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Children’s Wellness – Oregon Values and Beliefs Center

Children’s Wellness – Oregon Values and Beliefs Center

by | Jan 24, 2025 | Health and Development, News, Research and Evaluation

Republished with permission from Oregon Values and Beliefs Center.

Is Oregon the best place to be a kid? If not, how can we improve childhood and parenting experiences in the state?

From September 27th – October 15th, 2024, the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center conducted a statewide survey of Oregonians’ values and beliefs on the topics of financial well-being and children’s wellness in Oregon.  The research was conducted to assist the Children’s Institute in its mission to make Oregon the best place to be a kid.

The question numbers in this document correspond with an accompanying annotated questionnaire and tabs. Due to rounding, the percentages reported below may not add up to 100% or compare exactly to the percentages for the same question in the annotated questionnaire or tabs.

Included below for selected questions are noteworthy subgroup variations for age, gender, area of the state, BIPOC/white, etc. The accompanying set of tabs notes subgroup variations for all the questions.

For survey full question wording, all statistically significant subgroup findings, and respondent quotes, readers are encouraged to refer to the accompanying documents found at the bottom of this page: (1) annotated questionnaire, (2) crosstabulations, and (3) verbatim written responses spreadsheet (upon request).

 

Key Takeaways
  • A slight majority of Oregonians agree that Oregon is “the best place to be a kid,” while about three in four agree we should invest public funds into realizing this goal.

  • Awareness and agreement are stronger for prenatal than postpartum support for women in Oregon. Many Oregonians also believe families with children ages 2 and under could benefit from home visits by a nurse or doula.

  • Oregonians recognize the power of early learning to shape children’s academic future. They support public policies that prioritize funding early childhood education and development programs.

  • A significant majority of Oregonians say that state funding should prioritize affordable housing for families with young children.
Families’ and children’s experience in Oregon

When asked if Oregon is the “best place to be a kid,” a slight majority of Oregonians agree (53%), a third disagree, and 14% are unsure. An even larger number of respondents agree that Oregon should invest its public funds to become the best place for children (77%). 16% of respondents disagree that Oregon should invest its public funds in this way, while 7% don’t know.

  • Younger respondents, ages 18-29, are more likely to disagree that Oregon is “the best place to be a kid,” compared to older respondents.

63% of Oregonians believe the well-being of families with children is at risk, with 56% expressing this concern specifically for families with children aged 5 years or younger. About a quarter of respondents disagree that the well-being of families with children (22%) and families with children under 5 (24%) is at risk. Additionally, 15% are unsure about the well-being of families with children, and 20% are uncertain regarding families with children under 5.

  • Respondents with children in their household are more likely than those without to believe that families with children are at risk.
Care for families before and after pregnancy

60% of Oregonians agree that women in Oregon receive necessary prenatal support for happy, healthy births, but only 47% feel this support continues postpartum. Around a third of Oregonians (32%) do not believe that support for women postpartum or after delivering a baby is sufficient, while 22% believe prenatal support is lacking. Awareness is also limited, with 18% unsure about the prenatal support women receive and 22% about postnatal support.

  • Oregonians of color and those with fewer years of formal education are more likely to agree that women in Oregon receive necessary prenatal and postnatal support.
  • Those whose annual income is at least $150,000 are more likely to disagree that women in Oregon receive necessary prenatal and postnatal support.

Oregonians also agree that families with children 2 and under would benefit from home-visiting services from a nurse or doula (69%). The remaining respondents are split between those who disagree that this would be helpful (16%) and those who are uncertain (15%).

  • Urban respondents and those with a 4-year degree or more were more likely to agree that home visits from a nurse or doula would benefit families with very young children.
Pre-K-12 Education and Development

Oregonians find common ground when it comes to early learning as foundational education, with 8 out of 10 respondents agreeing that “Early learning and preschool set children on a path to be successful in K-12 schools”. 16% disagree with this statement, while 4% are unsure.

  • Respondents aged 55 and older, those with higher annual incomes, and college graduates are particularly likely to strongly agree that early learning puts children on the path to long-term success in school.

A strong majority of Oregonians (76%) believe that investing in early childhood education and development programs through public policy is crucial, with 28% deeming it ‘very important’ and 47% calling it ‘extremely important.’ A mere 9% of respondents view this investment as either slightly important (5%) or not important at all (4%).

