About Us

The Foundation for Early Learning grew out of the Governor’s Commission on Early Learning and was started with a generous $10 million grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Over the first seven years, the Foundation has invested nearly $7 million in early learning programs and networks in Washington.

 

The Foundation plays a key role in developing community-based initiatives that support parents as their children’s first teachers and programs to ensure that all children have access to high-quality child care. We foster an inclusive, open process for developing early learning programs, speaking openly and honestly with parents, child care providers, and community leaders to understand each community’s needs and challenges. By thinking out-of-the-box, we help create unique solutions that are tailored specifically to the needs of each community.

 

As a member of local, regional and national networks, we know that great ideas come from taking creative risks. At the Foundation, we seek input from a broad base of parents, educators, experts, and interested community members. The result? Dozens of unique programs, satisfied parents, and thousands of children guaranteed to be school ready by the time they enter kindergarten.