Mission: Readiness Member Visits Washington State Capitol to Advocate for ECEAP

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Eleanor Valentin met with key lawmakers to discuss programs that set kids up for success and strengthen national security

- Mission: Readiness
January 19, 2023
Investing in the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) Can Improve Military Readiness

Factsheet

On January 23, Mission: Readiness member Rear Admiral (Ret.) Eleanor Valentin, U.S. Navy, met with legislators at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia to discuss the importance of the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) and how it relates to our national security.

Seventy percent of young adults ages 17-24 in Washington do not qualify for the military, due to multiple factors, with the main barriers including: no high school diploma, not meeting the minimum score on the military’s entrance exam, a history of crime or substance abuse, and/or obesity. Both military and civilian careers require proficiency in reading, writing, and math, as well as “executive function” skills like communication and problem solving.

If we do not address such problems early on in children’s lives, the nation risks shortages of qualified recruits and our state’s military and business employers will face an ongoing “skills gap.” Admiral Valentin shared her perspective on this critical data with five lawmakers, all of whom have a background in the military, law enforcement, or public safety.

Research shows if we invest early in proven, high-quality programs like ECEAP, children will be more ready for kindergarten and have greater success throughout their K-12 experience. For example, a Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) study concluded the impact of ECEAP on later student test scores is nearly twice the average effect of pre-k programs in other states. Investing in and expanding access to high-quality early learning programs can broaden career paths in a variety of sectors for Washington’s most vulnerable children.

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Eleanor Valentin, U.S. Navy (left) discussed the benefits of ECEAP with newly elected Washington State Rep. Travis Couture, Assistant Ranking Minority Member of the House Human Services, Youth, & Early Learning committee and U.S. Navy veteran.
(Left to right) Washington State Sen. Keith Wagoner, a retired U.S. Navy Commander, Rear Admiral (Ret.) Eleanor Valentin, U.S. Navy, policy fellow Shaterra Overton, and Mission: Readiness Washington Director Kristin Wiggins met about the importance of high-quality early learning programs.
On campus, Rear Admiral (Ret.) Eleanor Valentin, U.S. Navy (center) briefly spoke with Washington State Rep. Debra Entenman, who is the co-chair of the Prenatal through 5 Relational Health Subgroup to the legislatively created Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group and thanked her for support of early learning.
Rear Admiral (Ret.) Eleanor Valentin, U.S. Navy (left) discussed how ECEAP relates to national security with Washington State Rep. Brandy Donaghy, who also served in the U.S. Navy.
Rear Admiral (Ret.) Eleanor Valentin, U.S. Navy (center) thanked Washington State Sen. John Lovick, a former State Trooper, sheriff, and longtime Fight Crime: Invest in Kids member, for his long-standing leadership on early learning in both the House and Senate.
Rear Admiral (Ret.) Eleanor Valentin, U.S. Navy discussed how ECEAP addresses education barriers to military service with Washington State Rep. Dan Griffey, a former firefighter and longtime early learning champion.
Between meetings, Rear Admiral (Ret.) Eleanor Valentin, U.S. Navy visited the Washington State Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which displays the names of over one thousand state residents who did not return home from the war. The sculpture debuted in 1987 and features a prominent crack that symbolizes a break in the circle of life.