Early Childhood Coalition
The Early Childhood Coalition (ECC) envisions an Oregon where all children experience high-quality early learning and care that is culturally responsive, welcoming, and accessible; where child and family experience directs policy and investment toward creating and sustaining a culture of abundance, care, and joy.
Early Childhood Coalition
The Early Childhood Coalition envisions an Oregon where all children experience high-quality early learning and care that is culturally responsive, welcoming, and accessible; where child and family experience directs policy and investment toward creating and sustaining a culture of abundance, care, and play.
The ECC envisions an Oregon where all children experience high quality early learning and care that is culturally responsive, welcoming, and accessible; where child and family experience directs policy and investment toward creating and sustaining a culture of abundance, care, and joy.
We believe racism is built into all systems, including early childhood; we know early childhood is a critical window in which to advance racial equity. When we center racial equity and intentionally prioritize those at the outermost margins, early childhood programs and services can improve outcomes for all children and reduce disparities by race/ethnicity, income, geography, disability, language, immigrant and refugee status, houselessness and foster care.
With strong partnerships and visionary leadership, we can work toward a racially just, child-centered early learning and care system that prioritizes every child’s diverse strengths and needs, starting at birth. We invite you to join us, learn more about our collective goals, share our message with your networks, and work with us to remind lawmakers why early childhood matters!
Have a question or need more information? Please email Malea Miller at malea@childinst.org.
Tools & Resources
Links to resources and downloadable content.
2023 Legislative Agenda
Oregon’s Early Childhood Programs Explained
Expanding Early Childhood Facilities
For Legislators & Policymakers
Our Values
As a coalition, we are committed to moving all early childhood investments toward greater cultural relevance and responsiveness. In order to achieve this, our decisions and actions will be centered in core values of justice, accountability, self-determination, humanity, and collaboration.
Justice
We work towards systems level transformation to remove barriers and build political power for children, families, and communities most harmed by systemic injustice.
Accountability
From policy development through implementation, we are answerable to young children, families, and communities. As we continue to learn from historic injustice and take corrective action, we will also acknowledge and learn from our own missteps and take action to repair harm.
Self-determination
Solutions must be built with families and communities to work for them. We commit ourselves to policy building and decision-making led by and for Black, Indigenous, people of color, and other families and community partners historically excluded from policy and budget decisions.
Humanity
We perceive our well-being and the well-being of the children, families, and communities we advocate with as essentially connected. We ground our work in the belief that happy, healthy development is a collective social responsibility and a fundamental right of all children.
Collaboration
We pursue justice for Oregon’s youngest children and families through non-transactional, long-term, and evolving relationship and trust-building. We are committed to equipping parents and partners with the support they need to drive change on their own terms.
Coalition Participants
Adelante Mujeres
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
American Heart Association
Child Care Resources
Community Action
Consejo Hispano
Doulas Latinas
Early Learning Council
Early Learning Central Oregon
Early Learning Clackamas
Early Learning Council
Early Learning Multnomah
Early Literary Success Alliance
Eastern Oregon Community Based Service Hub
Education Explorers
Family Forward Oregon
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
Foundations for a Better Oregon
Friendly House
Health Share
Home Forward
Inclusive Partners
Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization
Latino Network
Marion & Polk Early Learning, Inc.
Metropolitan Family Services
Multnomah County
Native American Youth and Family Center
Northwest Early Learning Hub
Nurse-Family Partnership
Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children
Oregon Alliance for Early Intervention
Oregon Association of Relief Nurseries
Oregon Child Abuse Solutions
Oregon Coalition of Local Health Officials
Oregon Community Foundation
Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities
Oregon Education Association
Oregon Head Start Association
Oregon Montessori Association
Oregon Pediatric Society
Oregon Public Health Institute
Our Children Oregon
Prevent Child Abuse Oregon
Reach Out and Read
ReadyNation: Council for a Strong America
Social Venture Partners Portland
South-Central Early Learning Hub
United Way of the Columbia-Willamette
Yamhill Community Care
Latest on Policy from Children’s Institute
Oregon’s Push for Increased Public Investment
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...
The Power of Preschool Promise
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.
Putting Children First: A Call to Action for Lawmakers
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.