TinyTotsDevelopment

Four-year-old Omar* began preschool at Tiny Tots Development Center’s Bright Bell Birds site in October 2009. Finding a preschool for Omar, a special needs student, posed challenges for his parents.  They applied to several preschools but were turned down because of the complexities of feeding Omar through a tube; he has a medical condition that makes it difficult for him to gain sufficient nourishment through consumption of solid foods. Tiny Tots teachers and classroom staff found ways to manage feeding him a nutrient solution consisting of milk and Vitamin C. They also strove to include  Omar in the classroom and learning activities other children were involved in.

Tiny Tots Assistant Teacher, Verbena Perez communicated with & observed Omar carefully in order understand how to help him participate fully in classroom activities. During his first two weeks at Bright Bell Birds, Omar only communicated using head and hand signals. He played alone.

With encouragement, Omar now interacts with other students. He follows directions without hesitating, dances to music by swaying his head and body, and kicks his legs to join in exercise sessions.  During his first two weeks at school, he spent playground time playing alone with a bucket and shovel in the sand box. Now he plays with other children. Our teaching staff works with Omar to help him accomplish the goals of completing homework, improving his communication skills, and developing a better appetite for nutritious foods that will benefit his physical development.  Our Bright Bell Birds site is moving to the Tiny Tots site where the new play space will be installed in June 2010. Omar is now able to enthusiastically join other children in play, and we hope that he will have fun at Tiny Tots Development Center's new KaBOOM! play space.

*The child’s real name has been changed for reasons of privacy.

The Tiny Tots Development Center playground build date is Saturday, June 5, 2010; please join us for breakfast at 8:00 a.m. and help us to install playground equipment and do other light construction work.  Lunch, water and snacks will be provided.

We're excited to announce that there will be 2 play areas: one with equipment scaled for for ages 0-5, and the other with equipment suitable for ages 5-12! Tiny Tots provides infant and toddler care and early learning experiences. Tiny Tots is part of the City of Seattle Human Serivces department's Early Learning Network. Outdoor play is an important part of our learning plan for very young children. Tiny Tots also provides before and after school care for children beyond preschool age; this is referred to as our "school-age" program.

We look forward to welcoming volunteers on June 5th and also to our Wednesday, April 5 Design Day, when kids and parents will brainstorm ideas about playground design, equipment and activities!

On September 18, 2009, Tiny Tots Development Center (TTDC), a nonprofit organization that provides childcare, after school programs, and early childhood education to South Seattle communities, held a festive groundbreaking ceremony, near its Tiny Tots Main site at 8302 ½ Renton Avenue South, making way for a new, larger education and child care facility.  

The new construction effort is the result of a seven-year-long planning and fundraising effort by the TTDC Board of Directors and Mrs. Hicks. Representatives of community organizations, parents, architects, and TTDC staff and supporters attended the groundbreaking ceremony. The address of the new facility will be 8318 Renton Avenue South. Financing for the new Tiny Tots Main building and playground was made possible with assistance from the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund.  

Other guests and supporters at the groundbreaking included:

·         Bank of America

·         City of Seattle Department of Human Services

·         Donna Jean Brown, DJB Architects

·         Dave Essig, Rainier Valley Community Development Fund

·         Superintendent James Hicks, Unity Church of God in Christ

·         Charlotte Jahn, State of Washington Department of Early Learning

·         Michael Look, Community Development Block Grant Administrator, City of Seattle Human Services

·         Eric Pettigrew, State Representative, District 37

·         SEACON Construction (Everett, WA)

·         State of Washington Early Learning

·         Tiny Tots Development Center Board of Directors:

·         Tiny Tots Development Center parents and children

·         Bishop T. L. Westbrook, and Superintendent Leo C. Brown, Jr., New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ (Tacoma)

·         Sandria Woods-Pollard, ECEAP Program, City of Seattle Human Services

…and many other valued friends and supporters of Tiny Tots Development Center.

One of the highlights of the groundbreaking ceremony was a vocal performance by TTDC Health and Family Services Director, Jacqualine Hicks Lenard. Singing an altered version of the Sam Cooke classic A Change is Gonna Come, she saluted Mrs. Hicks’ legacy by opening with revised lyrics: “Mrs. Hicks was born by a river/in a little town in Mississippi/but thanks to the Bank of America and the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund/I know a change is going to come”.

Since 1969, TTDC has provided licensed childcare, after school care, and education services for children from birth to age 12.  We serve children and families from a variety of ethnic and economic backgrounds at four sites in South Seattle.  Staff & children speak English, Spanish, Somali, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and other languages. TTDC is licensed by the State of Washington and is a City of Seattle Contracted site, an authorized provider of the State’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) and one of the sites selected to provide free pre-school in the City of Seattle’s Step Ahead Preschool Program. These programs deliver comprehensive services to 4 year old children whose families meet income guidelines. In addition, TTDC provides after school learning opportunities through our after school Community Learning Center (CLC) program. 

The grand opening date for the new facility has not yet been set, but it is expected to take place in March or April 2010. Print and online announcements about the grand opening are forthcoming. The administration and staff of Tiny Tots look forward to welcoming the community to the opening celebration.