Join our Family Child Care Rules Advisory Committee (RAC)
The Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) is revising the Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs) that apply to Certified Family and Registered Family Child Care Homes. CCLD will create a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) to gather valuable feedback on proposed rules and identify financial and equity effects that might result from the proposed updates.
CCLD would like to invite members of the following groups to apply to participate in this RAC:
Parents/family members of children in family child care programs
Certified Family Child Care Providers
Registered Family Child Care Providers
Child Care Provider Union Representatives
Child Care Resource and Referral Representatives
Early Learning HUB Representatives
Tribal Nation Representatives
Reimbursement:
Participants will be reimbursed for their time and expertise.
The application period opens on August 2, 2024 and closes on August 23, 2024.
Meeting Details:
Meetings will begin in September. Four meetings will be held. The meetings will be virtual. Meeting days and times will be finalized with the selected participants.
Additional questions?
For questions about participation, please contact Carol Petersen, at carol.a.petersen@delc.oregon.gov
Click below to view other Child Care Update articles
First Children’s Finance is hosting focus group sessions in August to hear from child care business owners about the experience of starting a child care business in Oregon.
First Children’s Finance is hosting focus group sessions in August to hear from child care business owners about the experience of starting a child care business in Oregon. The focus groups are for child care business owners who opened their program in the last two years or those currently in the process of starting a new child care business. Insights from these sessions will be used to inform recommendations made to state officials about how to better support child care business owners in the critical years after launch. Participants will be compensated $25 for their time and can only participate in one focus group session.
The focus group sessions in August will take place on Monday, August 26th at 6:00PM and Wednesday, August 28th at 6:00PM. Registration is now closed.
You can visit First Children’s Finance Oregon State Office webpage for more information and access other child care business resources at https://www.firstchildrensfinance.org/oregon/.
Click below to view other Child Care Update articles
You are invited to join the Provider Management Platform Engagement Session
The creation of DELC brought together the Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) and the Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program into the same new agency. Both are using 20+ year-old legacy systems. DELC is designing a new Provider Management Platform that will integrate CCLD licensing and the ERDC program into one system. The Provider Management Platform will allow child care providers to login and access certain licensing information, complete licensing applications, and track training requirements. Additionally, ERDC providers will be able to login and complete and submit billing forms using the Provider Management Platform. While we are designing this new Provider Management Platform, we want to hear what would be helpful to you to manage ERDC and Licensing.
If you are interested in participating in an Engagement Session for this new system, please register for an engagement based on the type of care you provide. You can register here.
Certified Centers & School Age programs
Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. or
Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.
Licensed Exempt ERDC providers
Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. (interpretation available)
Certified and Registered Family providers
Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. (interpretation available)
If you are unable to attend any of these times, there will be additional opportunities in the future.
August 2024 Department of Early Learning and Care Updates
A Message from the Director
Welcome to the July Edition of Chatterjee Chats! This month represented a big milestone with the celebration of One Year of DELC! This past year has been a blur of activity – we have accomplished so much together, and there is still more work to do. Here are some reflections from me as we close out the month and head into Year Two 😊
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.
Our August Update
Customer Service Survey As a new agency, we will be launching our first DELC Customer Service Survey in August. If you have received funding from us, called our customer service team, been licensed or interacted with us in any way – we want to hear from you! While all agencies are required to conduct a customer service survey, we are particularly excited to hear from you as we’ve offered services as DELC. This survey should take you less than five minutes, and any feedback you share with us will help us operationalize our value for continuous improvement. For more information, please check out our website: Department of Early Learning and Care : About Us : State of Oregon
Budget Development This will continue to be a topic here for awhile! We are entering the last month of Agency Request Budget (ARB) development. ARB will be released by September 1, 2024. Given the current revenue forecast, our ARB requests will be smaller compared to last biennium, but it is just the first step in the process and there is still a lot of work to do before the Governor’s Recommended Budget (GRB) is released in December.
Legislative Concepts In addition to budget development, another part of preparing for the Legislative Session is preparing legislative concepts (LCs) for consideration. While ARB will be released in September, LCs will take a bit more time. We won’t expect to receive a draft of our legislative concepts until late October, and we will have a very short turnaround (a few days). From there, our legislative concepts will still need to be reviewed and approved by the Governor’s Office prior to release. More information to come, but this is still in the works.
Tribal-State Government-to-Government Summit On July 24, DELC’s Tribal Affairs Director, Paulina Whitehat and I had the great pleasure of attending the 2024 Tribal-State Government-to-Government Summit, co-hosted by Governor Tina Kotek and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians. The summit took place in Canyonville at Seven Feathers Casino Resort. Tribal leaders of Oregon’s nine federally recognized sovereign Tribal nations along with staff from multiple state agencies discussed a range of issues including evolving best practices in Tribal consultation approaches, indigenous ecological knowledge, and topics related to economic and sustainable futures. It was wonderful to see so many colleagues and partners in person, and the summit is always an informative and moving event. We are deeply appreciative of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe for hosting this year’s gathering.
