A Message from the Director
I hope folks are taking care as we head into the Spring season – a time for change and growth. There is a lot going on that I am excited to share with you, so read on for the latest with the Department of Early Learning and Care.
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Our May Update
60th Anniversary of Head Start
This month marks 60 years of Head Start across the country! While the official anniversary is May 18th, it’s never too early to celebrate the incredible work this program does to serve children and families across Oregon. I feel lucky to be in a state that recognizes the important work of early childhood education, and has supported programs like Head Start through the creation of Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten, which launched in 1987. Head Start is more than an early learning program – it provides comprehensive services and supports to some of our most vulnerable children and families. Thank you, Head Start for, all that you do!
Provider Appreciation
This month also brings around Provider Appreciation Day! Celebrated on the Friday before Mother’s Day – May 9th, this year – this is a time for us to pause, recognize, and appreciate the incredible providers that make Oregon work! Stay tuned for some fun ways to celebrate and show the provider in your life how much you appreciate them.
Early Learning Council Membership
I am excited to share that the Early Learning Council welcomed its newest member at their Council meeting last week, Eric Hunter! Eric is the President and Chief Executive Officer of CareOregon. In this role he is able to bring in the health care perspective to the ELC, enhancing the Council’s expertise in the cross-sector work of Oregon’s early childhood system. Check out the special feature to learn more about Eric’s work and the work of the Early Learning Council!
Legislative Session
This session continues to move quickly, with many bills awaiting a public hearing in their respective Ways & Means Subcommittee. Once the May 14th revenue forecast is released, we anticipate things moving quickly, including DELC’s budget bill, SB 5514. We also anticipate two additional DELC bills passing out of Ways and Means: HB 2811, which formalizes the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Oregon Program in statute to ensure children can get access to high-quality, age-appropriate books across Oregon. Also in committee is HB 2815, the Tribal Early Learning Plan and Fund, centering the Tribal sovereignty and self-determination to support language and culture revitalization, professional development, to meet Tribal early learning and child care goals. We’re excited that our technical fix bill to algin licensing statute among provider types, HB 2814, passed the House unanimously and is currently in the Senate; the bill received a public hearing in the Senate Early Childhood and Behavioral Health Committee and we’re waiting for the bill to be voted out of committee and on the full Senate floor. Lots going on and more to come!
Caring Communities Tour
This year, we’re kicking off a Caring Communities Tours so that DELC leadership can hear from communities on the ground about what’s working, what’s not, and where DELC can make adjustments to our policies and practices to benefit more children, families, and providers. It’s also a wonderful time to see some of our programs in action and hear from the providers caring for Oregon kids every day. This tour kicked off this Spring and will continue through the end of the year. Thank you to the Early Leaning Hubs and Child Care Resource & Referral agencies around the state for helping us put these incredible visits together. We’ll continue to spotlight these visits throughout the rest of the year in our DELC Newsletter.
