What’s the DEEL? Department of Education and Early Learning

Department of Education and Early Learning

DEEL Provides Take-Home Activity Kits to Support Early Learning and Healthy Child Development Throughout Pandemic

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Contributors: Gabriella Caferro, QPPD Administrative Specialist and Early Learning Coaches Emily Zartman, Fanny Yang, Aaron Jeffers, Shawn Harris, Katie Culler, Amina Sudduth

Preschoolers at First Place School pose for a photo with their DEEL home learning kits in September 2020! Pictured on the left is Sumaya with her parent Semera Hussein; on the right is Zainab. 
Preschoolers at First Place School pose for a photo with their DEEL home learning kits in September 2020! Pictured on the left is Sumaya with her parent Semera Hussein; on the right is Zainab. 

As the summer comes to an end, DEEL is shining a light on how schools and community-based organizations prepared students for in-person learning for their return to classrooms this fall. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting several programs that provided increased academic, social and emotional learning opportunities that support student wellness and success. In this article, we feature Seattle Preschool Program’s home learning kits which provided families with materials to support their child’s learning and development from home throughout the pandemic.  

When the pandemic began, keeping 3- and 4-year-olds engaged through remote learning proved to be a challenge for parents and teachers. Early learning research shows us that at this age, children rely heavily on sensory exploration to build an understanding of the world around them. Interacting with tangible objects makes important sensory connections in children’s brains and builds important foundations for learning and development. As the rich learning environment of preschool classrooms was altered to a virtual format, families’ access to the wide assortment of materials typically found in a preschool classroom was limited. Families and educators found themselves in new, uncharted territory.  

To address this need for Seattle’s youngest learners, the Department of Education and Early Learning’s (DEEL) Quality Practice and Professional Development (QPPD) team developed home-learning kits for children enrolled in DEEL-sponsored early learning programs such as birth-to-three services, Seattle Preschool Program (SPP), and SPP Pathway programs to increase parent engagement in their child’s learning and support healthy childhood development from home.  

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Child Care Recognition Payment Applications Are Open Now!

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Are you an administrator or child care provider at a DCYF-licensed family child care or center based program located within the boundaries of the City of Seattle?  If so, you may be eligible to apply for a child care recognition payment!

In appreciation of the valuable work Seattle home-based and center-based child care workers have been performing during the COVID-19 public health emergency, the City of Seattle allocated over $2.9M from the Seattle Rescue Plan to offer child care workers a recognition payment. The Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) is proud to partner with Child Care Resources (CCR) to distribute these funds. The Seattle Childcare Business Coalition (SCBC), in collaboration with the Economic Opportunity Institute, was instrumental in the development of this opportunity and passionately advocated on behalf of childcare workers.

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DEEL Announces $1.45 Million in Funding to Support Parents and Children Ages 0-3

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NEWS RELEASE 

Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor 

Dwane Chappelle, Director 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

August 31, 2021  

Contact: Sage Leibenson, sage.leibenson@seattle.gov, 206.507.6701    

Announcing $1.45 Million in Funding to Support Parents and Children Ages 0-3

DEEL’s new Prenatal-To-Three Community Grant Program is now accepting applications from community-based organizations 

SEATTLE (August 31) – This week, the Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) announced a new Prenatal-to-Three Community Grant Program which will invest $1.45 million in equitable birth outcomes and increased early childhood development services for Black, indigenous, people of color, refugee and immigrant families. Programs eligible for funding can include, but are not limited to, maternal health services, pregnancy support and parent education for families who are expecting or are current parents of children ages 0-3. Funding will be awarded through a competitive request for investment process, with up to $150,000 available per awardee. 

The Prenatal-to-Three Community Grant Program is funded through the City of Seattle’s Sweetened Beverage Tax (SBT). Approved by City Council in May 2017, SBT tax revenue funds programs that increase access to nutritious food and supports child health, development and learning. This grant will reduce race-based opportunity gaps by funding organizations that provide parents of color with supportive resources and services to support child development and kindergarten readiness. 

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Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) Provider Facilities Fund Request for Investment (RFI) is now OPEN!

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Funding Announcement: SPP Provider Facilities Fund. Visit "Funding Opportunities" at seattle.gov/education to learn more!

The Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) Provider Facilities Fund Request for Investment (RFI) is now OPEN!

The Department of Education and Early Learning is excited to announce the opening of the SPP Providers Facilities Fund Request for Investment (RFI) funding opportunity as part of the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy, passed by voters in 2018. 

To be considered for funding, applicants are invited to apply by 11:59 p.m. on Monday August 9, 2021. 