Click below to view other Community Newsletter articles
This is a virtual event. Registration is required to attend via Zoom. You may submit questions in advance on the registration form. You may also participate on DELC’s Facebook page live stream at the same time. DELC staff will monitor the Facebook comment section for questions. Note: Attendees utilizing interpretation services (Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Chinese, and ASL) should join the session via Zoom. For more information, please visit https://www.oregon.gov/delc/providers/pages/provider-info-sessions.aspx
Click below to view other Child Care Update articles
July 2024 Department of Early Learning and Care Updates
A Message from the Director
My name is Alyssa Chatterjee, and I am the director of the Department of Early Learning and Care, also known as DELC. Going forward, this will be a segment where I share my reflections on some of the big work we are doing across the agency each month. Today though, I wanted to take a look back at the past year – our first year as an agency.
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.
Our one-year anniversary update
There was an incredible amount of work that went into creating DELC between 2021 and 2023. But the work isn’t finished! Here are a few high points I’d like to share with you from the past year:
DELC Strategic Planning & DEI Action Plan Implementation – Our team worked with you – parents, providers, community partners – as well as our internal staff to design ambitious, but achievable plans for our agency that are now live. You can now check out Growing Oregon Together and our DEI Action Plan for yourself! Last week, we kicked off our first Implementation Team to keep this work moving – I am so excited to start making progress on these plans and share more with you in the coming months.
Birth Through Five Literacy – The Governor’s Early Literacy Success Initiative recognized the important role that early care and education plays in literacy development. We released our first Birth Through Five Literacy Plan in December, and are in the process of releasing a Request for Applications for programs to apply for the Birth Through Five Literacy Fund. As part of the Governor’s focus on early literacy, we were honored to be part of the expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program! Now, even more young children will have access to a free, developmentally appropriate book to look forward to every month.
Child Care Licensing and Risk-Assessed Rules – We have updated the Certified Center licensing rules and completed the first stage of Risk-Assessed Rules data collection. This is a critical step in creating consistent, objective licensing monitoring and compliance that reflects the spectrum of risk to children. We are beginning engagement to revise our Registered Family and Certified Family rulesets as well.
Child Care Infrastructure Fund – This week, we cohost a webinar with Business Oregon to share more information about the Child Care Infrastructure Fund application that will go live later this month. This is an amazing opportunity for child care providers, community-based organizations, culturally relevant programs, and other partners to access funding specifically for capital investments and improvements in their programs. This is an amazing example of how agencies can work together for a common goal, and highlights the shared responsibility many agencies have in supporting access to child care.
This is just a small sample – there is so much more incredible work we have accomplished together over the last year. I encourage you to read the anniversary press release for additional highlights. I am excited to continue on this journey together.
Cheers to 1 Year of DELC!
Click below to view other Community Newsletter articles
We are excited to announce that the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) has officially launched a statewide Request for Applications (RFA) for the Birth Through Five (B-5) Literacy Grants.
We are excited to announce that the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) has officially launched a statewide Request for Applications (RFA) for the Birth Through Five (B-5) Literacy Grants.
This RFA is open for interested and eligible providers to apply to participate in and deliver services under the Early Childhood Equity Fund Program (ECEF) for Birth through Five Literacy activities for the 2024-2025 program year. To be eligible for this opportunity, applicants must be current Early Childhood Equity Fund (ECEF) grantees or be a culturally specific organization and/or operate a culturally specific early learning program within Oregon’s borders.
DELC anticipates awarding up to $4.7 million through this RFA. Each applicant may request up to a maximum amount of $200,000. These one-time awards will last through the State fiscal biennium (June 30, 2025).
Are you interested in Applying?
Interested applicants have the option to apply in English or Spanish. All application materials must be received by 5:00pm on August 2nd, 2024.
The Single Point of Contact (SPC) for this RFA is Lori Nordlien. Her email address is: lori.nordlien@delc.oregon.gov
Want to learn more about this opportunity?
DELC staff will be hosting an informational webinar in English/Spanish at 3:00pm on July 10th, 2024. This Webinar and RFA materials will be recorded and posted on DELC’s website on the ECEF landing page.
Are you interested in opening a child care facility or making improvements to your existing child care program and have a need for more funding to support the costs?
Are you interested in opening a child care facility or making improvements to your existing child care program and have a need for more funding to support the costs?
