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Over the last quarter, DEEL announced more than $4 million in funding awards to support Seattle children, youth, and families. Here's a look at recent funding opportunities:
2023 Budget Overview
On September 27, Mayor Bruce Harrell released his 2023-24 Proposed Budget, which reflects a continued commitment to bold action on the priorities of our communities – investing to address urgent needs as we build One Seattle. This budget responds to the City’s ongoing and long-term revenue gap by balancing immediate priorities with the resources available to respond and by identifying improvements and efficiencies. The investments in this budget proposal will help us work together to advance our shared One Seattle vision and an agenda that will inspire the best in our city and keep us moving forward.
DEEL's 2023 Proposed Budget is $128.7M and is largely a continuation or expansion of existing programs and the great work the Department has been advancing for the past few years. Key investments include:
- $5.3M for Child Care Workforce Hiring/Compensation
- $4.9M in FEPP levy funds for scheduled program expansion
- $2.1M for K-12 Culturally Specific and Responsive Programming Expansion
- $2.0M for Seattle Promise Equity Enhancements
Over the next two months, the City Council will review the Mayor’s proposed budget. Public hearings are on October 11 and November 7. Final adoption of the budget is expected on Tuesday, November 22. More information about details in the budget can be found at https://www.seattle.gov/budget.
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Leilani Dela Cruz Announced as DEEL's New Early Learning Division Director
New Early Learning Division Director Leilani Dela Cruz brings decades of experience supporting Seattle's early education community, including DEEL's preschool and child care partners
DEEL recently announced Leilani Dela Cruz as the new director of our Early Learning Division, with responsibility over all the City’s investments in early learning, including the Seattle Preschool Program, Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) classrooms, the Child Care Assistance Program, and multiple investments in the prenatal-to-three space, such as partnerhsips for ParentChild+, Nurse Family Partnership, Developmental Bridge Program, and Prenatal-to-Three community grants. The EL Director also plays an essentail role in developing strategic partnerships with key stakeholders in early learning, including community partners; Seattle Public Schools; labor partners; federal, state, and county government entities; and elected officials.
FEPP Levy Oversight Committee Observes Preschool-to-Postsecondary Investments in Action
Levy Oversight Committee members and City and school district leaders visited FEPP Levy-funded programs over the summer and at the start of the school year, including the Launch summer program at Madrona Elementary (top left) Cleveland STEM High School's summer programming (top right), Seattle Preschool Program at Rising Star Elementary (bottom left), and the Seattle Promise Summer Bridge orientation at Seattle Central College (bottom right).
From July through early October, DEEL’s school and community partners welcomed the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise (FEPP) Levy Oversight Committee to observe programs in action and learn more about each investment area. This series of field trips created an opportunity for committee members to engage with students and program partners in person, celebrate successes, and better understand challenges to programming caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to all our partners for generously welcoming the committee members and staff into their classrooms and programs. Learn more and view photos from the field trip series on our blog.
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