  • The 2021-22 SPP Provider Facilities Fund RFI has approximately $1,200,000 available to support child care facility expansion and renovation projects for use in Seattle Preschool Program.
  • Home-, center-, and school-based providers who contract with DEEL as providers of SPP or SPP Pathway are eligible to apply.
  • Funds are awarded through a competitive application process.

DEEL will host an informational webinar on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 on the Webex platform. Webex meeting links are provided below:

SPP Facilities Fund RFI Information Session

Wednesday July 7, 2021

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Join Meeting Here

Meeting password: PQiiWs5Zq29

Or, join by phone at:

+1-206-207-1700 United States Toll (Seattle)

+1-408-418-9388 United States Toll

Access code: 146 800 0353

Click HERE to learn more about this funding opportunity and access RFI documents. 

Sixth-Annual Institute on Children, Race, and Racism Convenes 600+ Educators and Allies to Elevate Black Boy Brilliance and Joy

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Contributors: Early Learning Training Coordinator, Michelle Winters and Early Learning Coaches Fanny Yang and Aaron Jeffers

Main event image for DEEL's Spring Institute on Children, Race and Racism: Elevating the Brilliance of Black Boys on June 2-4, 2021. The images includes happy images of Black children learning and smiling together.

On June 2– 4, 2021, DEEL hosted the sixth annual Children, Race, and Racism Institute: Elevating the Brilliance of Black Boys. Too often, the work of racial equity is framed within a deficit-based context; narratives that define Black boys and whole communities and populations by their struggles and not their assets, achievements, and abilities.  This conference sought to shift that narrative and center Black boy brilliance and joy, through research, policy and practice to provide educators with knowledge and strategies to support the genius of Black boys.   

This three-day event was co-hosted by DEEL Director Dr. Dwane Chappelle and Dr. William White, Director of My Brother’s Teacher at the University of Washington, using an interactive virtual platform, Hopin. 

Over three days, a total of 639 attendees tuned in live to hear three different keynotes from national and local leaders, as well as nine workshops led by educators working in the field. Participants also heard from a youth panel from the Seattle Public Schools Student Leadership Council and visited a virtual expo/vendor hall. Audience members included educators, administrators, and directors working with children across the birth to secondary educational spectrum.  

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Seattle Preschool Program Provider Transforms School Bus into Mobile Classroom, Bringing Safe, In-Person, Individualized Instruction to Students’ Homes

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Contributors: Debra Kinsey, Early Learning Preschool Manager, and Grace Funk, South East Regional Coaching Manager 

Causey's Learning Center Educators standing outside Causey's Classroom on Wheels, waving at the camera, in December 2020.
Causey’s Learning Center Educators standing outside Causey’s Classroom on Wheels in December 2020.

As the 2020-2021 school year nears its end, DEEL is reflecting on the innovative ways our partners and providers pivoted during the pandemic to continue serving Seattle children, youth, and families. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting some of the inspiring work we’ve seen over the last year. Here is one example highlighting one of our Seattle Preschool Program providers, Causey’s Learning Center. 

During the 2020-2021 school year, the Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) looked different from previous years, with smaller class sizes, social distancing, and masked faces all around. For many families and providers, the difference was even greater—some SPP programs opted to provide family-directed remote programming for parents who were more comfortable with their children staying at home, while others offered a combination of both in-person and remote programming.   

Ruth Brown and her team at Causey’s Learning Center, an SPP provider since the program’s inception in 2015, offered remote-only programming at the start of the school year, but their innovative approach brought creative solutions right to the doorsteps of their preschoolers. They called it Causey’s Classroom on Wheels. 

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REGISTER TODAY for DEEL’s Spring Institute on Children, Race, and Racism: Elevating the Brilliance of Black Boys

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The Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning is excited to invite you to the 2021 Spring Institute on Children, Race, and Racism: Elevating the Brilliance of Black Boys.

This FREE virtual event pulls together a range of incredible speakers to share their wisdom on supporting our young learners and future leaders. Over 3 days, participants will hear from several incredible keynote speakers, attend your choice of workshops, and hear from a youth panel. Join us in this space as we listen, reflect, engage, and grow in our culturally-responsive and anti-racist practices as educators.

Conference dates & times:

Wednesday, June 2 | 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Thursday, June 3 | 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Friday, June 4 | 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Audience:

Birth-to-3, Preschool, K-12, Educators, Administrators, Directors, Support Staff, and general public

STARS/MERIT hours will be available for early learning professionals and childcare providers who attend.

The City of Seattle encourages everyone to participate in its programs and activities. For disability accommodations, materials in alternate formats, or accessibility information, contact Michelle Winters at michelle.winters@seattle.gov.

