The Early Learning Facilities (ELF) program supports Washington’s commitment to develop additional high quality early learning opportunities for children from low-income households. Commerce’s partners in the program are the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington Community Reinvestment Association, Enterprise Community Partners, Craft3 and the Early Learning Facilities Advisory Group.
The Early Learning Facilities (ELF) program aims to help Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) contractors and Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) providers to expand, remodel, purchase, or construct early learning facilities and classrooms necessary to support early learning opportunities for children from low-income households.
Funding availability
Commerce’s ELF program funding opportunities consists of four parts:
- Competitive grants to eligible organizations
- Competitive grants to public school districts
- Direct appropriations from the Legislature
- A grant and loan program operated by Washington Community Reinvestment Association, Enterprise Community Partners, and Craft3.
ELF funding is open to nonprofits, public entities, K-12 schools and districts, tribes and for-profit businesses. The type of eligible applicant depends on the requirements of the current funding round being released as indicated below. Nonprofit and for-profit business applicants must be registered in the State of Washington. All applicants must be able to meet all applicable licensing and certification requirements under specific RCWs and WACs pertaining to the early learning and childcare services proposed in the facilities to which the funding will be applied.
Grants made by the ELF program are for reimbursement of capital projects only. Capital project expenses include acquiring, constructing or renovating early learning facilities. Eligible cost include acquisition, design, engineering, limited third-party construction management, construction and capitalized equipment. Projects must result in a licensed facility that increases early learning opportunities for children in the State of Washington, including those from households where the income is below the poverty threshold. Please refer to the current funding round program Guidelines for more information.
The Health and Safety Minor Renovations funding round is now closed. Award notifications were delivered by email on August 22 2024. The complete list of awards is located on this page under “Funding Round Awardees.”
The Early Learning Facilities team hosted debrief webinars in English, Spanish and Somali on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, presenting the most common reasons projects were not selected for funding:
Internal resources
- 2025-2027 State Funding – Public School Districts Program Guidelines (PDF)
- 2023-2025 State Funding – Health and Safety Minor Renovations Program Guidelines (PDF)
- 2023-2025 State Funding – Eligible Organizations Guidelines (PDF)
- 2023-2025 State Funding – K-12 School Districts Guidelines (PDF)
- 2021-2023 State Funding – Eligible Organizations Guidelines (PDF)
- 2021-2023 State Funding – Direct Appropriation Guidelines (PDF)
- 2021-2023 Federal Funding – Child Care Minor Renovation Guidelines (PDF)
External resources
Department of Children, Youth, and Families
- Jody Hitchings
Pre-Licensing Unit Supervisor
jody.hitchings@dcyf.wa.gov
Phone: 360-271-4214 - Grace Ssebugwawo
Community Funded ECEAP/Early Learning Facilities Specialist
Grace.Ssebugwawo@dcyf.wa.gov
Phone: 360-701-7197 - DCYF Child Care / Early Learning Providers Technical Assistance
- DCYF Early Learning & Child Care Offices
Enterprise Community Partners
- Juanita Salinas-Aguila
Program Director Pacific Northwest
jsalinasaguila@enterprisecommunity.org
Phone: 206-223-4518 - ChildCare Aware Washington
Phone: 253-383-1735 - Listings for “Washington State Regional Coalitions for Early Learning”
- Washington Communities for Children
- USDA and HHS Joint Resource Guide – To strengthen and expand child care facilities in rural communities.