Health and Development
What’s the Connection Between Early Childhood and the Behavioral Crisis in Oregon’s Classrooms?
Recent news reports and a report released this month from the Oregon Education Association reflect an increasingly pervasive and alarming trend in classrooms: Across the state and at all grade levels, educators, parents, and other child advocates are reporting that...
ACE Study Drives Change at Gladstone Elementary School
Rafael Otto contributed content and photos for this story. At John Wetten Elementary in Gladstone, Oregon, a new classroom called the Skills Learning Center (SLC) offers students a calming environment for working on self-regulation skills. It features quiet music,...
Parents, Educators Call for “More Time, More Hours” to Improve Early Special Education Outcomes
The transition to kindergarten is tough for a lot of kids, but for those with developmental delays and disabilities, it can be especially challenging. Tristan Davis, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder through Early Intervention (EI) services offered by...
A brief explanation of ACEs – Adverse Childhood Experiences
Reporting contributed by Niki Reading The idea that early childhood experiences help shape the trajectory of a person’s life—in both positive and negative ways—makes intuitive sense to most. But thanks to pioneering research and advocacy in the field of childhood...
Learn More About Voluntary Home Visiting
With a 2019 investment, Oregon could make meaningful progress toward offering universal voluntary home visits to new parents who need and want additional support in their first few months home with a new baby. While expanding home visiting services to all infants...
On Transforming Education with Dr. Pedro Noguera
Dr. Pedro Noguera is an acclaimed sociologist whose research and scholarship focuses on how schools are influenced by social and economic conditions, as well as by demographic trends in local, regional, and global contexts. He is the distinguished professor of...
Oregon’s Relief Nurseries Support Families and Keep Kids Out of Foster Care
Oregon's nationally recognized Relief Nursery model serves families with children ages 0–5 who are most at-risk for abuse and neglect. In 2019, Children’s Institute is joining a coalition of early childhood advocates to request an additional $5.6 million in funding...
More than ABCs and 123s: Health and Kindergarten Readiness
A work group convened by Children's Institute and the Oregon Health Authority has issued recommendations for health-driven metrics for kindergarten readiness. The goal is to drive system-level changes and improvements to kindergarten readiness, especially for children served by the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid).
Oregon’s Infant-Toddler Care Dilemma: Providing Quality Care at an Affordable Cost
Imagine you’re an Oregonian earning a median-level household income of $78,683 a year. Let’s also imagine you’ve just become a new parent and are researching infant-toddler care options in advance of your planned return to work. Do you choose a child care option...
The Time Is Now for Oregon to Invest in Early Childhood
The Early Years Are Critical Children experience their most profound cognitive, social, and emotional growth in the first eight years of life. Babies are born learners and their brains produce a million neural connections each second. By the time children reach...
