Washington state will open about 2,400 new free slots in the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, or ECEAP, for 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families. The expansion, planned for the 2026–27 school year, will be the first major result of the state’s 10-year partnership with the Ballmer Group. The funding is intended to support not only preschool instruction, but also meals, medical and mental health services, and assistance for parents.
For a family whose preschooler cannot yet read and whose adults are trying to balance work, commuting and child care costs, a preschool slot represents not an abstract education reform but several predictable hours each day. That everyday shortage of time and affordable care is precisely what Washington’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, or ECEAP, aims to reduce. Established in 1985, it was designed as a state preschool program for children who face the greatest obstacles to beginning school on equal footing.
On Sept. 21, Gov. Bob Ferguson and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families announced that the new slots would be offered at 42 new centers as well as through existing ECEAP providers. In total, the expansion will affect 105 active program sites. For the 2026–27 school year, the state and Ballmer Group will provide early education providers with more than $251 million.
The figure of 2,400 slots became final after a more optimistic summer projection. In June, the department had said it expected about 2,500 slots at 54 new locations; at the time, it also expected the overall expansion — including 250 slots funded by the Legislature — to reach approximately 2,600 slots. Some organizations later returned funds: Some were unable to find staff, while others encountered unforeseen difficulties opening classrooms. The situation is a reminder that money alone does not create educators, licensed facilities or stable teams.
Even so, the current result exceeds the state’s initial goal of enrolling at least 2,000 additional children in the program’s first year. Before the expansion, ECEAP served more than 14,000 children at 463 sites across Washington. The new classrooms may operate in licensed child care centers, family child care homes and schools — places where parents can more easily fit preschool into the familiar routines of their communities.
ECEAP is more than free child care. Classes may last from 2½ to 10 hours a day, four or five days a week. The program combines preparation in reading, math and science with the development of social and emotional skills. Families also receive support related to health, nutrition, children’s mental well-being and family goals. This “whole-child” approach is especially important for families who need preschool not only as a child’s first classroom, but also as a connection to medical and social services.
Children from families with incomes up to 36% of the state median income are eligible first. Previously, that meant an annual income of roughly $50,000 or less for a family of four; the thresholds may change along with annual income calculations. Priority is also given to children experiencing homelessness, children with special educational needs and those who have participated in other early intervention programs. Families apply directly to local ECEAP providers, and enrollment depends both on eligibility and on the availability of slots in a particular community.
The expansion is based on a grant from Ballmer Group, founded by Connie and Steve Ballmer. On Nov. 12, 2025, the organization pledged to provide up to $170 million a year for 10 years — potentially more than $1 billion — to create as many as 10,000 additional slots in the full-day ECEAP model. In March, the governor signed legislation establishing the PreK Promise Account, allowing the state to accept and distribute the private funds through the public system.
The agreement comes with an important condition: The philanthropic money must expand, not replace, public funding. If the state reduces its own ECEAP commitments, Ballmer Group funding could be at risk. During a period of budget difficulties, the new project is both a generous gift and a test of political will: Washington has a rare opportunity to move quickly toward a long-standing goal — guaranteeing free, high-quality preschool to every child who qualifies.
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