Washington State Early Learning Facilities Grants

25 Mar

Overview

The Washington State Early Learning Facilities (ELF) Grant Program provides money to eligible organizations for planning, renovation, purchase, and construction of childcare facilities. Established in 2017, the program aims to increase the supply of high-quality childcare for young children in childcare deserts across Washington State, while also helping existing providers meet health and safety standards so they can continue operating.

Why It Matters

Childcare providers often cannot afford to establish, renovate, or expand their physical facilities due to high costs and limited funding. This facility infrastructure gap directly limits the availability of childcare slots.

Additionally, smaller providers often must close when they are unable to afford required health and safety upgrades to aging facilities. The high demand for smaller Early Learning Facilities (ELF) grants for renovation, specifically — 179 applications requesting $21 million for only $7 million available — underscores this critical need.

By targeting facility infrastructure gaps through strategic capital investments, the ELF program increases childcare availability in the communities facing the greatest need.

Quick Facts

Core Model: Competitive grants for facility development
Notable Feature: Prioritizes support for rural communities, where childcare shortages are most acute and 86% of non-working parents cite childcare as a barrier to employment
Launch Date: 2017
Eligibility: Childcare providers and other community organizations serving low-income children
Current Funding: $49,106,000 from the 2023-2025 biennium funding cycle, including $42,050,000 for major projects and $7,056,000 for smaller health and safety renovations
Participants:
- Projects: 113 projects total in 2023-2025: 49 major projects and 64 renovation projects
Program Coverage: Statewide, with emphasis on underserved areas

Background

The ELF program was established in 2017 to address Washington's critical need for high-quality childcare facilities. The initiative focuses on expanding childcare capacity through targeted investments in facility development, renovation, and acquisition.

The program began with a $10 million gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and has expanded to over $180 million in total funding awarded since inception. In the 2023-2025 funding cycle alone, the state allocated $49.1 million, demonstrating significant state commitment to the program. It now operates through four specific funding mechanisms: competitive grants for eligible organizations, competitive grants for public school districts, direct legislative appropriations for special projects, and a dedicated grant and loan program operated by community-based financial institutions. The program has created or saved over 12,500 childcare slots since 2017.

How it Works

The program operates through four funding mechanisms:

Competitive grants for eligible organizations
Competitive grants for public school districts and tribal compact schools
Direct legislative appropriations
Grant and loan program operated with community financial partners

The Washington State Department of Commerce administers the program in collaboration with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Additional partners include the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and community-based financial institutions like the Washington Community Reinvestment Association. Projects are funded on a competitive basis, evaluated by potential impact, sustainability, and commitment to serving low-income children.

The program prioritizes projects in rural locations, low-income neighborhoods, and childcare deserts to address the severe childcare shortages in these areas.

Key Features

Flexible Program Design: Funds a wide range of organizations — including childcare providers, housing developers, schools, governments, tribes, and faith-based groups — to better meet community needs, such as extended hours for parents working non-traditional schedules in agriculture and warehousing
Supports Diverse Infrastructure Needs: Offers multiple funding categories to meet various needs — from small health and safety renovations (average grant $110,250) to pre-development planning ($20,000 maximum) and major construction — with over half of recent projects supporting smaller providers with critical health and safety upgrades
Targeted Support: Prioritizes facilities in rural communities, where 86% of non-working parents cite childcare as a barrier to employment and families often travel longer distances for care or childcare deserts where demand exceeds supply
Quality Assurance: Requires a ten-year commitment to providing childcare services and participation in Washington's Early Achievers quality rating system, ensuring long-term community benefits and high standards

Policy Levers

Funding Appropriations: State legislators allocated $49,106,000 total in the 2023-2025 funding cycle
Eligibility Parameters: Legislators established broad eligibility criteria to include diverse provider types while ensuring focus on children from lower-income households
Quality Standards: Program requires participation in Early Achievers quality rating system, ensuring public funds support high-quality childcare environments
Administrative Structure: The Department of Commerce administers the program in consultation with DCYF and other partners through an Advisory Group

Results

The ELF program has demonstrated significant impact since its inception:

Capacity Expansion: Created or saved over 12,500 childcare slots statewide through more than $180 million in awarded funding since 2017
Rural Impact: Funded facilities in rural communities including Pullman, Eastsound, Walla Walla, Port Townsend, Shelton, Hoquiam, Raymond, Chehalis, and Valley. For example, Valley Early Learning Center secured $1.1 million in grant funding toward construction of a permanent facility that could increase its capacity by 60%.
Boosting Parent Choice: Funding has been distributed to a wide variety of provider types—including YMCAs, community centers, faith-based organizations, tribal facilities, and both non-profit and for-profit businesses — creating a diverse marketplace that enables parents to select a childcare option that best fits the needs of their family.
Recent Impact: In March 2024, $30.4 million was awarded to 42 providers, creating 2,422 new childcare slots across 15 counties