“School-family partnerships are vital to student academic, physical, and emotional development. They ensure that all youth have equitable access to educational opportunities that lead to success.”
—Washington Family Engagement
All children deserve high-quality educational opportunities that prepare them to reach their full potential. But widening social and economic disparities in our region leave too many kids—particularly kids of color and kids from low-income households—without essential learning experiences. This failure perpetuates inequities and holds back communities.
We can address those inequities by giving families the resources they need to make sure their children are learning and growing. Families are a child’s first teacher. They play a crucial role in the social, emotional, and cognitive development of their kids, and we support organizations that help them thrive.
SFF is investing in efforts that connect with families early, authentically, and often. We fund programs that empower caregivers to engage in their child’s education, honor their individual strengths and cultures, and treat them as partners alongside trained educators. Through these investments, we aim to ensure that in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties, all children ages 0–12 have the chance to succeed in school and in life.
OUR FUNDING PRIORITIES
Home Visiting
SFF invests in organizations that bring learning and engagement opportunities into homes, because that’s where the earliest learning happens.
We specifically support programs that use a proven home visitation model called ParentChild+, which supports families caring for children ages 16 months to 4 years. They foster secure attachment, help young children feel safe, and build language and literacy skills. They’re delivered by early-learning specialists, who are often from the same communities as the families they serve, using culturally and linguistically appropriate tools. These trusted professionals can also offer service referrals for other basic needs—before those needs become a crisis.
Family Engagement
When families engage in their children’s learning environments, children improve their social, emotional, and academic skills.
That’s why SFF funds organizations that respond to community needs in culturally relevant ways and make families an active, sustained part of their kids’ learning. The organizations we support position parents as leaders; they leverage partnerships with schools and community groups to design, deliver, and assess research-driven educational programs. SFF also funds programs that empower families to navigate school systems, advocate for their children and ensure their needs are being met in ways that don’t cause unintentional harm.
Strong Systems
We have an opportunity to prevent disparities in education before they begin by allocating public funds toward early childhood supports, such as affordable childcare and expanded access to preschool.
Inspired by this possibility, SFF invests in organizations and coalitions that bring families and their advocates to the policy-making table, where they can use their diverse lived experiences to shape decisions that affect their children and communities. SFF also supports legislative efforts to sustain and grow statewide investments in early childhood programs, such as community outreach and other forms of advocacy.
