A Message from leadership
Do you want to receive this update in your email? Sign up for our Community Newsletter and Child Care Updates twice monthly send by subscribing here.
This month’s update from Director Alyssa Chatterjee
It’s back to school time for many programs and families, and I’m getting ready to celebrate Maya’s first birthday! I’m not sure where the time has gone, but as we head into the fall there are a few things that are top of mind that I’d like to share with you.
Remembering the tremendous impact of Dolly Parton
First, I wanted to take a moment to talk about Dolly. Last week there was an outpouring of heartache around the news of the passing of Dolly Parton. Oregon’s flags were flown at half-staff in her honor, and folks around the world shared the impact Dolly had on them. Beyond her music, Dolly gave millions of children the gift of reading.
AT DELC, we were honored to partner together through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL), the book-gifting early literacy program recently expanded to be available in every county statewide. As a result, every child from birth until age five can receive one free, age-appropriate book delivered directly to their home each month, regardless of income ensuring children across Oregon can access free books that support their literacy and lay the foundation for lifelong learning. You can read more about this impactful work and watch Dolly’s video remarks about Oregon on the DPIL landing page.
Here in Oregon, Dolly’s dream now reaches every zip code – putting books in the hands of tens of thousands of young readers. Her belief was simple: every child deserves to fall in love with reading. We’re honored to continue to carry her legacy forward.
Caring Communities Tours
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of joining the Caring Communities Tour with the Marion & Polk region for a community engagement-focused day centered on partnerships and initiatives strengthening early childhood systems for children and families. Together, we spent the day exploring themes of community partnerships, workforce development, early literacy, and kindergarten readiness, and I left excited about what we can learn from our communities to inform state work.
A sincere thank-you to the many partners who shared their time and their work – including teams from Salem for Refugees, Child Care Resource & Referral of Marion, Polk & Yamhill, Willamette Education Service District, Marion Polk Early Learning Hub, and Willamette Health Council – for the meaningful conversations and your ongoing commitment to Oregon’s children and families.
Agency Request Budget
It’s finally here! The DELC 2027-29 Agency Request Budget (ARB) is now available on our website. While the revenue environment means that we aren’t asking for a lot, this is a wonderful opportunity to share more about who we are becoming as DELC and what we need to be successful. Next up, the Governor will consider all ARBs alongside available revenue as she develops the Governor’s Recommended Budget by December 1st.