  • Oregonians are particularly aligned on this matter, with few statistically significant differences. While some demographic groups have slightly higher percentages for ‘very important’ or ‘extremely important,’ overall agreement remains strong.
Housing families with young children

A majority of Oregonians (85%) believe that state funding should prioritize affordable housing for families with young children, with 47% expressing strong support and 38% somewhat supporting this initiative. One in ten do not support this prioritization, and 5% are unsure about it.

  • Women, respondents with an annual income of $25,000 or less, and those with fewer years of formal education are more likely to strongly support state funding prioritizing affordable housing for families with young children.
Summation quotes – Amaury Vogel, Executive Director

“A slight majority of Oregonians believe our state is ‘the best place to be a kid,’ but an even larger 77% agree we should invest public funds to make that vision a reality. Younger respondents, aged 18-29, are more likely to question whether Oregon truly is the ‘best place to be a kid,’ reflecting generational differences in perceptions of child welfare.”

“Oregonians recognize the vital role of early learning, with 80% affirming that preschool sets children on a path to success in K-12 education.”

“While 60% of respondents believe women in Oregon receive adequate prenatal support, only 47% feel that support continues after childbirth, highlighting a gap that needs attention. The survey reveals a consensus that families with children ages 2 and under would benefit significantly from home visits by a nurse or doula, with 69% of Oregonians in support.”

“85% of Oregonians agree that state funding should prioritize affordable housing for families with young children, showcasing widespread support for this critical issue.”

Methodology

The online survey consisted of 1,906 Oregon residents ages 18+ and took approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. This is a sufficient sample size to assess Oregonians’ opinions generally and to review findings by multiple subgroups. Respondents were contacted by using professionally maintained online panels. In gathering responses, a variety of quality control measures were employed, including questionnaire pre-testing, validation, and real-time monitoring of responses. To ensure a representative sample, demographic quotas were set, and data was weighted by area of the state, gender, age, and education.

OVBC surveys currently use aggregated data to analyze the opinions of BIPOC residents in comparison to the opinions of residents who identify as white and not another race. BIPOC residents are not a homogeneous population, instead, they represent a wide diversity of races and ethnicities. The findings included in this memo should not be construed such that all people of color are believed to share the same opinions. Disaggregated race data will be provided when sample sizes permit reliability.

Statement of Limitations:: Any sampling of opinions or attitudes is subject to a margin of error. The margin of error is a standard statistical calculation that represents differences between the sample and total population at a confidence interval, or probability, calculated to be 95%. This means that there is a 95% probability that the sample taken for this study would fall within the stated margin of error if compared with the results achieved from surveying the entire population. This survey’s margin of error for the full sample is ±2.21%

For More Information:

(Crosstab) Children’s Institute – Fall 2024 OVBC Survey 
[Annotated Questionnaire] Children’s Institute – Fall 2024 OVBC Survey

 

Acknowledgements

 

 

Oregon Values and Beliefs Center (OVBC): This research was completed by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center as a community service. OVBC is an independent and non-partisan organization and an Oregon charitable nonprofit corporation. Representative OVBC projects include a series of in-depth business interviews for the Columbia County Economic Team, as well as an extensive opinion research study about Oregonian’s values and beliefs, in partnership with over 20 organizations (Learn more about the 2023 Typology Study).

 

Children’s Institute to improve the lives of Oregon children from prenatal to grade 5 who face institutional or systemic barriers to opportunity, including those from low-income families, children of color, children with disabilities, multilingual learners, and children in rural areas through research, policy advocacy, learning initiatives, and community partnerships. The organization is dedicated to making sure every child is healthy, safe, and has what they need to become an active, engaged learner.

Child Care Advocates Celebrate Representative Janelle Bynum’s Inauguration to Oregon’s 5th Congressional District

Child Care Advocates Celebrate Representative Janelle Bynum’s Inauguration to Oregon’s 5th Congressional District

by | Jan 8, 2025 | Preschool, Federal Policy, Health and Development, Oregon Policy

Children’s Institute CEO Kali Thorne Ladd and Family Forward Oregon Exec. Dir. Candice Vickers supported Congresswoman Janelle Bynum at her Jan. 3 inauguration in D.C. Congresswoman Bynum is a child care champion. From left to right: Vickers, Bynum, Ladd.

Please review this key update from our community partner, Family Forward Oregon:

WASHINGTON D.C. — On Friday, January 3, 2025, amongst more than 60 fellow newcomers to Congress, Janelle Bynum was sworn in to represent Oregon’s 5th Congressional District as the state’s first Black Congressperson Endorsed by many parent- and caregiver-centric organizations — including The Mother PAC — Bynum is a self-proclaimed care champion. Candice Vickers, Executive Director of Family Forward Oregon, and Kali Thorne Ladd, Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Institute, were also in attendance. 

