The White Center Early Learning Initiative, a first-of-its-kind public-private community based partnership, will significantly expand early learning opportunities to children from birth to 5 in White Center.

Funded by two grants, the White Center Early Learning Initiative will provide parents and caregivers with education and support to help ensure that all children in the community begin school ready to succeed.

The initiative is receiving $4.7 million from Thrive by Five Washington and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for expanded early learning options for families with young children, and $7 million from the Gates Foundation for the construction of an early learning community center.

White Center and Yakima County are the only two communities in Washington selected more than a year ago to design comprehensive early learning networks for early childhood learning.

Created in 2006, Thrive by Five Washington is a champion for early learning improvement and is funded by a diverse group of public, private and philanthropic partners.

"One of my priorities is to help ensure that children get the support they need to succeed in school and in life," said Gov. Chris Gregoire, co-chairwoman of the Thrive by Five Washington board of directors.

"This innovative partnership is helping to make best practices in early learning a reality."

The White Center Early Learning Initiative has spent more than 18 months convening local stakeholder groups and developing business plans to make positive early learning opportunities- whether at home or in child care centers-available to families in their community.

These grants will fund the first phase of those plans beginning in 2008.

The Puget Sound Educational Service District, Child Care Resources of King County, and Public Health - Seattle & King County, will jointly administer funding.

The process has involved numerous focus groups with multiple language translations taking place in real time through "e-polling," projecting information and answers on screens during the groups.

Thrive By Five involvement

"I want to commend the hard work and dedication exhibited by the White Center community," said Graciela Italiano-Thomas, president and CEO of the public-private partnership Thrive by Five Washington.

"The partnership between the community, public agencies, and private caregivers will be critical to meeting the unique needs of families in White Center and sustaining this groundbreaking model.

"Your efforts will enrich the lives of thousands of children and prepare them for success in school and life."

Italiano-Thomas continued, "The rest of the nation is watching what we are doing ... the challenge is enormous but then so is the opportunity."

Funding for services will support the development of a continuum of programs aimed at children from birth to 5, their parents and caregivers, including:

Outreach services to pregnant and postpartum women through the Community Doula program, which pairs new mothers with trained women who provide emotional support and guidance.

Nurse home visitation for expectant families through their children's first years.

Play and learn groups for toddlers.

And literacy resources for parents.

Existing Head Start centers will receive grants to improve teacher qualifications and program quality.

In addition, grant funds will enhance the learning environments of licensed child care centers, preschools and family child care homes in the White Center and Boulevard Park neighborhoods.

This will be accomplished through professional development for staff and a quality rating and improvement system that will make better information available to parents.

"Providing engaging, positive early learning environments for young children is one of the smartest investments we can make in the future," said Bill Gates Sr., co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Thrive by Five Washington board of directors.

"We will be watching the White Center community as they show us what is possible when we help all children thrive."

To date, Thrive by Five has raised more than $30 million in pledges in Washington.

Greenbridge Early Learning Center

The planned Greenbridge Early Learning Center (GELC) will serve as a headquarters for education and outreach services in the community.

Approximately 3,000 children under age six live in White Center.

The GELC will directly serve 134 children and their families, including 32 infants and toddlers and 102 preschoolers.

It will be built on Eighth Avenue Southwest adjacent to the existing Greenbridge housing and north of White Center Heights Elementary School.

Construction is expected to begin this summer, with the GELC opening in the fall of 2009.

Funds for construction will come from Thrive by Five, federal tax credits, and other public and private sources, including $2 million in state support proposed by Gregoire.

Based on the 'Educare' model first developed in Chicago, the center will include space for parenting classes and preschool programs taught by credentialed instructors.

The center will demonstrate how partnerships and links between early learning and K-12 create an environment that supports school readiness for all children.

As an Educare program, the site will host regional and national observers and leaders who are interested in seeing effective early learning in action.

Educare is a nationally recognized research-based birth-to-five program that incorporates critical quality elements such as low staff/child ratios, small group sizes, rigorous educational and professional development for staff, and parent/family involvement.

GELC will be a learning and training center for early learning staff and caregivers in the White Center community.

Over 200 White Center child care staff and informal care providers in the community will be able to access hands-on training at the GELC to enhance their ability to increase school readiness of all children in the neighborhood.

Staff can take college classes and earn college credit for their learning experiences at the center.

As the "hub" of the White Center Early Learning Initiative, GELC will be a place that can impact all children in the community; a place where their parents, caregivers, teachers, neighbors and local business people can learn more about early learning, parenting and how to support school readiness for all children.

A diverse community

White Center is one of the most diverse communities in the state with 32,000 residents who collectively speak more than 70 languages.

With an active network of civic and cultural organizations, the White Center community has strong social capital, yet one in five children below the age of 5 lives in poverty.

In addition, just 17.2 percent of fourth grade students at White Center Heights Elementary passed all three sections of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) in 2007.

The effort to bring the project to fruition began over three years ago with the "Making Connections" initiative from the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore, Md.

The foundation is focused on early learning, asset building for families, work and earnings.

Theresa Fujiwara was the site team liaison hired by the Casey Foundation to develop their efforts here.

She began the dialog with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Thrive By Five.

Fujiwara has since joined the White Center Community Development Association (CDA), headed by Aileen Balahadia.

Making Connections initiative efforts have been folded into the CDA.

"Our role is in partnership with these other organizations, acting as a major convener in bringing the Gates Foundations and Thrive by Five to focus on the whole area," said Balahadia.