The Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) is teaming up once more with the Office of Sustainability and the Environment, along with the Sweetened Beverage Tax (SBT) Community Advisory Board, to give away a whopping $1.49 million in grants. Designed to enhance health and education for the youngest of Seattleites—from prenatal up to three years old—these grants are said to specifically aim at chopping down disparities that hit hardest in communities of color, immigrant groups, and those under the burden of low income, as per a recent report.
Staying true to the goal, this year marks the fourth consecutive instance DEEL is inviting applicants to try and nab the SBT-funded award. The end game is to primarily provide services for expecting parents, caregivers, and guardians in Seattle, with eyes particularly peeled for those from demographics typically getting the short end of the stick. The initiative underscores a dedication to foster racial equity and bolster early learning, a statement obtained by DEEL reveals. Keen aspirants have until May 9 to submit their applications and can find more details about the procedure online.
It's no secret that last year, the 2023 PN-3 Community Grant Awards saw a suffocating demand with 25 organizations asking for north of $3.4 million. But it was merely five who walked away with the prize, each securing $280,000 spread across two years in pursuit of sustaining programs designed to mitigate skewed perinatal and maternal health outcomes. All recipients are required to focus their strategies within one of several key areas, including healthy births and nurture-centered caregiving, with an overarching goal to ensure Seattle's children are ready to step into kindergarten on equal footing.
Last year's winners, cherry-picked by a diverse review panel featuring the likes of community members and folks from Public Health Seattle & King County and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, were predominantly women of color-led organizations. Their efforts are spread city-wide, with a special focus on servicing areas in the southeast and central parts of Seattle, revealing a strategy document. It's a diverse bouquet of awardees—from Global Perinatal Services, dishing out doula services to low-income Black, immigrant, and refugee families; to Voices of Tomorrow, pouring heart into a unique home-visiting program that meshes culturally-sensitive case management with robust education and emotional support.
Since 2021, the PN-3 grants have plunged more than $4 million into community coffers, reaching over 1,200 caregivers. This investment is more than a monetary handout; it's a calculated move banking on research that shows culturally attuned perinatal support and familial advocacy —not only improving parent and child wellness but also sweetening the pot with better academic outcomes down the road. The grants serve as a lifeline that connects expectant and new parents to essential services like prenatal care, postnatal doula support, and lactation assistance, creating a sturdier safety net beneath society's most vulnerable.
