligible 38
pursuant to RCW 43.216.505. 39
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(b) A child who is eligible at the time of enrollment in the 1
early childhood education and assistance program maintains program 2
eligibility until the child begins kindergarten. 3
(2) As space is available, children may be included in the early 4
childhood education and assistance program pursuant to ((RCW 5
43.216.512)) section 2 of this act. 6
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. Sections 2 and 3 of this act take effect 7
August 1, 2030.8
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