Children’s Institute shapes early childhood policy, secures public investments for early childhood programs and services, and works with school communities to strengthen early learning for children and teaching practices for educators.
Our Work
At Children’s Institute, we work to improve the lives of children from prenatal to grade 5 who experience institutional or systemic barriers to opportunity in Oregon: children from low-income families, children of color, disabled children, dual language learners, and children in rural areas.
Our research, policy and advocacy, learning initiatives, and community partnerships all aim to keep kids healthy and safe and prepare them to be active, engaged learners.
Registration is open for the 2024-2025 Early School Success Academy!
Why participate? You’ll join a network of educators across Oregon working to strengthen early learning in their school communities. You’ll also get access to rich content, expert thought partnership, coaching, resources, and a membership to our exclusive change library.
The Latest
Oregon Must Choose Early Childhood Investments for a Better Future
Governor Kotek’s 2025-27 Recommended Budget lacks early childhood investments. We urge the Governor to invest in young children and their families in three key areas: Employment Related Day Care, maternal health, and home visiting.
Strengthen Early Learning and Care in Oregon!
Children’s Institute believes that if we choose children, we can change the world. Join us by adding your name today!
Talking with Kids About Becoming
This co-production, in partnership with The Detour at Oregon Humanities, is part of an ongoing series to elevate youth voice. What do kids think about identity and becoming? Tune in to find out!
Events
Early School Success Academy: Session 2
Early School Success Academy: Session 2
This is the second session in the 2024-2025 Early School Success Academy. School district teams will meet virtually via ...
Early School Success Academy: Session 3
Early School Success Academy: Session 3
This is the third session in the 2024-2025 Early School Success Academy. School district teams will meet virtually via Z...
Learning Lab at Beaverton School District
Learning Lab at Beaverton School District
The learning lab at Beaverton School District will showcase the work of Children's Institute's Early School Success init...
See what’s happening at Children’s Institute
Together, we can choose children and change the world. We`re getting closer to our #GivingTuesday goal of $2,025 and there`s still time to donate today. Help us kickstart the new year with momentum to create lasting change for young children in Oregon. A dollar makes a difference!
Donate at childinst.org/donate
#community #oregon #choosechidlrenchangetheworld #fundraising #donate #portland #rural
⭐Giving Tuesday is here!⭐
Our #GivingTuesday goal is to raise $2,025 so we can continue to make Oregon the best place to be a kid in 2025! We need people from every corner of our state, across sectors and communities, to help ensure our children have what they need to thrive—whether it`s quality early learning, healthcare, essential services, or family supports.
Any amount helps us start the new year ready to make an even bigger impact for Oregon`s children.
Donate today (link in bio!) and at childinst.org/donate
Thank you! 🧡
#fundraising #community #oregon #portland #rural #choosechildrenchangetheworld
Giving Tuesday is just 4 days away! 📆
We’re so grateful for our community of partners, educators policymakers, and advocates working together to make Oregon the best place to be a kid. Your support opens up opportunities for our youngest Oregonians—ensuring they have access to quality early learning, healthcare, and family supports.
Here are three actions you can take this Giving Tuesday to help us make an even greater impact in 2025!
🧡 Donate: Help us kickstart the year and reach our goal of $2,025 at childinst.org/donate
📝 Advocate: Sign our petition to support children (link in bio)
📨 Share: Spread the word and invite others to join in (share this post)
Indigenous practices in early learning and care are rooted in generations of Indigenous knowledge and caregiving. Collaborative circles of care is a culturally specific approach that nurtures children and promotes social-emotional development that prioritize partnership with families and communities.
We know that learning and embracing Traditional Ways of Knowing is vital to the early childhood ecosystem and will lead to a more equitable, innovating, caring, and thriving world. Together, may we continuously transform systems towards compassion, wisdom, gratitude, and honor for our children and the generations to come.
We`re endlessly grateful to our culturally-specific partners. Suzie Kuerschner, a child development specialist, early intervention and special education consultant, and early childhood education consultant with S.P.I.R.I.T.S.* helped inform this article.
Read this story (link in bio) or at bit.ly/circles_of_care
*S.P.I.R.I.T.S = Strength-based Prevention, Intervention & Resilience Informing Teaching Strategies
Giving Tuesday is one week away! 🗓️
We’re filled with gratitude for a community that believes in making Oregon the best place to be a kid. Our connection to partners, policymakers, and advocates across the state makes it possible to create opportunities for our littlest Oregonians 🫶🏾.
This Giving Tuesday, our goal is to raise $2,025 so we can continue our impact in 2025. ANY amount helps us kickstart the new year and continue to make sure that all young children and their families can access quality early learning, healthcare, and essential supports.
Here are three ways you can support Oregon children on Giving Tuesday:
⭐️ Donate: Help us get to $2,025. Donate at childinst.org/donate
⭐️ Advocate: Sign our petition to advocate for young children (link in bio)
⭐️ Share: Send to friends and inspire others to join us for Giving Tuesday
#GivingTuesday #Children #Oregon #EarlyChildhood #Advocacy #Gratitude #Community
In the latest episode of The Early Link Podcast, we hear from Nevin Van Manen, the principal at Highland Elementary School in Grants Pass, Oregon, about school culture, community, and what it means to be from Grants Pass, from Oregon, and from the United States.
Special thanks to Adam Davis from @oregonhumanities for co-hosting this interview, and to the students and educators we’ve spoken with in Grants Pass in recent months.
🎧Listen to this episode at the link in our bio or wherever you stream your podcasts!
#EarlyLink #Podcast #Oregon #GrantsPass #Children #EarlyLearning
Tune in to The Early Link Podcast
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.Subscribe
