School’s In—Let’s Get to Work for Oregon’s Kids

by Kali Thorne Ladd | Sep 3, 2025 | News, Successful Students, Early School Success

Seven children stand in front of a yellow school bus, wearing colorful raincoats, boots, and backpacks. The bus has the word 'Student' partially visible on its side. The image conveys a back-to-school moment.

Children head back to school, ready for a new year of learning, growth, and possibility. Photo credit: Image by FatCamera via Getty Images Signature, available on Canva.

It’s that familiar rhythm for families across the nation: back-to-school time! This season marks the steady drumbeat of back-to-school nights, morning madness, school-bus scrambles, and those “saved by the bell” close calls.

As both a mom and an education professional, September always feels like a thumbprint on a new year, just like January does.

Much like the students and educators heading back to school, Children’s Institute is entering a season of focus: we’re renewing our commitment to support schools statewide, equipping them with the tools they need to optimally serve young children.

I invite you to join us as we recommit to the year ahead with a sense of possibility, using these core values as our compass:

Connectedness: We are supporting classroom communities to ensure all young learners know they belong, and we’re building bridges across rural and urban communities to make that happen!

Equity: We are working across Oregon to ensure education systems support every young child’s success, especially those furthest from opportunity.

Honor: In our daily work, we honor the children at the center of our mission; the educators who teach them, and the families and caregivers who help them thrive.

Innovation: We embrace innovation to imagine new solutions and release limiting beliefs.

Learning: We embody learning not just as a practice, but as a mindset: “Stay engaged and curious. Learn like a child does!” That’s how we stay ahead and make progress in early childhood education.

Children give me hope. Every. Single. Day. Let’s be intentional and keep our eyes toward the future, with them in mind. Transformation requires focus and collective effort to make Oregon a place where all children can play, learn, grow, and thrive—from the moment they’re born.

Our work ahead is complex, but not insurmountable when we keep our eyes on the prize. Let’s do this!

All in for children,

Kali Thorne Ladd

CEO, Children’s Institute

Are you registered for the 2025 Champions for Children Luncheon? Join us on October 30 to learn how our school partnerships are making an impact. RSVP here!

A Bold Vision for Oregon Children in 2025

by Kali Thorne Ladd | Jan 14, 2025 | Preschool, Federal Policy, Health and Development, Oregon Policy

Dear Colleagues and Supporters,

A new year brings a valuable opportunity to reset and reflect on key moments from the previous year, while setting intentions for the next. As we step into 2025, I feel a renewed sense of urgency to make Oregon the best place to be a kid. This feeling is amplified by our incredible network of advocates, leaders, families, researchers, donors, policymakers, and educators—all united in this shared vision.

Across Oregon, there is a deep hunger for change and a growing concern for the well-being of children, especially those furthest from opportunity. While we navigate the uncertainties of our state, country, and world, it remains clear that bridge-building and community are essential in moving the needle. These shared connections anchor us, lighting our path so we can show up as our best selves. We must maintain our focus on them with the same fervor that we do children.

At Children’s Institute, we are ramping up our advocacy efforts with several key priorities designed to strengthen Oregon’s early childhood ecosystem. These initiatives will not only improve outcomes for children but also bolster our educational system, economy, workforce, and family well-being.

Our 2025 priorities include:

Stabilizing child care providers, reducing costs, and addressing food insecurity through additional funding for the Child & Adult Care Food Program.
Strengthening support for new parents by expanding the doula workforce and lactation consultants as part of the Momnibus policy package, which aims to reduce health disparities in low-income families.
Investing in the early childhood behavioral health workforce to provide consistent care for young children across the state.
Investing in ERDC (Employment Related Day Care) to reduce the waitlist and help 8,500 Oregon families access child care.
Restoring funding for Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) so children birth-5 can access early learning and care.

We know Oregonians care deeply about these issues. Recent polls confirm that a strong majority believe that public policy investments in early childhood education and development is crucial (Oregon Values and Beliefs Survey, 2024). We also know that it is extremely difficult to improve outcomes for children in the K-12 system without investing in their earliest years of life. Similarly, our economy can’t grow or stabilize without child care.

So, come on, Oregon—let’s do this! Let’s strive for something bold, challenging, and transformative for children in 2025. Let’s set aside political division and focus on what matters most: our children. Together, we can make Oregon an example of what’s possible when we prioritize children in their earliest years.

Let’s choose children and change the world.

In community,

Kali Thorne Ladd

A Message from Kali Thorne Ladd: Policy Change for Families, Lessons from History and Hope for the Future

by Kali Thorne Ladd | Aug 21, 2024 | News, Federal Policy, Oregon Policy

We are at a critical time as a country.

I believe this for many reasons, and none are a result of the current election cycle. Rather, it’s in response to what I know to be true about children and families. It’s a truth I heard from policymakers from across the nation during a recent trip to Washington, D.C; and a truth from those who have devoted their lives to working with, and on behalf of, children and families.

