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

Department of Education and Early Learning

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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COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics Now Available at Schools for Students Ages 12+

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Vaccine Eligibility Update: Students ages 12+ and their families can now get a COVID-19 vaccine at school with parental consent.

Following the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) emergency authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for use on 12–15 year-olds, the City of Seattle has partnered with the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) and Seattle Public Schools (SPS) to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to every public middle and high school student at school sites and youth-focused community vaccination clinics before the end of the school year. These vaccination clinics do not require an appointment, and all students 12 and older are eligible to get vaccinated at each clinic with a guardian’s consent. Walk-ups are encouraged and welcomed!  

Upcoming School-Based Vaccination Pop–Ups 

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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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Seattle Preschool Grows with Help of Seattle Facilities Funds

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Tiny Tots Directors in Construction Hats
(L-R) Jacqualine Boles, Tiny Tots Director of Health and Family Services; Angelia Hicks-Maxie, Chief Executive Officer; Marcell Lyons, Childcare Compliance Officer

Angelia Hicks-Maxie got into the childcare business, in part because she loves helping kids, but also to follow in her mother’s footsteps. She had dreams to expand Tiny Tots Development Center, first founded by her mother in 1969 as an in-home child care operation, into a multisite, full-service early learning center. 

As an energetic addition to the business in the late 1990s, Hicks-Maxie had a lot of ideas. It was clear to her she would need to seek outside funds to bring those ideas to life, but finding the right sources is no easy task and growth took time.

“Without funding, preschool programs can’t grow. We’re not a profit center. In child care, you make about enough to cover your expenses and pay your staff—and not what they should be paid—and you’re struggling with that. There is no room for you to dip into a fund and say I’m going to get some capital for a new building.” 

Angelia Hicks-Maxie, SPP Provider Facilities Fund Awardee

Along the way, Angelia learned about the Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) Facilities Fund, which invests in the expansion and improvement of high-quality learning environments for participation in the City’s award-winning preschool program. SPP provides Seattle three- and four-year-olds with access to high-quality, culturally responsive preschool services that improve kindergarten readiness and support subsequent academic achievement.  

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Child Care Stabilization Awards Announced

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This week, the City of Seattle announced that 506 grants have been awarded through the Child Care Stabilization Fund to child care providers throughout Seattle, totaling over $2.3 million. Funds will be disbursed to 344 licensed child care providers and school-age only programs and to 162 family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) caregivers.  

“We’ve seen how child care providers have been impacted throughout this pandemic and yet have continued to show up for Seattle children and families,” said DEEL Director Dwane Chappelle. “I want to thank our partners at Child Care Resources for their work in supporting our providers and helping disburse these much-needed funds as quickly as possible. We look forward to continuing to support this critical industry as we make our way to recovery as a city.” 

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Call for Community Volunteers: Join the FEPP Levy Oversight Committee to advise on over $80 million in annual education investments

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Seattle Boards_Seattle DEEL_FEPP logos

The Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) is currently accepting applications for three new committee members for the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise (FEPP) Levy Oversight Committee (LOC). Interested community members are encouraged to apply through the City of Seattle Boards and Commissions website. Applications are due by Friday, March 5, 2021.

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Seattle Preschool Program Sites Receive Funding for Facilities Improvements

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SEATTLE (February 17, 2021) – The Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) has announced that more than $727,000 has been awarded to improve and expand preschool facilities at four locations participating in the Seattle Preschool Program (SPP). All four programs receiving capital funding are owned by women and persons of color who serve linguistically and culturally diverse children in south and central Seattle.

The Seattle Preschool Program facilities funding is part of the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise (FEPP) Levy, and is designed to help providers build, upgrade, and renovate their spaces for SPP, providing increased access to high-quality preschool for Seattle families and contributing to greater kindergarten readiness for the City’s youngest learners. This year’s investment will improve existing classrooms, develop a new community-inspired playground, and add 20 new SPP slots for children to attend the City’s award-winning program.

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