Health and Development
5 Things to Know About Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Advocates for children’s mental health envision a comprehensive network of supports for children and families that begins with mothers at the prenatal stage and continues throughout an individual’s lifetime. That's reflective of continuing research which...
We Need a Comprehensive Approach to Childhood Adversity
In the 20 years since the first study into Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), health care professionals, educators, and policy makers have become increasingly aware of the long-term consequences of exposure to adversity on children's health and development. As...
Who’s in Charge of Student Success? In Yoncalla, It’s Everyone
It’s a gorgeous summer evening in Yoncalla, Oregon and community members are gathered on the high school football field to kick-off the start of the school year with a celebratory barbecue. A band is playing, children are running at full speed in no particular...
Parents and Educators Must Both Support Children’s Emotional Learning
This week, children across Oregon and the country are returning to school: meeting new teachers, learning new routines, and navigating new friendships and group dynamics. This can be overwhelming, especially for our youngest students who are still learning how to...
Community Efforts Deliver New Health Clinic to North Douglas County
The Early Link Podcast is moving to the radio! We're excited to join the Podcast Co-Op hosted by the Portland Radio Project (PRP). We'll be airing new episodes on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at 4:30pm. In our first episode for PRP, we traveled to...
Maternal Mortality Rates in the U.S. Are Shockingly High, Especially for Black Women
According to "Out of Sight, Out of Mind? What Is the True US Maternal Mortality Rate? No One Knows," a report issued this month from the Rockefeller Institute of Government, maternal mortality rates are higher in the United States than in any other developed...
The Path to the Student Success Act
This year, Oregon passed the Student Success Act: a new annual $1 billion public investment in education. Twenty percent of this budget—nearly $200 million per year—will go toward early childhood programs and services. This new funding is in addition to existing...
CCO Health Innovations Support Early Learning Goals
Oregon’s creation of Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) in 2012 served as a landmark accomplishment in the ongoing effort to better meet the health needs of children and families who qualify for the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid). By integrating and coordinating...
Making Progress for All Learners through LEAP
The LEAP program at Cherry Park Elementary in Southeast Portland is one of a handful of inclusive preschool programs in Oregon. Originally designed to support children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the evidence-based model has been so effective that...
Refugee Families Gather in Ontario, Oregon
At the Four Rivers Welcome Center in Ontario on Monday, people from Iraqi, Mexican, African, and European heritage sit on the floor building colorful, whimsical bookshelves. They are preparing for a literacy event for young children who are either refugees...