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The Latest

Preschool for All is Changing Lives and Transforming Early Learning in Multnomah County

Jan 25, 2023

Halfway into the school year, parents and providers say Preschool for All is working. Children are developing key social emotional and problem-solving skills, literacy skills, and beginning to learn key concepts they’ll need for kindergarten.

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Home Visiting Provides Personalized Care to New Parents & Strengthens Families

Dec 14, 2022

On this episode of The Early Link Podcast, our host Rafael Otto speaks with Jennifer Gould who currently works as a Nurse Home Visitor for the Nurse Family Partnership program with the Multnomah County Health Department. The Nurse Family Partnership is a community based, public health program with 45 years of research showing evidence of significant improvements in the health and lives of first-time moms and their children affected by social and economic inequality.

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Early Childhood Champion Julie Young Honored with the 2022 Alexander Award

Dec 2, 2022

Children’s Institute is thrilled to honor Julie Young as this year’s recipient of the Alexander Award for her dedication and commitment to ensuring that young children in Oregon have the love, education, and care they need.

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Strengthening Early Learning

Early Works and Early School Success

Our work with school communities across Oregon demonstrates what happens when school districts, educators, community partners, parents and families, and funders come together with a shared vision to support early learning and healthy development for young children. Kids thrive, families are engaged and empowered to support their children’s learning, and the school community flourishes.

Since 2010, we’ve helped build community-centered early learning programs that have transformed schools and created opportunities for young children and their families. That work continues to shape state policy and strengthen early learning, preschool through grade 5.

Learn About Early Works

Learn About Early School Success

Advocating for Children and Families

Early Childhood Coalition

Oregon’s Early Childhood Coalition includes more than 50 state and national organizations that work to advocate for young children and families. Children’s Institute serves as a coordinating member of the coalition and facilitates monthly meetings.

2022 Brought New Investments

New investments from the 2022 legislative session are a significant win for Oregon’s children. Read more.

Expand Early Childhood Facilities

Oregon needs to expand facilities to improve access to child care and preschool. Read more.

Strengthen the Workforce

Oregon must continue to raise wages across early childhood programs to recognize and retain skilled, diverse staff in every region of the state.
Read our 2022 advocacy letter.

Gearing up for 2023

The Early Childhood Coalition meets every month. We invite you to join us and help keep early early childhood a priority for lawmakers! Read more.

Health and Learning Initiative

The Health and Learning Initiative is a partnership between Children’s Institute, the Oregon Health Authority, and the Oregon Pediatric Improvement Partnership to transform the relationship between Oregon’s health care and early learning systems.

Our recent work developing an incentive metric for Coordinated Care Organizations focused on social and emotional health is the first of its kind in the nation.

The Health Metric

The Initiative

The Health Metric

The Initiative

The Health Metric

The Initiative

Early Link Podcast

Tune In

The Early Link Podcast highlights national, regional, and local voices working in early childhood education and the nonprofit sector. The podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Rafael Otto, Children’s Institute’s director of communications.