2 early-learning programs in state to get $8 million more

Two early-learning efforts — one in the Seattle area and one in Yakima — have received $8 million more in funding from Thrive by Five Washington and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The White Center Early Learning Initiative and East Yakima's Ready by Five each will receive $4 million over the next year. Those donations follow first-round grants last year of $11.7 million to the White Center initiative and $5 million to East Yakima.

Both initiatives are working to substantially increase high-quality learning opportunities for children from birth to age 5.

In the past year, the White Center Early Learning Initiative broke ground on an early-learning center that will open this winter. It also started the Outreach Doula program, a home-visiting program that supports Somali and Latino families with health, child-development and early-learning information.

The Yakima program worked with the Yakima School District to bring kindergartners to school two weeks early to help them get acquainted with their teachers, classmates, routines and expectations.

It also started a monthly program to help parents learn more about how to help their children learn.

Linda Shaw: 206-464-2359 or lshaw@seattletimes.com