Seattle Preschool Program Provider Facilities Fund

SUMMARY  

The Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) is notifying any agency under contract to provide preschool services for the Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) or the Pathway Program of a funding opportunity through the City of Seattle 2018 Families, Education, Preschool and Promise (FEPP) Levy. The FEPP Levy aims to achieve educational equity, close opportunity gaps, and build a better economic future for Seattle students-join us.

The City has provided quality supports to preschool providers and tuition assistance to families through levies since 2004. In 2015, the City launched the SPP. Around the same time, DEEL also created a preschool program called Pathway to support providers to transition to SPP by providing additional supports needed to meet SPP quality standards. The goal of preschool is for Seattle children to access and utilize high-quality early learning services that promote success in kindergarten. When children have access, the outcomes are:

• Children are kindergarten ready
• Learning environments are evidence based, high-quality, culturally responsive, and equitable
• Children and families have multiple ways to access high-quality early learning services
• Race-based opportunity gaps are closed  

Research demonstrates that high-quality learning environments support improved academic outcomes. In working with community to identify the challenges of participating in SPP, partners cited: (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 as ongoing challenges for sustainability. DEEL will support in the improvement and expansion of early learning facilities and environments by investing in an annual SPP Provider Facilities Fund RFI.

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*Dates/locations subject to change