At the Department of Early Learning (DEL), we work every day to help Washington's children get ready for school and life.
Created by Governor Chris Gregoire in July 2006, DEL is the first Cabinet-level agency of its kind in the nation. Our work focuses on children's earliest years of life, offering information and resources for children's first and most important teachers – parents. With almost half a million children in Washington ages birth to six, we have a tremendous opportunity to prepare all of our youngest citizens for success.
Every day, we are honored to take action that inspires the world to discover, love, and nurture the greatness in all children.
- What we do at DEL:
- We set the rules for Washington's more than 7,400 licensed child care settings in family homes or child care centers; these businesses serve about 174,000 children. Our 85 licensing professionals around the state support child care business owners and their staff in meeting the state's rules for minimum safety and health, and take action if settings are found to be unsafe for Washington's children.
- We fund the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), a preschool program for financially stressed families. ECEAP will reach more than 8,000 four-year-olds and their families in 2008, offering classroom learning and medical, dental, and nutrition connections that involve the whole family and help prepare children for success in school and life.
- We set the rules for Working Connections Child Care (WCCC), a subsidy program that provides money to child care businesses and relatives who care for children while parents work. WCCC lets parents know their children are well cared for while they are working or looking for work. We partner with the Department of Social and Health Services, the state agency that decides who is able to receive WCCC and makes the payments to child care providers.
- DEL invests millions of dollars to support the quality of care Washington children receive from teachers and child care providers. From basic child development and licensing training, English language learning classes, to college scholarships, an apprenticeship program and a leadership institute, DEL encourages early childhood professionals to seek learning experiences that will strengthen their ability to spark the joy of learning in children.
- We invest in early reading projects in communities throughout Washington so adults use storytelling and reading with children whose brains and knowledge of words are developing. With our private partner, Thrive by Five Washington, we want to nurture the emerging reader in all children.
At DEL, we are always looking for new ways to support healthy, loving relationships between adults and children — the key to children's development.