Washington State’s early childhood education landscape is poised for a dramatic transformation, thanks to a landmark philanthropic commitment from the Ballmer Group, the foundation established by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie. On November 12, 2025, the Ballmer Group announced it will donate up to $170 million per year over the next decade to expand the state’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), a move that could add as many as 10,000 new preschool slots for low-income children across Washington.
This extraordinary pledge comes at a time when the state’s early learning sector has been reeling from budget cuts and ongoing uncertainty over federal funding. ECEAP, established in 1985 and modeled after the federal Head Start program, currently serves just over 14,000 children ages 3 and 4 at more than 460 locations statewide. The program offers free preschool and wrap-around support services to families who earn less than 36% of the state median income—about $50,000 annually for a family of four—or who meet other criteria such as homelessness or having a child with disabilities.
The significance of the Ballmer Group’s donation was underscored by Governor Bob Ferguson, who announced the news at the Denise Louie Education Center in Seattle. Calling the gift "truly transformative," Ferguson remarked, "It’d be hard to quantify how significant that investment will be for our state." He expressed optimism about enrolling an additional 2,000 children in ECEAP as early as the next school year, with the first expanded slots likely to appear in the 2026-27 academic year. "But we are going to be moving heaven and earth to make that happen," Ferguson said, acknowledging the logistical challenges ahead.
The Ballmer Group’s commitment is not without conditions. The state has pledged not to make further budget cuts to ECEAP for the next ten years—a crucial stipulation given the recent financial turbulence. Earlier in 2025, facing a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall, Washington lawmakers slashed about $60 million from ECEAP, eliminating roughly 2,000 slots and ending funding for a toddler program that served nearly 200 families. Cuts also affected the state’s Complex Needs grant fund, which supports providers serving children with disabilities, developmental delays, and behavioral issues. Many of the eliminated slots were unfilled, a symptom of staffing shortages and the ongoing struggle to attract and retain qualified early childhood educators.
These local struggles have been compounded by federal headwinds. As reported by multiple outlets, including The Seattle Times and The Spokesman-Review, the Trump administration has taken steps in recent years to withhold and even threaten the elimination of Head Start funding, which serves around 15,000 children in Washington. The threat of a government shutdown has also loomed over federal funding, affecting programs that serve more than 3,100 Head Start students in the state.
Amid this climate of uncertainty, the Ballmer Group’s investment is being hailed as a lifeline. Andi Smith, the organization’s executive director for Washington, said, "We at Ballmer Group have been inspired by Washington state’s commitment to ensure that every eligible kiddo has access to high-quality early learning, and Ballmer Group’s role is simple: To help that vision move faster." The donation is designed to be flexible—the exact amount given each year will depend on the demand for additional slots and the availability of qualified providers. If the state increases its own investment in ECEAP during the next decade, the Ballmers have pledged to match that increase, potentially unlocking even more philanthropic funding.
The expansion, however, will not be without its hurdles. Tana Senn, secretary of the Department of Children, Youth and Families, emphasized that workforce shortages remain a significant barrier. "Staffing is always an issue, so I don’t want to downplay that," Senn told The Seattle Times. Providers must meet high-quality standards under ECEAP requirements, and the sector has long struggled with high turnover and the costs associated with starting new programs. As Senn noted, the Ballmer Group’s decade-long commitment offers some stability, allowing providers to plan for the future rather than being at the mercy of fluctuating state budgets.
Legislative action will be required before the funds can be deployed. Ferguson is working with Sen. Claire Wilson and Rep. Steve Bergquist to introduce legislation that would create a dedicated state account to accept the Ballmer Group’s donation. "We’ll all be working together closely to make sure that this gets to my desk for signature," Ferguson said. The governor, who took office earlier this year, has repeatedly cited child care and early learning as top concerns among Washingtonians, noting, "I heard about the need for more child care over and over again."
The impact of ECEAP is well documented. According to a 2022 report by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, children who participate in the program are more likely to be "kindergarten ready" and less likely to require special education services in the early grades compared to eligible children who did not attend. However, the research also found that these early advantages do not necessarily translate into higher test scores or graduation rates later on—a reminder of the complex, long-term nature of educational equity.
Community voices have added a deeply personal dimension to the policy discussion. Governor Ferguson shared that his youngest child, who is autistic, benefitted from ECEAP services, helping them to socialize, integrate, and eventually become verbal. "My youngest presents as a neurotypical teen, is kind, relatively happy. College-bound. Thank you, Ballmer Group," Ferguson said. Another parent echoed this gratitude, recalling, "My now 35 year old son went to ECEAP and I've always been grateful. We couldn't afford preschool and he wouldn't have gone otherwise. ECEAP gave him a great start and he always did well in school. I'm sure that's not a coincidence."
The Ballmer Group’s philanthropy is not new to Washington’s education sector. In 2023, the foundation gave $38 million to the University of Washington to fund more than 1,500 scholarships for students studying early childhood education. This latest commitment, however, is unprecedented in its scale and ambition. Joel Ryan, executive director of the Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP, told The Spokesman-Review, "I’m elated, I think it’s terrific, particularly since we continue to face a really difficult budget situation in Olympia."
Looking forward, the Ballmer Group has signaled a willingness to consider extending its support beyond the initial ten-year period, pending a review of the program’s impact. As Andi Smith put it, "I think that we need to get in for five years, and say, ‘How is this going? How’s expansion going, and is this something that we should renew?’" For now, the focus is on ramping up capacity, enrolling new students, and ensuring that the promise of high-quality preschool becomes a reality for thousands more Washington families.
As the state and its philanthropic partners embark on this ambitious expansion, the stakes could hardly be higher. The next decade will test whether public-private partnerships can bridge the gaps left by shrinking public budgets and shifting political winds—offering a new model for how communities invest in their youngest citizens.
