{"id":8104,"date":"2026-01-20T09:05:05","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T17:05:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/nobles\/?p=8104"},"modified":"2026-01-20T09:05:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T17:05:05","slug":"nobles-bill-expanding-eceap-access-for-military-families-heard-in-committee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/nobles\/2026\/01\/20\/nobles-bill-expanding-eceap-access-for-military-families-heard-in-committee\/","title":{"rendered":"Nobles bill expanding ECEAP access for military families heard in committee"},"content":{"rendered":"

OLYMPIA \u2014\u00a0Bipartisan l<\/span>egislation expanding access to the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) for children from military families<\/span>\u00a0was\u00a0heard Tuesday in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Senate Bill 5907<\/span><\/b><\/a>, sponsored by Sen.\u00a0T\u2019wina\u00a0Nobles\u00a0(D-Fircrest),<\/span>\u00a0would allow children from households with a military-member parent to enroll in ECEAP as space is available, even if they do not otherwise meet standard eligibility criteria.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Under current law, children whose family income is above 36%\u00a0and at or below 50%\u00a0of the state median income may enroll in ECEAP on a space-available basis if they meet at least one qualifying risk factor. SB 5907 adds eligibility for children from households with a military-member parent within those income thresholds and further expands eligibility to children from military families with incomes above 50%\u00a0of state median income and up to the maximum income level for Working Connections Child Care, subject to available funding.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The bill also updates prioritization criteria to account for factors affecting military families, including parental deployment status and single custodial military parents. Children enrolled under these provisions would not be considered part of the state-funded entitlement for ECEAP.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For purposes of the bill, a military member is defined as an active-duty member of the United States armed forces, a member of a reserve\u00a0component, or a member of the Washington National Guard who is stationed in or a resident of Washington state. The provisions\u00a0would\u00a0take effect Aug.\u00a01, 2030.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cECEAP is a critical early learning program, and this bill ensures it can better serve military families whose childcare needs don\u2019t always align with standard eligibility rules,\u201d Nobles said. \u201cSB 5907 creates flexibility within the existing program so military families can access care when space is available.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to thank Sen. Nobles for sponsoring this legislation! Military families face unique challenges \u2014 frequent relocations, long deployments, inconsistent childcare access, and limited extended family support. These things all directly\u00a0impact\u00a0young children\u2019s stability and well-being,\u201d said Joel Ryan, executive director of the Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP. \u201cHer legislation will allow these families to obtain safe, stable, and affordable childcare for\u00a0their\u00a0children by making it easier for military families to enroll their kids in ECEAP. I really appreciate her continuing advocacy for both ECEAP and military families!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Follow\u00a0the bill\u2019s\u00a0progress\u00a0<\/span>here<\/span><\/b><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OLYMPIA \u2014\u00a0Bipartisan legislation expanding access to the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) for children from military families\u00a0was\u00a0heard Tuesday in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.\u00a0 Senate Bill 5907, sponsored by Sen.\u00a0T\u2019wina\u00a0Nobles\u00a0(D-Fircrest),\u00a0would allow children from households with a military-member parent to enroll in ECEAP as space is available, even if they do not otherwise meet standard eligibility criteria.\u00a0 Under current law, children whose family income is above 36%\u00a0and at or below 50%\u00a0of the state median income may enroll in ECEAP on a space-available basis if they meet at least one qualifying risk factor. SB 5907 adds eligibility…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":8105,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-release"],"yoast_head":"\nNobles bill expanding ECEAP access for military families heard in committee - Sen. 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T\u2019wina Nobles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"OLYMPIA \u2014\u00a0Bipartisan legislation expanding access to the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) for children from military families\u00a0was\u00a0heard Tuesday in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee.\u00a0 Senate Bill 5907, sponsored by Sen.\u00a0T\u2019wina\u00a0Nobles\u00a0(D-Fircrest),\u00a0would allow children from households with a military-member parent to enroll in ECEAP as space is available, even if they do not otherwise meet standard eligibility criteria.\u00a0 Under current law, children whose family income is above 36%\u00a0and at or below 50%\u00a0of the state median income may enroll in ECEAP on a space-available basis if they meet at least one qualifying risk factor. 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