RCW 43.216.513
Early entry—Participation in other programs. (Effective July 1, 2026.)
(1) The department shall adopt rules that allow a child to enroll in the early childhood education and assistance program, as space is available and subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, when the child is not eligible under RCW 43.216.505 and the child turns three years old at any time during the school year when the child:
(a) Has a family income at or below 50 percent of the state median income or meets at least one risk factor criterion adopted by the department in rule; and
(b) Has received services from or participated in:
(i) The early head start or a successor federal program providing comprehensive services for children from birth through two years of age;
(ii) The early support for infants and toddlers program or received class C developmental services;
(iii) The birth to three early childhood education and assistance program; or
(iv) The early childhood intervention and prevention services program.
(2) Children enrolled in the early childhood education and assistance program under this section are not eligible children as defined in RCW 43.216.505 and are not part of the state-funded entitlement required in RCW 43.216.556.
[ 2021 c 199 § 206.]
NOTES:
Findings—Intent—2021 c 199 §§ 204-208: "(1) The legislature finds that eligibility guidelines for the national school lunch program require free meals for children with household incomes at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level and that this income level is approximately equivalent to 36 percent of the state median income for a household of three. The legislature further finds that eligibility guidelines require reduced-price meals for children with household incomes at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level and that this income level is approximately equivalent to 50 percent of the state median income for a household of three.
(2) Therefore, the legislature intends to raise the maximum family income for children entitled to enroll in the early childhood education and assistance program to 36 percent of the state median income beginning July 1, 2026. Beginning in the 2030-31 school year, the legislature intends to raise the maximum family income for children entitled to enroll in this program to 50 percent of the state median income. It is the intent of the legislature to standardize income eligibility levels for assistance programs in order to help families and social workers better understand the benefits for which families qualify and to simplify and align state systems wherever feasible.
(3) The legislature further intends to support educational service districts to help school districts partner with early childhood education and assistance program contractors and providers to expand access." [ 2021 c 199 § 203.]
Effective date—2021 c 199 §§ 204-206 and 403: See note following RCW 43.216.505.
Short title—Findings—Intent—Conflict with federal requirements—2021 c 199: See notes following RCW 43.216.770.
Structure Revised Code of Washington
Title 43 - State Government—Executive
Chapter 43.216 - Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
43.216.020 - Department duties.
43.216.022 - Annual quality assurance report.
43.216.025 - Secretary—Appointment—Salary.
43.216.030 - Secretary's authority.
43.216.035 - Office of innovation, alignment, and accountability—Duties and focus.
43.216.040 - Family services and programs—Administration.
43.216.045 - Advisory committees or councils—Travel expenses.
43.216.055 - Federal and state cooperation—Rules—Construction.
43.216.060 - Policies to support children of incarcerated parents.
43.216.065 - Private-public partnership—Secretary's duties.
43.216.070 - Reports to the governor and legislature.
43.216.080 - Integration with other entities.
43.216.085 - Early achievers program—Quality rating and improvement system.
43.216.090 - Early achievers program—Mental health consultants.
43.216.091 - Early achievers program—Administrative policies—Rating and rerating.
43.216.092 - Early achievers program—Administrative policies—Various.
43.216.105 - Native language development and retention—Dual language learning—Rules.
43.216.115 - Partnership responsibilities—Department's duties—Partnership's duties.
43.216.130 - Home visiting services account—Purpose—Administration—Funding.
43.216.135 - Child care providers—Subsidy requirements—Tiered reimbursements—Copayments.
43.216.136 - Working connections child care program—Eligibility.
43.216.1368 - Working connections child care program—Eligibility—Copayments.
43.216.137 - Working connections child care program—Unemployment compensation.
43.216.139 - Working connections child care program—Notification of change in providers.
43.216.143 - Working connections child care program—Contracted child care slots and vouchers.
43.216.145 - Working connections child care—Eligibility of high school students.
43.216.155 - Home visitation programs—Findings—Intent.
43.216.157 - Home visitation programs—Definitions.
43.216.165 - Early start account.
43.216.170 - Applicants for positions with the department—Investigation and background checks.
43.216.190 - Assistance with submission of Washington state identicard application materials.
43.216.195 - Child care centers—Negotiated rule making.
43.216.200 - Imagination library of Washington program.
43.216.205 - Youth and young adults exiting publicly funded system of care—Rapid response team.
43.216.250 - Secretary's licensing duties.
43.216.255 - Licensing standards.
43.216.260 - Minimum requirements for licensure.
43.216.265 - Fire protection—Powers and duties of chief of the Washington state patrol.
43.216.271 - Background check clearance registry—Background application form.
43.216.273 - Individual-based/portable background check clearance account.
43.216.285 - Articles of incorporation.
