Kindergarten Readiness

OUR GOAL: To provide age-appropriate, affordable, high-quality care for all children ages 0-5 in Walla Walla and Columbia Counties, WA and Milton-Freewater, OR. 

Expanding Early Learning & Kindergarten Readiness

 

In 2022, Elevate embarked on a project to make affordable, high-quality early learning and care accessible to all children in the Walla Walla Valley and is committed to achieving this goal through four strategic approaches:  

  1. Understanding the Local Early Learning Ecosystem  
    We assess who has access to early learning opportunities and identify gaps in service.
  2. Creating New Early Learning Opportunities  
    We develop strategies to expand access and meet the needs of children and families in the region.
  3. Disseminating Information  
    We gather data through surveys, analyze the results, and share meaningful insights to guide future decisions.
  4. Public Data Dashboard  
    We maintain a public-facing dashboard that tracks kindergarten readiness data for Walla Walla and Columbia Counties, starting from 2019. 

Strengthening Childcare: Supporting Facilities & Providers

Supporting Childcare Facilities & Providers  
Our efforts have centered on matching providers with suitable facilities. Studies conducted in 2021 and 2022 revealed key challenges like a shortage of licensed care slots, limited facility space, and a lack of capital for facility development. Our current work aims to overcome barriers associated with these challenges to support the increase of childcare slots in our area.  

Facility & Provider Matching  
In 2023, we partnered with Arrowleaf Consulting to assess and address the facility needs of early learning providers. Through engagement with 17 providers and 10 businesses, we identified potential sites for childcare facilities. In 2024, we collaborated with ESD 123 to continue our efforts in expanding childcare slots through the development of a childcare facility expansion and improve plan and expanding the childcare workforce. 

Early Learning Report


Early Learning Report - outline

Appendix A_Early Care and Learning Ecosystem

Appendix B_ Cost and Gap Analysis

Appendix C_Grants

Appendix D_Subsidies

Appendix E_Legislative Asks and Public Local Dedicated Funds

Appendix F_Community Foundations and Private Dedicated Funds

Appendix G_Other Funding Strategies

Appendix H_Methodology

Appendix I_The A-Zs of Creating a Voter-Approved Children’s Fund 

Yellow Circles