The Latest
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...
Prepare for the Early Childhood Lobby Day
Thank you for joining the Early Childhood Coalition Lobby Day! It's important for lawmakers to hear from you, their constituents, about the impact of early childhood programs and services. The resources on this page will give you more information about the...
What State Leaders Can Do to Help More Students Start Their Education on the Right Track
By Allan Golston Reprinted from Medium with permission from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Allan Golston visits with students at the Earl Boyles preschool. Principal Ericka Guynes could see the problem clearly. Students at Earl Boyles — a Portland,...
Building a Culture of Care at John Wetten Elementary
We visited John Wetten Elementary in Gladstone, Oregon recently to learn about how the district and the school are working to address ACEs, or Adverse Childhood Experiences. Superintendent Bob Stewart and Principal Wendy Wilson have worked to establish a “Culture...
The Foster Care Fix: Invest in the Services Proven to Keep Kids in Their Homes
Guest Column by Leslie Brown, Program Director, Children's Relief Nursery at LifeWorks NW Oregon’s Child Welfare System needs help. Our system for reporting abuse and neglect can be confusing, we do not have enough foster families or child welfare workers, and...
Preschool as a Political Winner
State and local leaders across the country are becoming increasingly vocal about their support for early education, and universal preschool programs in particular. That’s likely reflective of two major factors: broad nonpartisan voter support for increased public...
Answers to Four Questions About Early Head Start
This a brief explainer about Early Head Start and what it looks like in Oregon for those who are not familiar with the program or understand its place in the network of early childhood services and supports.