The Child Care Infrastructure Fund (CCIF) was created by House Bill 3005 during the 2023 Legislative Session to build out child care infrastructure statewide. DELC will provide statewide Business Technical Assistance for CCIF through technical assistance providers Northwest Native Chamber and First Children’s Finance.
IN THIS ISSUE: Child Care Updates, Workforce Recognition Program, Recognizing and Honoring Juneteenth, Celebrating June as Pride Month, Reminder: NAEYC Liability Insurance Survey, Reminder: Join the Early Learning Council, Reminder: CCIF webinar
Child Care Updates will look different in July
Our Child Care Updates is going to look different next month! We will be including a new DELC Community Newsletter section at the top of each Child Care Updates. The new DELC Community Newsletter will share department updates, informing you of the work happening with Early Learning and Care programs and services. You will find our regular Child Care Updates articles listed after the DELC Community Newsletter. This means that you will still get the same updates and information you look for in each CCU, and you will also learn more about us and what we are up to!
Workforce Recognition Program
Did you know that over 4,000 people have already applied for the Workforce Recognition Program through Portland State University? Have you applied yet? Wondering what it is? Here is more information from the Oregon Center for Career Development:
Thank you for all the work you do supporting the children in your care. You may be eligible for a $500 payment for work you have done in 2024. Here are the steps to apply. Just access your myORO account at: my.oregonregistryonline.org. We look forward to seeing your application!
Recognizing and Honoring Juneteenth
On June 19th DELC staff joined in celebration of the fourth anniversary of Juneteenth “Freedom Day” festivities and reflection of the legacy behind the federal holiday and the ongoing need to fight to advance equity, inclusion and racial justice. The Oregon legislature officially recognized Juneteenth with House Bill 2168 in 2021 and it was signed into law in 2022. This year, Governor Tina Kotek issued an official proclamation: “On Juneteenth, we remember our history and honor the resilience of the Black community,” Governor Kotek said. “We must continue to work to end racial injustice and ensure equity, inclusion, and opportunity for Black Oregonians.”
Click here to read the full June 19, 2024 proclamation which highlights key historical dates and facts including information about Clara Peoples who brought the tradition from Oklahoma and spread the word to her coworkers at the Kaiser shipyard. In recognition of her advocacy and for hosting one of the first Juneteenth celebrations in the region, Clara Peoples is regarded as Oregon’s “Mother of Juneteenth.”
Celebrating June as Pride Month
As the end of June approaches, DELC continues to recognize and celebrate this month as LGBTQ+ Pride Month! Governor Tina Kotek issued a proclamation declaring June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
“Pride is about love, acceptance, and community,” Governor Kotek said. “Great joy and great struggle have always existed side by side in the LGBTQ+ movement. Pride will always shine brighter than fear ever can.”
To read the full post from the Governor’s Office Newsroom please click here. We are proud to stand with the LGBTQ2SIA+ community this month and every month.
REMINDER: NAEYC Liability Insurance Survey
NAEYC recently launched a new national survey designed to learn more about the specific challenges programs are facing in accessing and affording liability insurance, informed by their January survey, several recent state surveys, and conversations they have had with educators, experts, and state advocacy stakeholders from across the country. For this survey, NAEYC is specifically targeting responses from individuals in programs who are responsible for decisions regarding liability coverage. If that is you, please take the time to help further our understanding by taking the survey.
REMINDER: Join the Early Learning Council as a Tribal Representative!
The Early Learning Council (ELC) coordinates early childhood services across Oregon, ensuring children enter school ready to learn and families are healthy and stable. The ELC developed Raise Up Oregon, Oregon’s comprehensive state system plan for early childhood, prenatal to five, and monitors its implementation. The Council plays a key role in statewide decision-making, translating legislation into actionable state agency rules.
View the flier below to learn more!
Interested? Apply by July 1, 2024 To apply use the online system, Workday, via the Governor’s Board and Commissions webpage. For more information contact Gaby Hernandez at gabriela.hernandez@delc.oregon.gov
REMINDER: Child Care Infrastructure Fund (CCIF) Webinar
Are you interested in opening a child care facility or making improvements to your existing child care program and have a need for more funding to support the costs?
Please join us to learn more about the Child Care Infrastructure Fund (CCIF) Application and Technical Assistance supports that are available to you.
The Department of Early Learning and Care is hosting an informational webinar about CCIF on Monday, July 1, 2024 from 6:30-7:00pm!
