When child care provider April Farmer first envisioned creating a space for babies in her community of Sisters Oregon, she faced the same challenges many providers do: long hours, high costs, and limited resources. With financial support from the Child Care Expansion Project, she was able to build her program over the span of a year and a half – often while holding down another job.
Funding for expansion was made available through the State of Oregon and NeighborImpact, acting on a General Fund Grant from House Bill 5202. In total, over $8 million was directed to Central Oregon to expand programs like April’s, covering operating expenses, renovations, supplies, and professional development.
April’s perseverance paid off with the program built. The catch, however, was that families who, when surveyed, had positive feedback about program costs, found themselves in a bind with the costs ending up being too high for many incomes. That is when April reached out to Baby Promise, a program administered by the Department of Early Learning and Care that financially supports families in need of child care with children ages 0-3 available in 3 regions
With the support of Baby Promise, April’s vision has blossomed into a program that not only provides quality care for infants and toddlers but also stabilizes families in the Sisters community.
Meeting an Urgent Need
For years, families had almost no options for early child care. Before Baby Promise, programs like April’s were nearly impossible to sustain because the costs were too high for many families.
Thanks to a mix of state grants and Baby Promise funding, April’s program can now serve both families with low incomes and those paying privately. All five Baby Promise slots filled immediately in July 2025, and there is already a waitlist. Families who once feared they couldn’t remain in Sisters due to a lack of care are now able to stay, pursue careers, or return to school—knowing their children are in safe, nurturing hands.
“Families are awesome, and so grateful,” April shared. “Some of these families didn’t know what they were going to do in order to live in Sisters. Baby Promise has made it possible for them to grow their income and education while their children thrive.”
More Than Child Care
As Hannah, a partner from the CCR&R team, explained, “This program is a tribute to April. What we’ve learned is that it goes beyond funding—it’s about determination, support, and quality. Baby Promise increases program quality through training, access to coaches, and collaboration with families.”
This support helps establish the secure attachments and social-emotional development so critical in the first three years of life. These early relationships build confidence, trust, and resilience—skills children carry with them into preschool, kindergarten, and beyond.
Looking Ahead
April’s dream doesn’t stop here. She hopes to slowly expand, build more community partnerships, and even create intergenerational connections with seniors at the local community center. Her vision is not just about child care—it’s about community care.
“More families need support,” April emphasized. “Baby Promise has made a huge difference in our program, and I believe it’s the kind of stabilizing factor every community needs.”
Photo’s provided by Trav Williams, Broken Banjo Photography
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