The Latest
What Does Passage of the Student Success Act Mean for Early Childhood?
Education supporters across the state celebrated passage of the Student Success Act (HB 3427) on Monday. This historic investment of $2 billion promises to reinvigorate Oregon’s education system by funding a range of programs to boost student achievement and...
The Latest from Salem: May 10, 2019
Dana Hepper, director of policy and advocacy at Children's Institute, and James Barta, strategic director at Children First for Oregon, provide a timely policy update on the current legislative session. Key takeaways: The Senate vote on HB 3427, which has passed...
Rural Parents Scramble to Get More Special Education for Young Kids
Miles Wolpoff, 5, with his family, photo courtesy of Darcy Jeffs. Photo by Dan Haberly.One Oregon couple in a rural town south of Eugene sends their 3-year-old autistic son on a two-hour round trip bus ride so he can attend a special state-sponsored preschool. A...
Across Oregon, Voices Raised in Support of Funding for Education
Protesters wearing "Red for Ed" gather along Portland's waterfront in support of funding for education. Teachers across Oregon today are walking out of their classrooms to protest decades of severe underfunding of our schools. While many states have seen teacher...
Oregon Effort Incentivizes Health Metrics for Kindergarten Readiness
Thanks to Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute for permission to share a guest blog authored by our own Elena Rivera, Senior Health Policy and Program Advisor. Oregon Effort Incentivizes Health Metrics for Kindergarten Readiness Preparing a child for...
Hundreds Gather at OMSI to View a Groundbreaking Early Childhood Documentary
On April 22 and April 29, Children’s Institute and the Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children (ORAEYC) teamed up to host the Oregon premier of the groundbreaking early childhood documentary No Small Matter. Hundreds of parents, child...
A Trip Down Memory Lane at Orchards Head Start
Bob Harding and Teri Seaton are two people who might not seem like they have much in common. Bob works as a bank executive and, with his wife Shannon, is raising three young kids on a 5-acre hobby farm in Stafford, Oregon just east of Tualatin. They have 30...
A Peek Inside Orchards Head Start
Ask 3-year-old Gianna what her favorite thing about school is and she answers with her entire body. She springs up out of her chair—cheese sandwich still in hand—and punctuates her answer with two raised arms.“Play!” she shouts.What’s your second favorite?“Clean...
Policy Update with Dana Hepper and James Barta
Dana Hepper, director of policy and advocacy at Children's Institute, and James Barta, strategic director at Children First for Oregon, provide a timely policy update on the current legislative session. They discuss draft legislation that includes a $400 million...
The True Cost of Early Childhood Programs with John Tapogna
John Tapogna, president of the Portland-based economic consulting firm, ECONorthwest, recently completed a cost analysis of early childhood programs in Oregon. His work reviewed enrollment numbers, program eligibility, and cost per child spending for a suite of...