The collective care of children and families matters.

Yet the way our systems operate are antithetical to this and instead contribute to ongoing social problems like systemic poverty, mental health struggles, loneliness, and isolation. But we always have a choice to be—and do—better.

in the 1970s, congressional leaders passed a comprehensive package for children and families, including child care subsidies, home visits, and paid family leave. There was overwhelming bipartisan support, with Republicans and Democrats both recognizing these programs as critical to child development, aided by the war on poverty. But in the 11th hour, President Nixon vetoed this bill and American families have suffered since.

It is well-documented that Scandinavian and Western European countries offer some of the most robust child care policies in the world, with generous parental leave. Countries that have adopted these policies have shown greater academic and economic outcomes.

In 2024, there is no question that having affordable, high-quality child care continues to be an economic imperative for diverse communities across the United States. And in Oregon, we’re fortunate to have congressional leaders who are committed to children and families; leaders who are advancing equity and opportunity for all children and dedicated to transformational change. On Capitol Hill, I had the opportunity to spend time with most of them alongside their incredible staff, and we discussed tangible ways that we can make Oregon and our country better for our youngest community members.

I am hopeful about the bipartisan efforts underway, that is, a bold child care proposal from U.S. Senators Britt and Kaine to make progress for children and families. I also believe that with the remarkable leadership from our state champions, in both the house and senate, we can right the wrongs of the past and ensure a down payment on the future of America’s children and by proxy, our prosperity as a nation.

In solidarity,

Kali Thorne Ladd

Chief Executive Officer

Children’s Institute

Five Ways we can Harness Love to Help Children Thrive

by Kali Thorne Ladd | May 29, 2024 | News, CI in the News

When children experience hard things, the one thing that can help them overcome trauma and develop resiliency is love. Loving, caring relationships are the most important factor in building sturdy brain architecture and turning stress into resiliency. This is game-changing. It’s something we can all understand. Each one of us is wired for love. We all need it, and children have the greatest opportunity to thrive when immersed in it.

Five Ways we can Harness Love to Help Children Thrive

Five Ways we can Harness the Game-Changing Power of Love to Help Children Thrive Visualize an ecosystem of love, care, and learning for children that begins before they are born and is designed to (2)

It can be overwhelming to think about changing these complex systems. But there is a way to simplify things and for each of us to commit to doing what’s right for children in our world today, right now. Reach into your soul and heart and imagine your power to give the gift of love and resiliency to a child. Maybe it’s a child you know, a classroom you’re familiar with, a community or church that is part of your life. When you look inside, know that you can be an ambassador for love, an ambassador for helping children thrive in a community of love.

It takes a lot of love to heal the world, but only takes a little to help a child know they belong, that they are cared for and safe, that they are loved and that they can heal. When we do that, we can change the world with one act of love followed by another, and another.

This article was adapted from “The Game-Changing Power of Love,” written by Kali Thorne Ladd, CEO, Children’s Institute; and published by BlackPress of America on May 27, 2024. Find the original article here.

With Gratitude to our Champions for Children

by Kali Thorne Ladd | Oct 27, 2023 | News, Educators and Workforce, Parents and Families

It is with profound joy and gratitude that I reflect on our recent Champions for Children – 20 Years of Impact event, celebrating the past two decades of Children’s Institute’s work to make Oregon the best place to be a kid.

Among the 550 plus champions who filled the room, including our friends who joined virtually from Central and Eastern Oregon (and a few from out-of-state!), I was in awe of the power of our collective community and it truly took my breath away.

But building a society that honors and supports children from the moment they are born takes more than one event or any singular act. It requires a daily commitment and a choice to be better, to do better.

It takes a concentrated effort to ensure all children have access to early literacy programs, a seamless educational experience, maternal-infant health support, and safe, nurturing child care facilities.

Race, geography, language, and income level should never be a barrier to that. This is what justice for children means.

The event was a testament to the movement itself, and an unwavering dedication of many people across sectors that include educators, early childhood providers, community leaders, business leaders, policymakers, and philanthropic champions–all committed to ensuring a brighter future for our children. It builds on a legacy of two decades of work and leans into the possibility of what tomorrow holds.

Click through for event photos!

We had the honor of presenting the legendary Ron Herndon with the 2023 Alexander Award for his exemplary leadership and advocacy for our youngest learners both locally and nationally, and his civil rights leadership for Black and brown communities in Portland for more than 50 years.

If Ronnie isn’t an inspiration, I don’t know who is. I hope we can all aspire to do what he has done, and lean into the work purposely and unwaveringly, to show up as THE BEST, true champions, for children.

I invite you to join us in this exciting journey ahead. The impact of our collective efforts is immeasurable, and I am confident that the future holds even greater promise.

Join us in making Oregon the best place to be a kid.

If you missed the event and want to give, you can still make a donation or volunteer to help ensure that Children’s Institute continues to impact Oregon’s young children for the next 20 years and beyond.

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