This October, after over two years of planning, coordinating, and waiting, we will be celebrating the grand opening of our newest Early Learning site at Seola Gardens in White Center, with 1 preschool and 3 toddler classrooms, serving 39 young children and their families. This moment would not be possible without the hard work and support of so many people and institutions in our community!
King County Housing Authority (KCHA) has been our partner for decades, enabling us to serve KCHA residents living in White Center, Kent, and Auburn. In addition to providing affordable space, KCHA provides Neighborhood House funding to operate youth programs which keep kids safe, helps them achieve their goals, and creates a sense of belonging.
Miller Hull, KPFF, and PAE provided in-kind architectural and engineering services – which allowed us to manage our budget in light of rising costs post-pandemic. We would not be here without our Legislative champions, former State Representative Eileen Cody, and State Senator Joe Nguyen, who played pivotal roles in getting our early learning capital budget request over the finish line.
Our Head Start Program Specialist, Deana Tuttle supported our journey over several years, and as we completed 4 other major renovation projects; Seola Gardens is the 5th and final early learning expansion project.
Our amazing operations, finance, and child development teams worked together past every obstacle and delay. I am so grateful to everyone that made this moment possible, and excited for the children and families that will finally have early learning opportunities at Seola Gardens. Join us on October 30th!