20th Anniversary Luncheon
On June 11, SCCS hosted its first-ever Anniversary Luncheon, bringing together organizational leaders, educators, board members, alumni families, and community partners to celebrate two decades of service and mission impact. The event featured inspiring testimonials from alumni students and parents, reflections on SCCS's history and future goals, and the presentation of Lifetime Achievement Awards to co-founders Diana Bender and Laura McAlister for their lasting contributions to the organization and early learning community.
As we celebrate this important milestone, we are filled with gratitude for everyone who has contributed to SCCS's success. The support, dedication, and shared purpose of our community have made the past twenty years possible. Together, we look forward to building on this legacy and continuing to create opportunities for children, families, and educators for many years to come. To learn more about how you can become involved in our mission, please visit our Impact page!
History
SCCS was founded in 2006 by Laura McAlister and Diana Bender, two change makers with decades of experience in early childhood education. Despite public and private investments, SCCS founders witnessed independent centers struggle to serve families experiencing financial insecurity.
In an effort to change the nature of child care operations and improve access to high quality, anti-bias education for all families, the founders established the first early learning, shared services consortium in Seattle.
SCCS began with one preschool serving 17 children, and now we operate 8 centers serving 450 children. Our critical work continues to be informed by children, families, and teachers.