2015–2016 ANNUAL REPORT 630 children under the age of five 589 unique families served Dear Friends, This summary of our annual achievements is also my chance to thank you for your part in what DLEC accomplished last year. I’m most grateful for and proud of DLEC’s staff who worked tirelessly to help close the 992 early learning opportunity gap for our city’s low-income, immigrant, referrals made and refugee children and their families. I’m thrilled to report that during the 2015-16 school year, 85% of our preschoolers were prepared for kindergarten, and 92% of our infants and toddlers improved or 74% 15 maintained their progress in four out of five domains that indicate immigrants languages school readiness. This year, as in every year, I am in awe of our team and refugees spoken members’ skill, diligence, and perseverance. I am also very appreciative of our Board members and Policy Council for Salamat their wisdom and generosity. Maintaining an inclusive and safe high- quality learning environment for our children is neither simple nor easy. Nuwari Their steadiness and support has made this year a success for DLEC. And finally, I’d like to extend a big thank you to our 304 individual Galatoomi donors, 42 funders, and 158 volunteers who made our mission possible this past year. I am touched to see your names listed here year after year. Thank You Our progress depends on you. I call on you to stay engaged, connected, and in touch. You are the heart and soul of DLEC, and we hope we’ve Yekeniyeley done you proud. Mahadsanid Sincerely, Cảm ơn bạn Gracias Susan Yang Executive Director 2015-2016 Program Budget From Early FY16 Audited Revenue Head Start $1,547,526 Head-Start Early Head Start $1,252,906 Intervention to Other Govt Grants $933,785 Kindergarten Fundraising & Grants $581,467 Eddie was enrolled in EHS while his Capital Campaign Contributions $115,000 Our Community mother was still pregnant. His family United Way $58,905 Welcoming of All Households Our Children emigrated from rural southern Mexico Tuition & Fees $215,335 several years earlier, and did not speak Ensuring a Successful Start English. At six months, Eddie was not Investments & Other $2,779 meeting developmental milestones 56% Total $4,707,703 Early Head Start (EHS) provides low-income families and women with for his age: he wasn’t attempting to children ages birth to three or who are pregnant with services to pre- move his body, did not make eye pare their child for success. Our programs include weekly 90-minute contact, and had limited vocalization. FY16 Audited Expenses 30% home visits to provide caregivers with early learning activities, parent Eddie’s mother felt like she was failing Educational & Program Services $3,756,460 support, and health services in their home languages, bi-monthly him, and that his delays were her fault because of her own limited education. Management & General $562,795 socialization events to bring together caregivers to learn about topics they choose, from financial planning to health education and early 8% Fundraising $143,604 5% intervention through regular assessments of children’s development A home visitor 1% HOMELESS PARENT FOSTER PARENT TEEN PARENT SINGLE TWO PARENTS worked with Mom to Total $4,462,859 milestones to identify special needs and provide resources as early as possible. reaffirm that she was Eddie’s first and most • 74 infants important teacher, and FY17 Budgeted Revenue Embracing Diversity • 124 toddlers referred him to Early Head Start $1,637,088 22% 31% • 12 pregnant mothers Intervention. Eddie began receiving Hispanic/Latino Asian • of EHS children improved or maintained progress in four Early Head Start $1,332,906 92% weekly physical, occupational, and, out of five developmental domains that indicate school readiness later on, speech therapy, and Mom Other Govt Grants $815,331 13% 1% began attending Circle of Security American Indian Fundraising & Grants $226,500 White and bi-weekly Early Intervention or Alaska Native Of the 33 children who aged out of EHS, 30 entered a Head Start classes, which helped her to recognize United Way $29,452 program and two entered another early childhood program. her own parenting insecurities and to Tuition & Fees $322,000 7% 25% better respond to Eddie’s needs. As a Bi/multi-racial Black or result, his growth and development Investments & Other $2,600 1% African American Native Hawaiian Preparing Kids for Kindergarten began to look much more typical, and Total $4,365,877 or Pacific Islander now, he no longer requires special Our preschool program, including Head Start, serves predominantly needs in three of the four areas that low-income, immigrant, and refugee children. Priority enrollment were originally identified. Today, FY17 Budgeted Expenses into the program is given to children in foster care, homeless Eddie is finishing up his last year of families, and children with special needs. Educational & Program Services $3,821,917 preschool at Denise Louie and will • 3 preschool