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Human Interests

Seattle Human Services news and events

As 2019 Comes to a Close…

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The year has kept the Seattle Human Services Department busy, presenting many challenges, opportunities, and reasons to celebrate! 

As we enter 2020, lets take a moment to look at 19 highlights from ’19 that demonstrate the incredible work our teams have accomplished together – and with your partnership – over the last year:

Preparing Youth for Success:

Seattle Youth Employment Program participants celebrate at Capstone event in Seattle Center at the conclusion of their summer internships
SYEP youth celebrate at Capstone event in Seattle Center in August
  1. Youth and Family Empowerment staff conducted a successful funding opportunity to invest $4.4 million next year in 14 proposals from community organizations to provide support for youth and young adults harmed by the criminal legal system in Seattle.
  2. We have expanded the Seattle Youth Employment Program (SYEP) from summer-only to a year-round model, providing increased access for youth to grow as community leaders and prepare for future work and career opportunities by engaging in a set curriculum to build job-readiness skills as part of a cohort of youth.
  3. The Summer Food Service Program served over 175,000 meals and snacks at 114 sites this year, providing nutrition to kids so they can thrive and grow upon returning to school.

Supporting Affordability and Livability:

A Seattle Preschool Program student picks up his family's Good Food Bag
Seattle Preschool Program student picks up his family’s Good Food Bag (Photo: Tilth Alliance)
  1. The Utility Discount Program​ expanded their stellar services to bring affordability to nearly 34,000 utility customers throughout our region, and once again presented the Energy, Utility, and Resource Summit in conjunction with Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities.  
  2. Partnered with the Office of Sustainability and Environment and Department of Education and Early Learning to support the Fresh Bucks To Go food bag pilot, an offshoot of the City of Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program, which delivers healthy, local produce and online convenience directly to families through the Seattle Public Preschool Program and before- and after-school programs serving low-income children and families in Seattle.
  3. HSD’s Child Care Bonus Program provided $2M in capital funding for the development of a location of the Denise Louise Early Learning Center, which will serve 300 children and their guardians annually in six new classrooms, as part of Mercy Housing’s project which redeveloped the historic Sand Point Naval Air Station into 148 affordable apartments –as well as resident services and a neighborhood health clinic.
  4. HSD granted $50,000 to Villa Comunitaria to work with the Latinx Community and South Park residents to expand their urban garden at Marra Farm. The expansion will provide hands-on learning about organics and healthy soil production, distribution, and sales of produce. The grant will support seasonal garden events; community meals at Marra Farm; and field trips to connect residents with food resources, such as local farmers markets and community kitchens.

Addressing Homelessness:

Man staying at emergency winter shelter inside Jefferson Community Center
Man staying at emergency winter shelter (Photo: Tim Durkan)
  1. Our ongoing strategic investments in homelessness helped shelter and house more people in 2019 than any other year.
  2. Critical services were surged to unprecedented levels during last winter’s storms to deliver food and supportive services to more than 1,250 people. During the worst of the storms, our partners stood up emergency shelter for hundreds of people at community centers across Seattle and HSD case managers called 700+ high-risk clients to ensure they were safe, had enough food, and had an up-to-date emergency plan.
  3. We also have had an opportunity to transform our homelessness response system by taking a new and collaborative path throughout the Seattle region. Just before the holiday break, a new King County Regional Homelessness Authority was agreed upon​.
  4. Even as we planned for new governance, staff were working with community partners to increase access and safety in shelter for transgender persons experiencing homelessness. We’ll be rolling out opportunities related to these policy improvements in 2020.
  5. In October, we partnered with Port of Seattle to extend the City’s lease at Interbay Village for an additional year.

Promoting Public Health:

Health One unit staff pose in front of their vehicle with Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, and Fire Chief Harold Scroggins
(Photo: Seattle Fire Department)
  1. The Seattle Fire Department expanded its Mobile Integrated Health program by partnering with HSD to provide case management services on more calls, including a new ride-along program called Health One which provides an instant connection to health and social services when needed and keeps resources free for emergencies that need immediate attention.

Responding to Gender-Based Violence:

Staff from City of Seattle's Mayor’s Office, Office of Labor Standards, Legislative Department, and Human Services Department dressed in purple to participate in #PurpleThursday by posting a photo to social media.
City of Seattle staff dressed in purple to participate in #PurpleThursday.
  1. Support of community-based and systems providers to carry out survivor supportive services, outreach, and prevention through the Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (MODVSA) resulted in more than 9,000 individuals and families served in 2019. That is 2,000 more than last year. Thank you!
  2. MODVSA staff also advanced work to find solutions to Tech-Enabled Coercive Control (TECC) by serving on the TECC working group, which partnered with community agencies to establish a volunteer clinic at New Beginnings that helps survivors plan their tech safety.
  3. We also led a successful effort to increase education and awareness this year through a series of events, including:

Promoting Health Aging:

Seattle Human Services staff pose for a photo before the start of Sounders FC Age-Friendly Day on September 15th
HSD staff pose for a photo before the start of Sounders FC Age-Friendly Day at Century Link Field
  1. Aging and Disability Services staff provided more Medicaid services to improve older adults’ health and safety in their homes, reaching 1,291 individuals with new services—this program is experiencing an average of 60 new referrals each month!
  2. Every four years, Area Agencies on Aging around the country develop an Area Plan, which charts the course we will follow as we seek to create an age-friendly community. The plan describes the function of Aging and Disability Services as the local Area Agency on Aging, presents relevant demographic trends, and outlines the major goals and objectives to be achieved over the course of four years. The final draft Area Plan 2020–2023 for Seattle and King County, Washington, was submitted October 4, 2019, as a result of countless engagements with staff, partners, and the community, including reviews of both local and national research in conjunction with DPE to best address the needs of Seattle’s older adults.
  3. We partnered with AARP to host the first Age Friendly Day at the SoundersFC on September 15

While not all-inclusive of the hard work of HSD staff over the past twelve months, it demonstrates the breadth of our work across our six key investment impact areas as we collaborate and perform services each day that deserve recognition. 