On this historic swearing-in of Oregon’s first Black Congressperson, Vickers said, “I am reminded of the countless mothers and caregivers who have paved the way for this moment. Their tireless efforts to build stronger, more just communities have created a foundation for leaders like Congresswoman Bynum to rise. 

“As an organization dedicated to supporting these unsung heroes, Family Forward Oregon recognizes the profound impact that representation has on our collective well-being. We look forward to working with Congresswoman Bynum to ensure that the voices of mothers and caregivers are heard in the halls of power, and that our policies reflect the values of equity, justice, and compassion that they embody.”

“Caregivers play a critical role in our families, communities, and economy and it’s time for our policies to reflect that,” said Congresswoman Bynum. “As a mom, I understand what families are struggling with and what they need. That’s why I’ll continue to champion expanding paid family and medical leave and investing in child care. I look forward to continuing to partner with Family Forward, now from Congress, to help families and children get the future they deserve.” 

“Access to high-quality childcare is a critical investment in our children’s future,” said Thorne Ladd. “As we celebrate milestones like Congresswoman Janelle Bynum’s inauguration as Oregon’s first Black congresswoman, we’re reminded that representation matters — not just in government, but also in opportunities for our youngest citizens. By providing access to quality childcare, we can help ensure that all children, regardless of their background or zip code, have the opportunity to reach their full potential and grow up to be leaders like Congresswoman Bynum.”

New metric in OR will make social emotional health care more accessible

New metric in OR will make social emotional health care more accessible

by | Sep 11, 2024 | Preschool, News, Preschool Landscape

This article was written by Eric Tegethoff at Public News Service and shared with permission highlights how Oregon aims to make social and emotional health care for young children more available with a new metric.

 

The Oregon Health Authority has adopted the Child-Level Social Emotional Health Metric, which will improve and incentivize care for kids from birth to age 5 who are on the state’s Medicaid program. Oregon is the first state in the country to adopt such a measure.

Andi Walsh, senior health policy adviser for the Children’s Institute in Oregon, said social-emotional health is the foundation for everyone’s mental health.

“Building the ability to develop relationships, to experience and express emotions, to explore,” Walsh outlined. “All of those are components of social-emotional health and all of those are the building blocks for positive mental and physical health later in childhood and adulthood.”

Walsh pointed out the country’s youth are experiencing a mental health crisis and Oregon is falling behind. A recent ranking from Mental Health America on access to care for youth placed Oregon third to last.

Karra Crane served on the parent advisory group for the Oregon Pediatric Improvement Partnership, which developed this metric. She has experience with a child who needs social-emotional health treatments. Crane shared her experience living in a small town, Roseburg, where waitlists for services can be years long.

“If you’ve never experienced it you can’t imagine what it’s like,” Crane asserted. “Talking to people that are living it currently is a really good way to help make sure that you’re not missing anything that you wouldn’t know to look for because you aren’t in that fight, essentially.”

Walsh stressed the new metric will be especially impactful as the state bans suspension and expulsion from early care and education programs starting in July 2026. She added the goal of the metric is to get involved sooner with kids at risk of developing social-emotional challenges, which are often seen in child care settings and preschool.

“This metric is really meant to try and reach those kids much sooner in a preventative way,” Walsh explained. “To start providing them with the services that we know will strengthen those skills and hopefully, theoretically, will prevent those kinds of issues moving forward.”

This work is attributed to Eric Tegethoff, producer with the Public News Service. The original version can be found here.

Strengthening Early Literacy Practices with Evidence-Based Resources

Strengthening Early Literacy Practices with Evidence-Based Resources

by | Jul 30, 2024 | Preschool, News, Successful Students

This article, co-authored by Herbert Turner at Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest (REL Northwest) and Marina Merrill at Children’s Institute, is republished with permission. It highlights a compilation of evidence-based resources to support and strengthen early literacy resources for young children. 

 

In 2023, the Oregon Legislature launched the Early Literacy Success Initiative to help all students learn to read — as currently only 46 percent of students read proficiently by the end of grade 3.1 To support the initiative, Children’s Institute (CI) partnered with the Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest (REL Northwest) to compile accessible, evidence-based resources to support this effort and strengthen literacy practices for young children.