centers Management & General $568,303 enter general education kindergarten • 241 children next year, where he will continue his Fundraising $116,541 • 85% of preschoolers met or exceeded expectations and were speech progress. Total $4,506,761 prepared to enter kindergarten 2 2015-2016 Denise Louie Education Center Annual Report 2015-2016 Denise Louie Education Center Annual Report 3 Our Families Our Commitment Building Stronger Communities More School Readiness: Camp Panda Our family support and home visiting teams connect and educate Camp Panda is a six-week learning program hosted at our Beacon Hill parents on available resources ranging from housing and nutrition to and ID sites that is designed for children with little to no preschool immigration rights and healthcare. experience, or those who are behind. The program goal is to prepare children for kindergarten during the summer prior to their enrollment. 992 referrals made for 297 families, including the following: • 51 four- and five-year-old children during summer 2016 • 109 received emergency/crisis • 271 received health training More Bonding: Circle of Security intervention to meet basic needs • 201 received parenting • 73 received housing assistance education Circle of Security is an eight-week, research-based intervention • 158 received adult education • 65 received mental health program designed to help parents understand child attachment From Early or English as a Second services patterns, increase their awareness of children’s needs, and improve Learners to From Parent to Language training their responses to meet them. Each group focuses on eight to 10 • 73 received child abuse or parents, and is offered in English, Spanish, Mandarin, French, and Top Readers Board Member • 54 received job training domestic violence support Vietnamese. • 20 families served through Circle of Security More than 100 EHS families Rose first heard about DLEC through participated in our annual Read-a-Thon, Project Access Northwest and Engaging Our Parents and Guardians a three-month literacy event to Harborview Pediatrics. Her daughter, More Wellness: Health Care Institute Training Last program year, Denise support learning experiences at Mia, did not have health insurance, Louie hosted bi-monthly parent Health Care Institute (HCI) trainings empower staff and families to be home. Parents and caregivers received and Rose was concerned about her nights where families help the first and most important guardian of their children’s health. HCI fo- training on interactive reading socialization and speech skills. Mia choose topics and speakers cuses on coping with common childhood illnesses through tips, a health practices, such as describing did not have many other children to identify and support their book, and various tools, to help keep the doctor away all year long. illustrations and asking open-ended to play with because they recently most immediate needs. Our • 95 families participated in HCI trainings questions to their little readers. With relocated to a new part of Seattle preschool classrooms also have the help of parents and caregivers, and Rose’s older children had already parent-teacher conferences our top three readers Ison (29 months), moved out. At DLEC, Mia entered EHS More Caregiver Support: Kaleidoscope Play and home visits throughout Marissa (26 months), and Olivia (26 for her speech, and Rose participated and Learn the year to facilitate more months) submitted a total of 5,765 in Circle of Security and other intimate dialogues on children’s For eight years, Denise Louie has partnered with the Seattle Public reading minutes—an average of 21 parent trainings. Rose joined the educational progress. We encourage families to help children with Library (SPL) and Child Care Resources to offer Kaleidoscope Play and minutes a day! Policy Council after learning about their homework, as well as to provide us with ongoing feedback, and Learn—a free, drop-in program designed to create a safe, culturally it through socialization events and we welcome families to volunteer in classrooms. diverse environment for caregivers and young children to learn and home visits. A board member came explore together. Current facilitators speak English, Spanish, Amharic, to one of the Council meetings and Our Policy Council is integral to our programs’ success and represents German, Cantonese, and American Sign Language. invited Rose to check out a board the families we serve. Every year, parent representatives are elected • 129 90-minute Play & Learn sessions held last year at three SPL meeting. She later joined the board, from both HS and EHS programs. Our parent-led Policy Council branches (Columbia City, Lake City, and Rainier Beach) through which she has represented functions in partnership with our Board of Directors to approve children and families served every month on average DLEC at workshops in North Bend policies, budgets, and hiring decisions, as well as provide program • 140 and Chicago.