Please join us in celebrating these tremendous contributions toward our department results as we look towards 2020 and continuing to rise to the challenge of making a difference in people’s lives!

Your Partner,

Jason Johnson,
Acting Director

Step Ahead Preschools Expand for 2014-2015 School Year

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The Seattle Human Services Department today announced that Sound Child Care Solutions’ Hoa Mai Vietnamese Bilingual Preschool was awarded $229,972 in Families and Education Levy Step Ahead Preschool funding for 36 children. The program will open in Fall 2014 in the Mt. Baker neighborhood. Additional Step Ahead Preschool funds were also awarded for more children at three existing sites: Chinese Information and Service Center in the International District (8 children); Denise Louie Education Center in Beacon Hill ( 12 children) and Seed of Life Center for Early Learning and Preschool in Southeast Seattle (6 children). Funding award period is September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015.

Child Care Resources receives funding for child care outreach

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The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) today announced that Child Care Resources was awarded $148,500 for the Family Child Care Outreach Project. This project will provide outreach and training to 100 Seattle family child care providers who serve low-income children to help providers meet quality guidelines for HSD’s child care subsidy program. The project will also conduct outreach with families who are eligible for HSD’s child care subsidies. The funding award will cover the period of April 1, 2014 through March 31, 2015.

Need help paying for child care?

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Are you a working parent who needs help paying for child care? The City of Seattle may be able to help. The Seattle Human Services Department’s Child Care Assistance Program helps low- and moderate-income working families pay for child care for children ages one month to 13 years. Mayor Mike McGinn recently announced that the program has more than 300 slots available. The amount of payment from the City varies according to the income of the family, age of the child, and hours of care needed. The City typically pays between 25% to 70% of a standardized rate, and the family is responsible for paying the difference. To qualify you must:

  • Live within Seattle city limits
  • Be employed and or enrolled in educational/job training
  • Have children under 13 years of age
  • Use a provider contracted with the City of Seattle
  • Not be eligible for any other child care subsidy program
  • Meet income guidelines based on family size.

For income guidelines, please see our Web site. For information on how to apply please call 206-386-1050.

 

Mayor’s Proposed Budget preserves human services

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Mayor Mike McGinn presented his Proposed 2013-2014 Budget to the City Council on September 24th. The budget preserves direct human services and adds funding for inflation increases for agencies, child care assistance, homeless families, domestic violence prevention, a pilot program to help young adults of color find career path jobs. For details about the budget and a link to the Mayor’s budget speech click here.

The City Council will hold two public hearings on the Proposed Budget, one on October 4th at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, and one on October 25th, same time and location. The Council will review the Human Services Department’s budget on October 2nd beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Funding for child care, homeless families in Mayor’s budget

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On Wednesday, Sept. 19, Mayor McGinn announced new investments in human services as part of his 2013-14 Proposed Budget, including an expansion of a City program providing child care to low- and moderate-income families and increased assistance to homeless families with children. The proposed budget also includes an increase in funding for human services providers to cover the costs of inflation. For details, please see this press release. To view a video of the press conference, click here.

 

‘Farm to Table’ program continues!

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The City of Seattle’s Farm to Table Project will continue to link senior meal sites and child care programs to local area farms.  The goal of these efforts is to get local, organic produce into some of Seattle’s most under-served communities.  With continued funding from the City of Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) and community partnerships,  the program, launched through a Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant,  will be continued.  For more information please contact Maria Langlais at maria.langlais@seattle.gov or Natalie Thomson at Natalie.thomson@seattle.gov.

Mayor promotes city’s free preschool programs

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Joined by educators and children of Seattle’s La Escuelita Bilingual School, Mayor Mike McGinn announced today (Aug. 31) openings in the City of Seattle’s free and reduced-fee preschool programs. The Seattle Human Services Department is now enrolling 4-year-olds from low- to moderate-income families in free or low-cost, high-quality preschool programs. Step Ahead and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) still have free or reduced-cost spaces available for more than 250 children at 21 sites in southeast and southwest Seattle this school year. Step Ahead is funded by the Seattle Families and Education Levy, and ECEAP is funded by the state of Washington. For more information about these programs — locations, eligibility and applications — call 206-386-1050. For more information please visit this Web site.

Free & low-cost preschool available

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Seattle Human Services Department preschool programs are now enrolling 4-year-olds from low- to moderate-income families. Seattle Step Ahead and the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) still have free or reduced-cost spaces available for more than 600 children at 21 sites in southeast and southwest Seattle this school year. Click here to see the complete news release.