43.216.290 - Access to agencies—Records inspection.
43.216.295 - License required.
43.216.305 - License application—Nonexpiring licenses—Issuance, renewal, transfer, duration.
43.216.315 - Initial licenses.
43.216.320 - Probationary licenses.
43.216.335 - Civil fines—Notice—Adjudicative proceeding.
43.216.345 - Adjudicative proceedings—Training for administrative law judges.
43.216.350 - License or certificate suspension—Noncompliance with support order—Reissuance.
43.216.355 - Actions against agencies.
43.216.360 - Unlicensed providers—Notification to agency—Penalty—Posting on website.
43.216.365 - Operating without a license—Penalty.
43.216.370 - Negotiated rule making.
43.216.380 - Minimum licensing requirements—Window blind pull cords.
43.216.390 - Reporting resignation or termination of individual working in child care agency.
43.216.395 - Child care inspection reports—Internal review process—Definitions—Final review.
43.216.5052 - Definition of "Indian"—Rule making.
43.216.510 - Admission and funding.
43.216.512 - Expanded enrollment—Risk factors—Participation in other programs.
43.216.513 - Early entry—Participation in other programs.
43.216.514 - Enrollment priority.
43.216.520 - Advisory committee.
43.216.530 - Review of applications.
43.216.540 - State support—Priorities—Program funding levels.
43.216.545 - Reimbursement of advisory committee expenses.
43.216.550 - Authority to solicit gifts, grants, and support.
43.216.556 - Early learning program—Funding and statewide implementation.
43.216.559 - Early learning program—Short title—2010 c 231.
43.216.565 - Findings—Intent—Early start program.
43.216.567 - Early therapeutic and preventative services and programs.
43.216.570 - Early intervention services—Findings.
43.216.576 - Early intervention services—Interagency agreements.
43.216.577 - Prenatal to three family engagement strategy.
43.216.578 - Birth to three early childhood education and assistance program—Pilot project—Reports.
43.216.579 - Infant child care incentives.
43.216.580 - Early intervention services—Funding.
43.216.587 - Complex needs funds.
43.216.590 - Trauma-informed care supports.
43.216.592 - Dual language designation—Rate enhancement.
43.216.595 - Early childhood equity grants.
43.216.597 - Play and learn groups—Resources and supports.
43.216.600 - Professional development supports.
43.216.602 - Child care deserts grant program.
43.216.650 - Child fatality reviews.
43.216.655 - Data collection and program evaluation—Reports.
43.216.660 - Child care services—Declaration of policy.
43.216.665 - Child care workers—Findings—Intent.
43.216.670 - Child care provider rules review.
43.216.675 - Child care workers—Career and wage ladder.
43.216.680 - Child care workers—Career and wage ladder—Wage increases.
43.216.685 - Child care—Toll-free information number.
43.216.687 - Child care—Required postings—Disclosure of complaints.
43.216.689 - Child care—Public access to reports and enforcement action notices.
43.216.690 - Child day care centers and outdoor nature-based child care providers—Immunization.
43.216.692 - Family home providers—Capacity flexibility.
43.216.695 - County regulation of family day-care centers—Twelve-month pilot projects.
43.216.700 - Day care insurance.
43.216.705 - Child care providers—Tiered-reimbursement system—Pilot sites.
43.216.710 - Child care services.
43.216.715 - Child care partnership employer liaison.
43.216.720 - Child care expansion grant fund.
43.216.725 - Subsidized child care report and assessment.
43.216.730 - Child care subsidy fraud—Referral—Collection of overpayments.
43.216.735 - Placement of children ages sixty months through six years.
43.216.742 - Outdoor nature-based child care program.
43.216.745 - Child care consultation program—Creation, operation, and duties.
43.216.749 - Child care subsidy rates—Use of cost model.
43.216.755 - Child care providers—Community-based training pathway.
43.216.760 - Child care and early learning providers—Firearms, dangerous weapons.
43.216.762 - Child care and early learning providers—Firearms, dangerous weapons—Rules.
43.216.770 - Fair start for kids account.
43.216.772 - Fair start for kids account—Spending goals and strategies.
43.216.775 - Inflationary adjustments to rates.
43.216.900 - Early childhood education and assistance program—Short title—1985 c 418.
43.216.901 - Contingency—Effective date—1985 c 418.
43.216.902 - Effective date—2006 c 265.
43.216.903 - Construction—Chapter applicable to state registered domestic partnerships—2009 c 521.
43.216.904 - Short title—2015 3rd sp.s. c 7.
43.216.905 - Transfer of powers, duties, and functions of the department of early learning.
43.216.906 - Transfer of child welfare provisions from the department of social and health services.
43.216.908 - Conflict with federal requirements—2017 3rd sp.s. c 6.