Seattle’s Human Services Department (HSD) supported the project with a $1.5 million award through its Child Care Bonus Program and, combined with $900,000 in capital funding from the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL), these investments will support the creation 80 new childcare slots.
Yesterday, Tiny Tots Development Center celebrated the completion of their new development center facility in Othello with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The facility creates 80 new childcare slots including:
- Two preschool classrooms with capacity for 20 children each
- Two toddler classrooms with capacity for 14 children each
- Two infant rooms with capacity for six children each
HSD, through their Child Care Bonus program, provided $1.5 million to support the construction of this new facility. The Child Care Bonus program funds the creation of newly licensed capacity (infant care to preschool) ensuring at least 20% of capacity is reserved for children from families with incomes less than 80% of the area median.
“There is absolutely no way that Tiny Tots would have been able to raise the $1.5 million for the building construction without this (Child Care Bonus) program,” said Angelia Hicks-Maxie, CEO of Tiny Tots Development Center. “Childcare programs, especially those who are led by leaders in the BIPOC community are often not at the table when it comes to funds like the Child Care Bonus program – I was impressed that we were invited to sit at the table and share what our needs were for the project in an authentic manner. We were never asked to compromise our dreams to chase the funds.”
“The Human Services Department is proud to have played a part in the opening of this urgently needed childcare facility, which will be an indelible resource for the community for years to come,” said HSD Acting Director Tanya Kim. “For projects of this magnitude, it really takes multiple partners coming together to achieve the common goal of more access to quality childcare for all. Congratulations to Tiny Tots on making your vision a reality.”
In 2019, DEEL awarded Tiny Tots with $900K in capital funding through the Seattle Preschool Program Provider Facilities Fund for a new Tiny Tots site as part of the Othello Square development project. This funding was through the 2018 voter-approved Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy to support expansion of two new classrooms for the Seattle Preschool Program. The first Seattle Preschool Program classroom will open this September for the 2022-2023 school year.
“We know that investments in high-quality early learning facilities are key to giving more Seattle children an equitable start,” said DEEL Director Dwane Chappelle. “Tiny Tots is a longtime partner with the City of Seattle through both our Seattle Preschool Program and Child Care Assistance Program, and we are thrilled to celebrate the opening of this beautiful facility that will help more preschoolers in the surrounding community be kindergarten ready.”
The new Tiny Tots Development Center in Othello is a part of a larger development that also includes Seattle Children’s Hospital’s new Odessa Brown Clinic. The parcel that contains the clinic and childcare center also has a subsidized and market rate housing development.
In mid-May, HSD announced the availability of up to $5 million of Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery (CLFR) funds and up to $1 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to increase licensed capacity in preschool and child care facilities across the City of Seattle. Completed application packets are due by 12:00 Noon PDT, on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. For more information, and all RFP materials, please visit HSD’s Funding Opportunities web page.
In addition, HSD’s Child Care Bonus program contributed $1 million to the recently completed renovation of Primm ABC Child Care Center adding 49 new slots to this established program in the Rainier Valley. In September, El Centro de la Raza’s Jose Marti Child Development Center is anticipated to open a childcare center in the new Cedar Crossing development at the Roosevelt Station. The development is being built by Bellwether Housing and Mercy Housing NW and is being funded by the Office of Housing with support of over $2 million from HSD’s Child Care Bonus program. This program is expected to be licensed for approximately 68 children.