Our Program
The Early Learning Facilities program supports Washington’s commitment of developing additional high quality early learning opportunities for low-income children. The goal of this program is to enable Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP) contractors and child care providers to expand, remodel, purchase, or construct early learning facilities and classrooms necessary to support state-funded early learning opportunities for low-income children.
Commerce’s Early Learning Facilities Grant program consists of four parts:
• Direct appropriations from the legislature
• A grant and loan program operated by a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI)
• A competitive grant program
• A K-12 school program
Update: 2017-19 Grant Results
Below is a list of the Early Learning Facilities Grant awardees:
Facilities pre-design grants:
• Bellingham Technical College – Bellingham – $10,000
• Kalispel Indian Community of the Kalispel Reservation – Cusick – $10,000
• Okanogan County Child Development Association – Omak – $10,000
• Opportunity Council Deemer Road Early Learning Facility – Bellingham – $10,000
• Opportunity Council Villa Santa Fe Early Learning Facility – Bellingham – $10,000
• Tulalip Tribes of Washington – Tulalip – $10,000
• Whatcom Family YMCA – Bellingham – $10,000
Renovation/construction/purchasing facilities grants:
• Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center – Tacoma – $800,000
• Learning Land Kent Campus – Kent – $500,000
• YMCA of Greater Seattle – Redmond – $647,820
• Chelan Douglas Child Services Association – Wenatchee – $800,000
• Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center – Spokane – $175,000
• Skagit Valley College – Mount Vernon – $800,000
• Family Support Center of South Sound – Olympia – $800,000
• Centralia College – Centralia – $800,000
• Lydia Place – Bellingham – $200,000
• Squaxin Island Child Development Center/Squaxin Island Tribe – Shelton – $73,300
Program Eligibility
The Early Learning Facilities program, funds projects for only eligible organizations and K-12 school districts.
Eligible Organizations
Eligible organizations may apply for grants through a competitive application process directly with Commerce or a grant or a loan through a CDFI. Commerce has selected a three CDFI partnership of Enterprise Community Partners, Craft 3, and the Washington Community Reinvestment Association. We are currently working to get under contract with them and will provide more information once resources are available.
Download the 2017-2019 Eligible Organizations Early Learning Facilities Grant Program Guidelines. (PDF)
Eligible organizations include:
• ECEAP providers
• Working Connections Child Care providers who are eligible to receive state subsidies
• Licensed early learning centers not currently participating in ECEAP, but intend to do so
• Developers of housing and community facilities
• Community and technical colleges
• Educational Service Districts (ESD)
• Local governments
• Federally recognized tribes in the state
• Religious affiliated entities.
Our capital grants cover:
• No more than $10,000 for facility pre-design
• No more than $100,000 for minor renovations and repairs
• No more than $800,000 for major construction, major renovation, and facility purchase
School Districts
Commerce, in collaboration with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, will submit a ranked and prioritized list of school district early learning facilities projects to the legislature for future funding. This list will be provided to the legislature by September 15. These projects will be selected from a competitive round of applications.
Activities eligible for funding include:
• No more than $800,000 for major construction, purchase, and renovation
Download the 2017-2019 K-12 School District Early Learning Facilities Grant Program Guidelines (PDF).
Online application for ELF Grant is now closed
The 2017-2019 ELF program online application is now closed.
How you can learn more about our program
Please click here to view the Skype webinar from June 27, 2018, and here to review a transcript of the question and answer portion of the webinar. You can also review our ELF Frequently Asked Questions document (PDF) for additional information about the program.
If you have any questions, please email earlylearningfacilities@commerce.wa.gov.
Related Law
Questions?
Program Staff
Department of Commerce
Katrina Perez
Katrina.Perez@commerce.wa.gov
Phone: 360-725-3024
Pat Gibbon
Patricia.Gibbon@commerce.wa.gov
Phone: 360-725-3023
Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Tracie Kenney
tracie.kenney@del.wa.gov
Phone: 360-407-3660