I always get suspicious when a cabinet member leaves right after her boss is reelected, but the departure of Jone (pronounced like "Joan") Bosworth doesn't appear to be part of a second-term house cleaning.

"It's my choice," Bosworth said a few minutes ago. Her father died unexpectedly this year and she let Gov. Chris Gregoire she would not be around for a second term, Bosworth said.

Her last day is Jan. 9.

I take some of the blame for her leaving. Every time I plan to do a profile on a cabinet officials, they leave. True. I was half-way through my research on DOC Secretary Harold Clarke, and he announced he was leaving for Massachusetts. Now Bosworth, who had an interesting resume, includign a stint with the U.S. diplomatic corps.

Bosworth was the first every director of the state Department of Earling Learning. "I'm proud of what we've done in a little over two years," she said. "I know kids are safer in Washington because of what we've done."

All of the pre-school programs and day-care oversight were put under the new agency.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Dec. 2, 2008

DEL founding director announces resignation

OLYMPIA – Jone Bosworth, the founding director of the Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL), today announced her plans to leave the agency next month.

[More:]

“I leave DEL knowing that we’ve laid the solid foundation for great success in our state,” Bosworth said. “Because of the actions we’ve taken, children are safer, more children are school-ready, and parents have access to more information about early learning. I’m honored to have worked with DEL’s incredible staff and new partners including libraries, children’s museums, Tribal Nations, communities, and philanthropic and nonprofit groups to create services so important for our youngest citizens and our state.”

Gov. Chris Gregoire appointed Bosworth as DEL’s founding director in September 2006. DEL began operating on July 1, 2006, as a key recommendation of the governor’s Washington Learns report. It was a merger of programs from other state agencies, including the Department of Social and Health Services, the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. DEL is the first early learning department in the nation at the Governor’s Cabinet-level.

“I appointed Jone as DEL’s founding director because I knew she could provide the strong leadership needed to create this department,” said Gov. Gregoire. “I thank her for her service to Washington families, and for helping ensure children are among our state’s top priorities.”

As founding director, Bosworth sought input from Washington parents and the public to develop a five-year strategic plan for the agency, overseeing public surveys on topics including early learning public awareness, parent needs and preferences in early learning, and developing a kindergarten assessment process. She also emphasized transparency in state government through open forums in communities around the state and sharing child care licensing actions on DEL’s Web site.

Bosworth led an historic expansion and quality enhancement of the state’s

comprehensive preschool program, the Early Childhood Education and Assistance

Program. The program now serves more than 8,100 vulnerable children and is ranked among the top quality state-funded preschool programs in the nation.

She also implemented a quality improvement plan to help ensure DEL’s child care licensors are acting with better consistency, and have adequate training and better technology to work with Washington’s 7,400 licensed child care providers in offering safe, healthy places for children.

Before her appointment as DEL director, Bosworth led public agencies in Nevada and Nebraska that focused on children’s mental health, child welfare, and juvenile justice services for children and families.

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The Washington State Department of Early Learning is a Governor’s Cabinet-level state agency created in 2006 to bring heightened visibility and focus to early learning and help all Washington children reach their full potential. DEL oversees the state-funded comprehensive preschool program, child care licensing, and other initiatives and programs to support parents as children’s first and most important teachers. For more information, visit the DEL Web site at www.del.wa.gov.

For more information:

DEL Communications Manager Amy Blondin