As we wrap up September, we’re taking a moment to look back at some highlights we shared on our social media channels throughout the month. If you haven’t already, we invite you to follow us on social media! It’s one of the easiest ways to stay up to date on child care resources, early learning news, and opportunities to get involved.
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Today is Orange Shirt Day, a day of remembrance, reflection, and resilience. We honor the Indigenous children who were taken from their families and sent to boarding and residential schools designed to erase their languages, cultures, and identities.
As an agency dedicated to young children and families, DELC has a responsibility to understand the intergenerational trauma these systems caused and to make sure our work supports healing, equity, and justice. Honoring Tribal sovereignty is one of our top priorities.
We invite you to take time today to learn this history, reflect on its ongoing impact, and consider how we can each help build a future where every child is honored, protected, and empowered.
Last week, the Caring Communities Tour traveled to the South Central region for two days in Klamath Falls, Myrtle Creek, Roseburg, and Sutherlin.
Our team visited Klamath Early Childhood Development Center, Klamath Community College’s new campus child care center, Baby Llamas Learning Path, Wildflower Preschool and Child Care, Umpqua Wonders Academy, and Happy Hearts. Along the way, we heard about new centers opening, programs growing from family child care into larger centers, and the barriers and wins that come with that growth.
A big thank-you to our partners at Child Care Resource & Referral of Douglas, Lake, and Klamath Counties, the South Central Early Learning Hub, and every program that opened its doors to us. Your work is making a real difference for kids and families in Southern Oregon.
What a sweet day celebrating new and growing families at the bilingual community baby shower in McMinnville!
We were honored to be part of it. Opening an Embark account before your baby’s first birthday gets you a $100 Baby Grad bonus toward their future. Learn more: embarksavings.com/go-far
On July 28th, DELC was honored to host the Oregon Tribal Early Learning Alliance (OTELA) for its first-ever in-person gathering at our Salem office.
OTELA members, DELC staff, and partners came together to help shape the first draft of Oregon’s Tribal Early Learning Plan — a statewide plan for Native American and Alaska Native children, birth to eight. The day centered shared voices, Tribal sovereignty, and a collective vision for culturally and linguistically responsive early learning across Oregon.
We’re grateful for the thoughtfulness and care each member brought to this work, and we look forward to the partnership ahead.
Learn more about OTELA and DELC’s commitment to Tribal sovereignty by visiting: https://www.oregon.gov/delc/about-us/pages/otela.aspx
Oregon child care providers, help shape how the state understands the true cost of care. DELC is partnering with Prenatal to Five Fiscal Strategies to update Oregon’s child care cost model, which helps inform ERDC payment rates. Join a provider input session in your region (or a statewide one) to share what it really takes to offer quality care and stay in business. Sessions are also available for license-exempt providers.
Learn more and register here: https://www.prenatal5fiscal.org/oregon
Imagine dropping your little one off at childcare just steps from your front door. DELC’s Director Alyssa Chatterjee was interviewed at the new Elm Park development about bringing childcare into affordable housing, so more Oregon families have care close to home.