As the Oregon 2024 Legislative Session ended this year, the Policy and Advocacy team at CI let out a deep breath of gratitude, relief, and excitement for the year ahead. Short sessions often prove frustrating for what can be accomplished, but this year built on the chaotic momentum of 2023’s session, clearing the path for early childhood advocates to make great strides forward.
Held on Friday, March 22 at Portland State University, the Oregon Early Childhood Summit brought together early childhood professionals from across the state and across sectors to collectively envision a better future for children’s social-emotional health. The event was produced by Children's Institute and Trauma Informed Oregon.
The CI Communications team sits down with Liane Chappell, principal at the Hillsboro Early Childhood Center in Hillsboro, Oregon, to talk about Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. The goal of the Early Childhood Center is to serve kids who have delays and disabilities, and to help them make progress in the areas where they need support. As the 2024 legislative session continues, we want to emphasize the importance of Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education opportunities for children across Oregon.
The 2024 legislative session is almost here! And it is with excitement and determination that we share our Early Childhood Coalition priorities for this year. After a chaotic regular session in 2023, the Oregon Legislature has unfinished business in prioritizing young children prenatal through age 5 in this year’s short session. Providers, families, and early childhood advocates from across Oregon will be calling for urgent investments to support early learning, child care infrastructure, and early childhood health.
We often talk about how investing in a child’s earliest years can set them up for long-term success. In order to build a strong foundation during this period of rapid brain development, it's important to connect families with the tools needed to support their child’s development as early as possible.
On June 25th, the 2023 Oregon Legislative session officially ended. Despite an unusual session and some legislative misses, we still achieved positive outcomes for young children with persistent advocacy and the hard work of Oregon's Early Childhood Coalition, and community partners. Although our work is never done, we are making progress. With each step, we continue to drive policies that help make Oregon the best place to be a kid.
This article was written by Nicole Hsu and originally shared through New America on May 15, 2023. The link can be found here. Across the nation, people are connecting the dots on just how critical strong early childhood infrastructure is for the nation’s...
Preschool Promise is providing opportunities for more young children in Oregon to access high-quality early learning and care. In 2015, Children’s Institute collaborated with 34 partner organizations to support Preschool Promise legislation. After its successful passage, the program launched in 2016 across nine regions, as a part of a larger statewide initiative to improve early childhood education, and partners with public and private providers to expand access to preschool and support the diverse needs of Oregon families.
Oregon faces many crises right now, but the needs of our children should be an urgent priority in this legislative session. Investments in early childhood are among the most important investments we can make. And while Oregon has made progress in this area, we must continue to invest in and strengthen the opportunities we create for children and families across the state.
Governor Tina Kotek visited Douglas County as part of her One Oregon Listening Tour where she plans to visit all of Oregon’s 36 counties during her first year in office. On Friday morning, she stopped at Yoncalla Elementary School’s Early Learning Center—a...