Detailed Schedule, session descriptions, and registration information available at https://www.tinyurl.com/ChildrenRaceAndRacism. 

Thank You, Seattle Child Care Providers and Educators!

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Child care providers, early learning educators, youth development workers, and K-12 teachers play an essential role in the development of our children and a strong social infrastructure. Their value has never been more apparent than during the last year, when life and learning for Seattle’s children and youth took on a drastically different format.

DEEL is deeply grateful for all of our city’s child care providers and educators for their support and nurturing care of Seattle students and families over the last year. They have supported children and families in countless ways, adapted to the challenges of remote learning, and kept students engaged and connected to their school community – and we appreciate all that they do!

In recognition of their service to families and students, Mayor Jenny Durkan has proclaimed today, May 7th, as Child Care Provider and Educator Appreciation Day.

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City Announces New Seattle Preschool Program Classrooms and Opening of 2021-2022 Applications

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This week, the City of Seattle announced that applications for the 2021-2022 school year for the Seattle Preschool Program are now open. The program also welcomed three new partner agencies and 14 new classrooms to be added in the fall, bringing the total number of SPP classrooms to 129 and total number of preschool slots to more than 2,000.  

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City Extends Childcare Copay Relief for Families through June

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Child Care Assistance Program and Seattle Parks & Recreation school-age programs accepting new enrollments with 50% off family copays in Rainier Beach, West Seattle, Magnolia, and citywide.

SEATTLE (March 11, 2021) – The City of Seattle is extending childcare copay relief for income-eligible families through June 2021 in the Department of Education and Early Learning’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and Seattle Parks and Recreation’s child care programs. Both programs are accepting new enrollments at providers and locations across the city, as more businesses prepare to open and more parents return to work.

“It has been a year since school buildings first closed and parents began navigating how to provide safe and affordable care for their children during the pandemic. Extending our childcare copay relief recognizes the long impact COVID-19 has had—and continues to have—on our families and communities, and we hope it will help relieve some of the strain parents are feeling as they continue dealing with the effects of COVID-19 on their families,” said Mayor Jenny Durkan.

“Accessible and safe childcare is integral to our economic recovery. Vaccination and childcare access, together, will help speed our efforts to safely re-open and work to recover from the COVID-19 recession and impacts. I am delighted to see the city’s childcare investments making an immediate impact for families to continue to receive this vital service, providing stability and safety for both children and their parents,” said Seattle City Council President M. Lorena González (Position 9, Citywide).

The City first announced copay relief in November, with family copays (the amount families owe after their subsidy or scholarship is applied) being waived 100 percent for the final two months of 2020. In late December, Mayor Durkan announced families would receive 50 percent off childcare copays for CCAP and SPR childcare programs from January to March, and this latest announcement extends the 50 percent copay benefit through the end of June. Income-eligible families who sign up for CCAP or who qualify for a scholarship for SPR programs will immediately receive the added assistance.

Monica, a parent whose son is enrolled in the full-day SPR school-age childcare program in Queen Anne, said, “This has been an extraordinarily stressful year financially for me, not to mention the stress of online school. The financial assistance the City has provided allows us to afford other necessities and, more importantly, to keep my son enrolled at the community center for support with his remote schooling.” 

“We’ve long known how vital high-quality, affordable childcare is for families, and this has been especially true during a challenging year when many families are facing loss of income while also needing full-day care for their school-age children,” said DEEL Director Dwane Chappelle. “We’re glad to continue making quality, affordable care more accessible as we move closer to recovery, and we want more families know about these opportunities as many begin going go back to work.”

DEEL’s Child Care Assistance Program helps low- and moderate-income working families or families with a parent attending school or a qualified job-training program to pay for child care for children ages one month through 12 years. CCAP subsidies can be used at any one of the City’s 205 participating CCAP providers.

Seattle Parks and Recreation currently offers full-day care at 17 sites for children ages 5 to 12 and provides children with remote learning supports, enrichment activities, and nutritious meals and snacks. Income-eligible families can receive a scholarship for the program, as well as the additional 50% copay assistance through June 2021. All locations currently have openings for full or partial-week care, with the highest capacity at sites in Queen Anne, Magnolia, Rainier Beach, and West Seattle.

For more information or to enroll at one of Seattle Parks & Recreation’s school-age childcare programs, call 206-615-1276 or visit the SPR website. To apply for the Child Care Assistance Program, which includes care for infants and toddlers, call 206-386-1050 or visit seattle.gov/ccap.

Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning’s mission is to transform the lives of Seattle children, youth, and families through strategic investments in education. www.seattle.gov/education

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