The waiting list for state-funded preschool has nearly doubled from last year, even though the state has added slots to the popular program, according to a statewide preschool organization.
In January, 2,610 kids across the state were waiting to enter a preschool participating in the Early Childhood Education Assistance Program. A year earlier, 1,346 children were on the program waiting list, according to state statistics.
The queue now includes 137 youngsters in the Clover Park School District in Lakewood.
Kiersten Patrick, the district’s ECEAP coordinator, said Clover Park always has a waiting list, and it’s not necessarily longer this year.
But, she added: “I’d say we’ve definitely seen an increase in homelessness. We’ve seen an increase in two-parent families working, but who still qualify based on federal poverty guidelines.”
Another factor could be growing awareness about early childhood education. “There are a lot of people who recognize this will benefit my child, the earlier I get them in,” Patrick said.
No one has to tell Fort Lewis mom Heather Way that preschool wait lists are extra long.
Last August, she put her daughter Avery on the preschool roster at Clarkmoor Elementary School on the post. After waiting seven months, Avery finally got a spot in Clarkmoor’s early childhood program last week.
“She loves school. She wants to go every day,” Way said. “She doesn’t like it when she has a day off. She talks about her friends. She picks out her (school) outfit the day before. When I got her off the bus, she wanted to stay with the bus driver.”
Clarkmoor is part of the Clover Park district, one of the largest education assistance program providers in Pierce County. The state funds 342 preschool slots for the school district, which offers the program at eight elementary schools.
ECEAP is a comprehensive program for low-income families, though it accepts some higher-income children with special needs or circumstances. It’s modeled after the federal Head Start preschool program.
Three- and 4-year-olds attend preschool classes parttime and can receive health screenings, meals and referrals.
Research has found that children receive lasting benefits from the program. The Washington State Association of Head Start & ECEAP cited a 12-year study that found participants “made significantly greater academic gains, displayed more positive behaviors, enjoyed school more, and had fewer health problems than non-ECEAP children.”
In Clover Park, preschoolers ride district buses to attend 21/2-hour class sessions four days a week. They eat a full meal and a snack at school.
Staff members visit each student’s home three times a year and provide parent and nutrition education, job support and other assistance that families need to thrive, Patrick said. For instance, staff members have connected children who have oral health problems with treatment providers at the University of Washington Medical Center.
“Some preschoolers have never been able to go to a dentist,” Patrick said. “It’s just a barrier for parents that don’t have insurance or don’t speak English.”
The state funded 1,200 more slots for preschool this year, allowing the education program to serve 8,200 children statewide. But demand has far outpaced the expansion.
“The economic downturn has meant that there is more poverty and more and more families are in need of services,” Joel Ryan, executive director of the state association, said in a news release. “This has translated into an overflow of families seeking to enroll their children in ECEAP.”
As state lawmakers work to close a nearly $9 billion shortfall in the next biennium, the association is seeking to at least maintain funding for the program. Meanwhile, the federal government’s recent stimulus package includes more money for Head Start and the Early Head Start program for newborns to age 3. It’s not yet known how funds will be distributed, the association said.
Avery doesn’t care about all that grown-up stuff. She’s just happy to be in preschool, Way said.
The family moved from Fort Hood, Texas, to Fort Lewis in July. A month later, Way’s husband was deployed to Iraq, a factor that Patrick said gives kids extra consideration in securing a spot in the program.
As the months passed, Avery stayed home with Way, a professional artist. The 5-year-old dabbled in art projects, tackled an occasional educational worksheet, and went bike riding and walking with mom.
It was a new lifestyle for the girl, who’d been in day care since she was 6 weeks old, Way said. Now that she’s at the Clarkmoor preschool, Avery is back in her element.
“She likes to be around kids and likes to learn,” her mother said. “She finds me boring.”
Debby Abe: 253-597-8694
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