Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP)

The Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) is a free preschool program for eligible children and their families. ECEAP focuses on the well-being of the whole child by providing nutrition, health, education, and family support services. The goal of ECEAP is to help all children enter kindergarten ready to succeed.

ECEAP provides:

• Early childhood education in full-day or extended-day classrooms.
• Social and emotional development
  • Nutritious meals and snacks
• Health screenings and connections to medical, dental, and mental health services,
• Family support services
• Parent education and leadership opportunities

ECEAP gives priority to a child who:

• Will be in kindergarten the following year
• Is in foster care or involved with the child welfare system
• Is homeless
• Is from a family with the lowest income

Who is eligible?

Children 3 years and older or 4 years old by August 31 are accepted into ECEAP based on the following:

• From a family with an annual income at or below 110 percent of the federal poverty level; or
• Qualify for school district special education services; or
• Have developmental or environmental risk factors that could affect school success.

ECEAP long-term benefits

Nationwide, children involved in high-quality programs like ECEAP are:

• Healthier when they start kindergarten
• Less likely to be in special education or repeat a grade in school
• More likely to graduate from high school and go to college
• Less likely to become pregnant as a teen or become involved in a crime
• More likely to be employed and earn more as an adult.