State, Corporations and Philanthropy Complete Agreement to Form Public-Private Partnership for Early Learning

SEATTLE –- The state’s top government, business and philanthropic leaders today announced the formation of Thrive by Five, the Washington Early Learning Fund. This new public-private partnership, initially funded with more than $9 million, will reward and encourage improvements in early learning that are designed to ensure all young children arrive for their first day of kindergarten ready to succeed. Partners expect funding to continue to grow. 

The board of Thrive by Five Washington will be co-chaired by Governor Chris Gregoire and Bill Gates, Sr. and will consist of bi-partisan, statewide leaders representing government, business and the nonprofit sector. 

“We know children with early learning success are more likely to finish school, more likely to go to college, less likely to be unemployed and less likely to commit crimes. They will have arrived in kindergarten ready to learn and that foundation continues to serve them throughout their school career,” said Governor Gregoire. “This partnership, which brings needed public and private resources, coordination and attention to improving early learning, is a priority for me and for Washington.”

“I’ve arrived at the critical importance of early learning late in my life,” said William H. Gates Sr., co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “I now recognize how critical the early years are in preparing children for future success at school and into adulthood. We know that the best way to accomplish lasting positive change is to collaborate with dedicated partners, and Thrive by Five Washington represents the best our state has to offer.”

Thrive by Five Washington resulted from the January 17 signing of a memorandum of understanding, which outlined a four-month planning process for public and private funders of early learning to create a statewide partnership. The partnership has been established to complement and enhance existing early learning efforts across the state, including parent education and support, childcare improvements, preschool, and other early learning opportunities. Thrive by Five Washington will serve as an intermediary for state and private funders to make pooled and aligned investments to boost access to quality, affordable early learning across the state. A Thrive by Five Web site also was launched today.

Funding guidelines are still being written, but Thrive partners will help to fuel promising early learning models in communities statewide, two demonstration communities, community education and advocacy and statewide systems building.

Two pilots, to be conducted in partnership with the State of Washington, will serve as demonstration communities for early learning and parent education programs. The community of White Center in King County has been selected to apply as the first demonstration community, and the Puget Sound Educational Service District has been nominated to implement the funding. The Puget Sound ESD has recently been awarded a planning grant of more than $700,000 to develop a full business plan along with many community partners for taking early learning to scale in White Center.

“We know that often the most innovative change for our society comes from the community level,” said Ron Sims, King County Executive. “We’re pleased that the Thrive partnership is beginning their investments on the community level, and we’re confident that some day what we’ll learn from White Center can be adopted to improve early learning quality in communities and neighborhoods across our state.”
 
Thrive by Five Washington will also be making targeted investments in promising early learning models in communities throughout Washington, with funding to support programs such as parent education that provides easy-to-understand, practical advice to help parents and caregivers in their role as the most important teachers in the first five years of a child’s life, training opportunities for childcare professionals, support programs for new parents, and quality Pre-Kindergarten programs.

Recent surveys indicate that as many of half of our state’s children begin kindergarten unprepared.

“Sadly many of our state children who start behind end up staying behind,” said State Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt. “Experts agree that investing in early learning is a smart way to save tax payer dollars in the long run by reducing school failure and crime while producing a more educated workforce.”
 
“Washington currently lags behind many other states which have made strategic investments on behalf of early learning,” said Bob Watt, vice president of government and community relations for the Boeing Company. “But now we have the opportunity to dramatically improve quality and access to early learning through local initiatives in communities across our state.”

Thrive by Five Washington joins with many other states that have focused on improving access to quality early learning as a statewide priority, including North Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma and Illinois.

Thrive by Five Washington is governed by a board of directors consisting of a broad array of funding partners from across Washington state. A steering committee has been established to provide programmatic oversight. An advisory committee representing diverse communities throughout the state will be established to help guide the partnership’s investments and programs. A national search to secure a dynamic and highly capable CEO is under way to lead the new organization.

Thrive by Five Washington is governed by the following board of directors:
 
• Gov. Christine Gregoire, co-chair
• William H. Gates, Sr., co-chair
• Alan Mulally, The Boeing Company
• Bob Watt, The Boeing Company
• Jackie Bezos, Bezos Family Foundation
• Jolene McCaw, Talaris Research Institute
• Mona Locke, Foundation for Early Learning
• Kim Ackerley Cleworth, Ginger and Barry Ackerley Foundation
• Tony Benton, Clear Channel
• Terry Bergeson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Tricia McKay, Medina Foundation
• Kevin C. Washington, Tabor 100
• Dan Kranzler, Kirlin Charitable Foundation
• Cliff Lawrence, Wells Fargo
• State Senator Mike Hewitt (R) – Senate Minority Leader
• State Representative Ruth Kagi (D) – Chair, House Family & Child Services Committee