Dear Friends and Neighbors,  

Thank you very much to everyone who came to our Mini Town Hall—it was so great meeting with so many of you and chatting about your legislative priorities. If there’s one thing that describes the uniqueness of the 11th district, it would have to be the diverse, active participation that you all consistently bring to the table. This mini town hall was no different, and it served as a great reminder to myself and Rep. Hackney as to what makes our district so special. Thanks to everyone who scheduled an appointment to meet with us, as well as for being such a delight for our staff. We appreciated everyone’s thoughts on current legislation and the calls for educational, environmental, and healthcare development in our region. We look forward to holding events like this in the future – providing a chance to meet face-to-face with concerned citizens proves demonstrably helpful to my work as your legislator. I’d also like to extend my deepest thanks to the owner and staff of Common Ground Coffee & Cupcakes in Downtown Renton, where the event was held. We couldn’t have asked for a more accommodating and flexible group of friendly faces (and the cupcakes were amazing)! 

The Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) is a Washington State funded, comprehensive preschool program that provides free services and support to eligible children and their families. During the first five years of life, the brain develops faster than at any other stage. In these critical years, children need to be exposed to high-quality learning experiences and have positive relationships to maximize brain development and reduce the need for interventions later in life.  

ECEAP provides early childhood care and enrichment to three- and four-year olds from families with an income at or below 36% of the state median income (SMI), or tribal children from a family with income at or below 100% SMI. It delivers kindergarten readiness outcomes for low-income children—and provides vital childcare to meet the needs of working families. Currently, this program serves about 11,000 children—and we’re working on expanding funding and eligibility. ECEAP is the state’s highest quality early learning program but costs the least in terms of ‘per child’ spending.  

However, despite increasing enrollment, there are more children eligible for ECEAP than we have slots for—and a low slot rate leaves ECEAP providers susceptible to staff turnover and workforce shortage, reducing support and increasing costs. This year, we’re focused on innovative childcare workforce solutions and funding to expand entitlement to ECEAP, with the eventual goal of full entitlement.  

College students are facing an affordability crisis barring access to education. Investing in their education will help strengthen our state’s economy and get them into family-wage jobs, increasing opportunities and strengthening workforce development.  

The College Bound Scholarship program was established in 2007 to provide a guaranteed four-year tuition to students from low-income families. Eligible students are those who qualify for free or reduced lunch programs, are independent from their parents, or are in foster care. Beginning in the seventh grade, eligible students are automatically enrolled, creating valuable accessibility to this program. This year, I’ve sponsored House Bill 1232, further expanding access to this program, and further expanding access to higher education for all students in Washington. Here are some of the other things we’re working on to strengthen access to education, provide supports to early learning, and establish safety nets for young people in our state: