At DELC there are so many things to celebrate. As we look forward to a new year we pause to look back on moments that inspired us:
DELC’s Director welcomed a new baby!
The Tribal Early Learning Plan and Fund was signed into law.
First Licensed Outdoor Nature Based Preschool opened in Phoenix Oregon.
Photo credit: Yessie Joy Verbena/Blackberry Academy Outdoor School
The Caring Communities Tour completed nine regional visits and learned from local communities regarding the vital work occurring. Thank you to Early Learning Hubs and Child Care Resource and Referrals Agencies for hosting us! We look forward to continuing more visits in the New Year.
Thanks to strong partnership with the Oregon Infant Mental Health Association, Regional Service Providers, Child Care Resource & Referral agencies, and community advocates we launched Every Child Belongs in nine early access regions to provide supports to educators and reduce suspension and expulsions in early education settings.
Responded to federal uncertainty, were the only state in the nation to assist partners with bridge funding supports to keep doors open, and stood up the DELC Incident Response Team.
Worked with legislators and advocates to help move new policy forward during legislative session, analyzed more than 150 bills, provided impactful testimony on topics such as Micro-center pilots, Federal briefings, Insurance, and Preschool Promise, hosted federal partners and engaged over 200 community participants in 15 Rules Advisory Committees.
Worked with the Governor’s office to highlight the transformative impact of Head Start on their 60th anniversary.
Welcomed a new Early Learning Council Chair and continued progress on Raise Up Oregon 2.0.
The recently released Child Care Desert Report showed major progress with 10 additional counties are no longer deserts for preschoolers.
Worked with other agencies and partners to increase access to child care with innovative ideas such as colocation of early learning facilities within affordable housing developments.
The second and third rounds of the Child Care Infrastructure Fund closed successfully with funding already going out the door from Business Oregon for infrastructure improvements including upgrades to outdoor spaces. In total, over three rounds of funding, roughly 2000 providers received technical assistance support from First Children’s Finance and Northwest Native Chamber.
This year’s preschool graduations from Preschool Promise, Early Childhood Equity Fund and Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten were extra special – babies born during COVID are now heading off to kindergarten.
The Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) continued vital work to help ensure child health and safety. Some highlights included: handled over 18,000 Central Background Registry applications, 4,000 facility applications, and 30,000 calls, implemented new rulesets, piloted Micro-centers and much more.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library books are currently available to all children under five in every zip code and county across Oregon.
The Baby Promise bypass under the Employment Related Day Care program ensured eligible families were able to receive care for their infant or toddlers and helped the program continue to expand to more families. (As of the end of 2025, over 12,000 households are actively accessing subsidized child care through ERDC, which continues to be some of the highest number of families we’ve seen served.)
Continued to make steady progress in building a strong and inclusive organizational culture. Fostered greater engagement, inclusion, and alignment with DELC’s core values through intentional efforts and trainings led by Human Resources in collaboration with the Social Equity Office.
Continued to expand workforce resources including technical assistance and training modules. 150 Pyramid Model trainings were successfully held with educators to help better support children with their behavioral and emotional needs.
With the help of families, child care providers, and professionals from across Oregon, as part of a robust community engagement strategy, to date over 2000 Oregonians have offered their time and experience in the Spark redesign process.
Birth Through Five Literacy Plan Initiative launched statewide, with investments distributed to expand culturally responsive early literacy supports and Tribal language revitalization efforts.
Major foundational work continues as part of the strategic plan priorities of Growing Oregon Together. (For example the first Research and Policy Agenda was created, IT released additional guidance on AI, and Tribal consultations are now underway.)
DELC programs and broader community helped deliver assistance to hundreds of thousands of households with young children such as Baby Promise, Early Childhood Equity Fund, Employment Related Day Care, Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten, Healthy Families Oregon, Preschool Promise, Relief Nurseries, and additional support was provided by Early Learning Hubs and Child Care Resource and Referrals. Together, these efforts are helping to unify and strengthen early learning and education.
This work represents only a small sampling of what we’ve done over the last year. We’ve got a great deal more work ahead to ensure families, children, and providers have what they need to thrive. This work isn’t possible without incredible partnerships especially during difficult times. Over the course of this last year we moved this work forward alongside countless community groups, families, advocates, agencies, legislators, the Nine Federally Recognized Tribes of Oregon, and partners. Thank you for all that you do in making advancements in the early childhood system and best wishes for continued success as we begin 2026!
