DCYF Early Childhood Equity Grant
DCYF Early Childhood Equity Grant supports Washington early learning and parent support providers with projects that foster inclusive, culturally responsive care and a more equitable early learning system.
Funder: Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Due Dates: December 22, 2026, at 5 p.m. (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $100–$50,000, depending on provider type, for one year
Summary: Supports inclusive, culturally and linguistically responsive early learning and parent support programs across Washington.
Key Information: Recipients must attend a free technical assistance session and pass a knowledge check before receiving funds.
Description
The Early Childhood Equity Grant is administered by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) under the Fair Start for Kids Act, passed in 2021. It supports inclusive and culturally and linguistically specific early learning, early childhood, and parent support programs statewide. The goal is to make Washington’s early learning system more equitable and expand children’s access to diverse care that meets their needs.
Projects must advance an eligible outcome: preventing racial disparities in discipline, increasing research-informed social-emotional teaching, strengthening culturally and linguistically responsive practices while reducing classroom bias, offering ongoing child assessment and developmental screening, or connecting families to needed services. Other projects may incorporate inclusive or culturally and linguistically relevant practices into program design, delivery, education, training, or evaluation.
