— from Ethna Flanagan (ECEAP Manager —
San Juan County Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) is a wonderful opportunity that provides valuable enrichment for 3- and 4-year-old children, at no cost to the families.
Currently ECEAP has two full day slots open on Orcas Island and we are certainly set for growth.
Ross Hunter, the Secretary of the new Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), is a strong advocate and has set a goal to have 90% of children in Washington State ready for Kindergarten by 2022.
Who is eligible?
- Children 3 years old or 4 years old by August 31.
- A family with low annual income.
- Qualify for school district special education services; or
- Have developmental or environmental risk factors that could affect school success.
All ECEAP Preschools work with a coach on continuous quality improvement through the University of Washington Early Achievers Program.
Children attending an ECEAP qualified Preschool are stepping into a world of high quality standards of teacher-child interactions, with planned curriculum and thoughtfully designed environments.
One of the challenges we have here in the islands is the Income Eligibility, at 110% of the federal poverty level, it means monthly income can be no more than $2,300, or annually $27,610 for a family of four. According to the Living Wage Calculator a family offour need to earn $51,972 to just survive in San Juan County.
It has become increasing difficult to find income qualifying families.
We are working hard to keep these two slots within San Juan County; once they are returned to the state we may not get them back. This will hopefully help the county hang on to these preschool slots and help a family with young children.
ECEAP also offers wrap-around family support, including a Mobility Mentoring coach for the family, health screenings and nutritious meals at the school of your choice. ECEAP offers young children an excellent opportunity to build social emotional and executive functioning skills, which have proven to be the foundation of future school success.
If you would like to learn more about ECEAP or apply for one of the open preschool postions, please call Ethna Flanagan at (360) 370-0593 or email at ethnaf@sanjuancounty.com
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