Why early literacy matters

Why focus on birth to grade 3? Early experiences shape the foundation for all future learning, with critical brain development occurring before age five.2 When young children develop strong language skills early on, they are better equipped to engage in learning and succeed academically. Children who fail to achieve reading proficiency by grade 3 are four times more likely to drop out of high school.3 Thus, early literacy is an educational priority and an equity issue, as it can help mitigate the effects of poverty and systemic inequities.

 

Evidence-based early literacy resources

REL Northwest compiled vetted resources to support early literacy from ages 0–3 and preschool to grade 3. For children ages 0–3, these resources include interactive reading apps, early literacy games, and parent-child reading guides. Educators and parents can integrate these strategies into home visiting programs, early intervention services, and community-based programs. For older children in preschool and elementary school settings, the resources include guided reading materials, phonics-based learning tools, and literacy assessment guides.

For example, How Parents and Families Support Oral Language and Vocabulary provides research-based strategies, example texts, and real-life vignettes that parents and families can use to develop oral language skills in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, including those from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Another resource, A Kindergarten Teacher’s Guide to Supporting Family Involvement in Foundational Reading Skills, helps teachers support families in practicing foundational reading skills at home as a companion to the recommendations for classroom instruction. These resources address the unique needs and challenges faced by students, including students from low-income families, English learner students, and students with disabilities.

Children’s Institute published these resources on a custom web page designed for families, caregivers, practitioners, and policymakers to access and use practices linked to improving student outcomes. The resources are presented in a user-friendly format, with clear instructions and explanations.

 

Policy context and future directions

The shift toward identifying literacy skills on the zero-to-grade-3 continuum reflects a growing recognition of the importance of early childhood education. This approach aligns with national trends and funding opportunities, emphasizing the need for comprehensive early literacy strategies. By thinking beyond the traditional preK–3 continuum, Oregon is positioning itself as a leader in early childhood education reform.

The infusion of state funding into early literacy initiatives, particularly the Early Literacy Success Initiative, opens new possibilities. By leveraging this funding, educators and policymakers can adopt and integrate these tools and strategies into their existing frameworks, ensuring that every child in Oregon can develop strong literacy skills from the earliest age.

By creating a more equitable education system that empowers all children to reach their full potential, this initiative aims to improve early literacy and foster a sense of shared responsibility and commitment to the future of our children and our communities.

 

The role of REL Northwest and Children’s Institute

REL Northwest plays a crucial role in building the capacity of education stakeholders across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington and helping state and district leaders use data and evidence for informed decision-making. REL Northwest conducts applied research, and provides training, and technical support to state and local education agencies and community organization partners in the region.

Children’s Institute, a nonprofit organization, focuses on improving the lives of children from prenatal to fifth grade in Oregon, especially those facing systemic barriers like poverty, racial inequities, disabilities, or rural areas. CI’s work focuses on shaping state early childhood policy related to early learning and healthy development and working with schools and districts to strengthen teaching practices preschool through fifth grade with its Early School Success initiative. They collaborate with various stakeholders, including families, educators, regional leaders, policymakers, and health organizations, to ensure a comprehensive approach to early childhood education.

 

Additional Resources

1 Oregon Department of Education. (2022). Oregon statewide report card 2021–2022.

2 National Research Council & Institute of Medicine. (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. National Academy Press.

3 Hernandez, D. J. (2011). Double jeopardy: How third-grade reading skills and poverty influence high school graduation. Annie E. Casey Foundation.

States Have A Role To Play in Helping Kids Access Inclusive Pre-K

States Have A Role To Play in Helping Kids Access Inclusive Pre-K

by | Jul 25, 2024 | Preschool, News, Preschool Landscape

This article written by Aaron Loewenberg at New America and shared with permission highlights how collaboration between school districts and community partners can be improved by states.

A distinctive hallmark of publicly funded early education is the fact that it’s offered in a variety of settings. In order to preserve parental choice and increase capacity, many states have adopted mixed delivery systems in which pre-K is offered not only in public elementary schools but also in community-based settings, such as child care centers and Head Start. There are a variety of reasons why a parent might prefer one of these settings over a school setting, such as closer proximity to their home or place of work, full-day hours that better correspond with a parent’s working schedule, or because it’s where other family members already attend.

But while a mixed delivery system of pre-K has many advantages, it can present significant challenges for students with disabilities when it comes to accessing early childhood special education (ECSE) services, such as those provided by occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists. A nationwide shortage of special education teachers can make the task even more difficult. Despite guidance from the federal government that emphasizes that the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) apply to both school and non-school settings, in many districts these services are only provided in school-based settings, forcing families to make difficult decisions.

