(1) Once contractors have established a pool of children who are eligible or allowed for enrollment, contractors must prioritize the children for available funded ECEAP slots.
(2) The department establishes an ECEAP prioritization system based on priority points attributed to each child who is eligible or allowed for enrollment. This system is updated periodically as related research becomes available. The most current prioritization system is accessible at https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/services/early-learning-providers/eceap/contractors/direct-service-staff/enrollment and is incorporated into the early learning management system (ELMS) which manages ECEAP eligibility and enrollment.
(4) Priority points are awarded for:
(a) Child welfare system involvement;
(b) Homelessness;
(c) Family income calculated as a percentage of the federal poverty level;
(d) Four-year olds who are within one year of kindergarten eligibility;
(e) Limited-English proficiency which shall have the same meaning as the phrase "English as a second language" under RCW
43.216.512;
(f) Individualized education program (IEP);
(g) Suspected or diagnosed developmental delay or disability for a child without an IEP;
(h) Incarcerated parent;
(i) Child's previous expulsion from an early learning setting due to behavior;
(j) Family domestic violence;
(k) Family substance abuse;
(l) Family mental illness;
(m) Other risk factors determined by the department to be linked by research to school performance.