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Seattle Human Services news and events

Tiny Tots Development Center Celebrates Opening of New Childcare Facility in Othello

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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
Crowded hallway filled with balloons and people with woman standing at center wearing face mask
Tiny Tots CEO Angelia Hicks-Maxie (center) prepares to cut the ribbon at the opening of the new childcare facility

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.”

Group of city staff posing for a picture outside new facility
Tiny Tots CEO Angelia Hicks-Maxie (front row center) is joined by members of DEEL’s Early Learning team (L to R front row): Janet Thomas, Delia Urrea, Early Learning Deputy Director Leilani Dela Cruz, Jenny Choi and Melissa Bookwalter (back row right); DEEL Director Dwane Chappelle (back row center right); HSD CFO Joseph Kasperski (back row center left); and Kevin Mundt, HSD (back row left). Photo courtesy of DEEL.

“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.”

Photo of empty childcare classroom full of new furniture, toys, dolls and more awaiting children to fill the cubby holes.
Photo of empty childcare classroom full of new furniture, toys, dolls and more awaiting children to fill the cubby holes.
Photo of empty childcare classroom full of new furniture, toys, dolls and more awaiting children to fill the cubby holes.
Photo of empty childcare classroom full of new furniture, toys, dolls and more awaiting children to fill the cubby holes.
Photos courtesy of DEEL

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.

HSD Announces Availability of Funding to Increase Licensed Capacity in Preschool and Child Care Facilities Across the City of Seattle

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**Updated June 23, 2022 to reflect an amendment to the funding availability

Photo of Back to School Corner with books and tables in an empty child care facility
Photo by Pavel Verbovski

The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is pleased to announce the availability of up to $5,000,000 of Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery (CLFR) Funds and up to $1,000,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to increase licensed capacity in preschool and child care facilities across the City of Seattle. Providers interested in applying for this RFP must have experience in:

  • providing developmentally and culturally appropriate early learning programming;
  • working with Seattle children and families most disproportionately impacted by the effects of COVID-19; and
  • working with Seattle children 0 – 5 years old.

The American Rescue Plan Act states that “the pandemic and the necessary actions taken to control the spread had a severe impact on households and small businesses, in particular low-income workers and communities and people of color.” As a result, CLFR funds should provide “assistance to those households, businesses, and non-profits in communities most disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.”

At the national level, mothers of children aged 12 years and younger lost jobs at a rate three times greater than fathers of young children between February and August 2020. Throughout the pandemic, women, particularly women of color, have experienced higher levels of unemployment, threatening to undo decades of progress towards gender equity. Early learning programs are vital to an equitable COVID-19 recovery. Seattle Ordinance 126371 allocated CLFR funding to be invested specifically toward child care capital improvements.

In working with community to identify the challenges of participating in the Seattle Preschool Program (SPP), the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) received feedback from partners citing the following as ongoing challenges for sustainability: (1) the lack of available and licensable space as a barrier to SPP program expansion, and (2) organizational capacity related to board development, fundraising plans, human resources, and financial management.

HSD is supporting the expansion of early learning facilities and environments by investing in the capacity of licensed early learning programs across Seattle:

  1. Nonprofit and for profit, center-based providers and preschools are eligible to apply for $25,000 (min) to $2,000,000 (max)
  2. Nonprofit and for profit, home-based agencies are eligible to apply for $10,000 (min) to $75,000 (max)

For more information, and all RFP materials, please visit HSD’s Funding Opportunities web page: http://www.seattle.gov/humanservices/funding-and-reports/funding-opportunities. Completed application packets are due by 12:00 Noon PDT, on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 July 19, 2022.

Questions?

Please contact Ken Astrein, Funding Process Coordinator, via email with any questions about this RFP or to request an accommodation for the information session: childcarefacilities@seattle.gov

Seattle Channel program highlights education levy

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The five-part series “Our City, Our Schools” premiered this week on the Seattle Channel. The series chronicles levy programs that help bolster student success in school. For details visit this Web site. One of HSD’s Step Ahead preschools, South West Early Learning Preschool, is featured in the series.

Free half-day preschool for 4-year-olds

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The Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) is now enrolling for the 2013-14 school year.  The program is funded by Washington State Department of Early Learning and the City of Seattle.  ECEAP is a free half-day preschool program for 4-year-olds whose families live or work in Seattle. 

  • Our preschools prepare your child for kindergarten.
  • Our preschools honor family, culture and language.
  • Our preschools help develop the skills and love for learning that lead to success in school and in life.

For more information call the Seattle Human Services Department at 206-386-1050.

Step Ahead preschools enrolling for 2013-2014

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Slots are now available for high-quality, low-cost preschool for the 2013-2014 school year through HSD’s Step Ahead Preschool Program funded through the Families & Education Levy.. Step Ahead preschools are located in numerous locations in Seattle. Step Ahead teachers have degrees in early childhood education and receive continuing education. Schools feature small class sizes and enriched learning environments. Bilingual programs and staff are available.

 To qualify

  • Children must be three or four years old by August 31, 2013
  • Families must live in Seattle city limits
  • Parents must be employed/training
  • Must meet the income guidelines based on family size

Call 386-1050 for more information or visit this Web site.