Families might be forced to choose between staying in a child care center and receiving no services or leaving the program to attend the school-based option that will offer ECSE services. Alternatively, families might be able to stay at their community-based setting but the learning day is disrupted by the need to take a bus in the middle of the day to receive services at the school district site. Neither of these options are optimal, and both go against a child’s right to be served in the “least restrictive environment,” a point recently emphasized in a 2023 federal policy statement. That statement makes clear that, “Families should not have to choose between remaining in their existing early childhood program and receiving early intervention or special education services after children are identified with a disability.” It also emphasizes the benefits of children with special needs learning in inclusive settings alongside typically developing children.

Since both Head Start rules and IDEA make clear that it’s the responsibility of local education agencies to conduct evaluations and deliver special education services, much of the work of delivering these services to young children in community-based settings happens at the local level and under the purview of the school district. And while there are several examples of communities across the country engaged in this work, there are fewer examples of state systems working across sectors to ensure that children are supported in accessing special education services across the mixed delivery system. However, there is an important role for the state to play here. In fact, the recent federal policy statement offers 10 recommendations for state actions to better serve children with disabilities in early childhood programs, ranging from establishing a cross-sector state leadership team to implement a shared vision to raising public awareness about the benefits and importance of inclusion.

Illinois is one state that has been engaged in this work for many years. “We really need to start from the presumption that the family has made a choice about where to enroll their child, and we need to think about how to keep them there and help that student thrive,” says Kayla Goldfarb, policy manager in Illinois policy at Start Early. To meet this goal, the state has established a cross-sector, interagency leadership team focused on increasing inclusive opportunities for young children with disabilities. The team’s work is guided by Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion that address inclusive policies and practices at multiple system levels: state, community, local programs, and the environments where children receive care. “Part of the reason it is so important is because the issue of inclusion for preschoolers is a cross-sector issue since there is no universally accessible pre-K system nationally. So, if we want to address inclusion, we have to not just have our school district and Illinois State Board of Education partners on board; it also has to include community-based providers, including child care and Head Start partners,” says Goldfarb.

The state has partnered with the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center to provide technical assistance for implementing, sustaining, and scaling-up inclusive pre-K programs. District-based community inclusion teams consisting of community partners, education agencies, and parents meet monthly across the state to build awareness of the importance of early childhood inclusion. In Collinsville, a city located just east of St. Louis, the school district and a Head Start program were able to enter into a collaboration where an itinerant special education teacher from the district travels to the Head Start site to provide services that are embedded in the activities of the day. This arrangement means that children no longer have to take a bus in the middle of the day to the school to receive their services.

Illinois is also using funds from the federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program to improve the availability of services in community-based settings. The funds have been used to pilot different service model options for providing special education services in community settings, such as one in which itinerant services are provided within a regional co-op to children who reside out-of-district and are enrolled in community-based organizations. Several community inclusion teams have been awarded funds to receive technical assistance, professional development, and help in implementing the itinerant service model in their communities.

Oregon has also been working to assist local communities in providing inclusive services for children in community-based settings through the work of the state’s Early Childhood Inclusion Initiative. “Oregon didn’t necessarily have a state strategy to move the needle on this, and so now we are getting technical assistance to build a state strategy for advancing inclusion,” says Dana Hepper, Director of Policy & Advocacy at Children’s Institute. Like Illinois, the state is using the Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion to guide work at the state and local levels and has organized cross-sector community inclusion teams that examine barriers to authentic communication between school districts and community-based settings.

In Lincoln County in Western Oregon, a community inclusion team made up of partners from across the early learning community has been using coaching to build staff capacity in three community sites, develop shared professional development, and identify interagency agreements with districts that will help sustain inclusive practices. Other community teams have focused on ensuring that all early education providers, regardless of setting, have access to high-quality training and coaching on practices that target the full inclusion of young children with disabilities.

For her part, Hepper sees a definite benefit to states stepping up to help lead this work around how to best provide services to young children regardless of whether they attend pre-K in an elementary school, Head Start classroom, or child care center. “It feels very inefficient for every community to have to figure these things out on their own. There are some common, proven practices grounded in research and experience that we should be sharing with each other and utilizing,” says Hepper.

Both Oregon and Illinois offer examples of the importance of states helping and funding local communities to do this often difficult, cross-sector work. It will take continued cooperation between local and state governments to ensure that children with disabilities receive the services to which they’re entitled in the setting that works best for their families.

This work is attributed to Aaron Loewenberg, senior policy analyst with the Education Policy program at New America.. The original version can be found here.