IN THIS ISSUE: Article Highlight, Child Care Infrastructure Fund (CCIF), Scholarship Application Pause Announcement, NAEYC Insurance Survey, REMINDER Preschool Promise Request for Applications, Early Learning Council Recruitment Opportunity
Article Highlight: New Data Systems and Quality Assessments for Oregon’s Early Childhood Programs
Two DELC Strategic Data Project (SDP) fellows help to support DELC’s diverse data needs, including providing data system strategy and establishing preschool quality assessments. The article linked below shares the story of establishing an Early Childhood Integrated Data System, assessing quality in state-funded preschool classrooms, and lessons learned.
Are you interested in opening a child care facility or making improvements to your existing child care program and have a need for more funding to support the costs?
Please join us to learn more about the Child Care Infrastructure Fund (CCIF) Application and Technical Assistance supports that are available to you.
The Department of Early Learning and Care is hosting an informational webinar about CCIF on Monday, July 1, 2024 from 6:30-7:00pm!
*Please register by Sunday, June 16 if you will need interpretation services and select your language on the registration form.
Application Pause Announced for the Early Learning Degree Pathway Scholarship as a Result of Strong Interest
Due to great interest, the Early Learning Degree Pathway Scholarship, administered by the Oregon Center for Career Development, has been placed on pause for new tuition and fee support applications. International degree translation and evaluation applications are still being accepted.
The requests that have already been received are more than the funds that are available for the program year. Summer term applications submitted before the pause are being processed on a first come first serve basis. Applicants will be told of their selected status by Monday, June 24, 2024.
NAEYC recently launched a new national survey designed to learn more about the specific challenges programs are facing in accessing and affording liability insurance, informed by their January survey, several recent state surveys, and conversations they have had with educators, experts, and state advocacy stakeholders from across the country. For this survey, NAEYC is specifically targeting responses from individuals in programs who are responsible for decisions regarding liability coverage. If that is you, please take the time to help further our understanding by taking the survey.
REMINDER: Join the Early Learning Council as a Tribal Representative!
The Early Learning Council (ELC) coordinates early childhood services across Oregon, ensuring children enter school ready to learn and families are healthy and stable. The ELC developed Raise Up Oregon, Oregon’s comprehensive state system plan for early childhood, prenatal to five, and monitors its implementation. The Council plays a key role in statewide decision-making, translating legislation into actionable state agency rules.
View the flier below to learn more!
Interested? Apply by July 1, 2024 To apply use the online system, Workday, via the Governor’s Board and Commissions webpage. For more information contact Gaby Hernandez at gabriela.hernandez@delc.oregon.gov
REMINDER: Department of Early Learning and Care update for Preschool Promise Program 2024-2025 Request for Applications
We are thrilled to announce that DELC has launched a statewide Request for Applications (RFA) for the Preschool Promise (PSP) program for the 2024-2025 program year. DELC is seeking applications from interested entities to reallocate funds to serve a total of 358 preschoolers in 14 Early Learning Hub (ELH) regions. Eligible applicants will also have the opportunity to be placed on the Preschool Promise Applicant Waitlist Pool for all 16 regional Early Learning Hubs. This waitlist will allow eligible applicants to be selected to receive a Preschool Promise award if more service slots become available during the 2024-25 Program year.
Preschool Promise grant amounts are based on the specified number of slots awarded. The funding per slot is as follows:
Base amount: $15,650 per slot per year
Transportation enhancement: $1,100 per slot per year.
One-time start-up amounts:
Existing Preschool Promise sites will receive $1,000 per new slot awarded.
New Preschool Promise sites will receive $2,000 per new slot awarded
Are you interested in applying?
Interested applicants have the option to apply in English or Spanish. All application materials must be received by 5:00 pm on June 17, 2024.
What does it mean to be on the Preschool Promise waitlist?
If you apply to be a part of the Preschool Promise program and are placed on the waitlist, you have the chance to be chosen later in the 2024-2025 program year if more funding becomes available for Preschool Promise service slots.
What is Preschool Promise (PSP)?
Preschool Promise is a high-quality, publicly funded preschool program that serves families living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and children in foster care. Preschool Promise is delivered in a variety of settings, including centers, homes, and schools.
Departamento de Aprendizaje y Cuidado Temprano actualización para el Programa Promesa Preescolar 2024-2025 Petición para Solicitudes de Subvención (“RFA”)
Nos complace anunciar que DELC ha lanzado una Petición para Solicitudes de Subvención (“RFA”) a través del estado para el Programa Promesa Preescolar (PSP) para el año del programa 2024-2025. DELC está pidiendo solicitudes de entidades interesadas para reasignar un total de 358 espacios dentro de 14 regiones de Centros de Aprendizaje Temprano (ELH). Solicitantes elegibles además tendrán la oportunidad de ser colocados en la Lista de Espera de Solicitantes de Promesa Preescolar para todas las 16 regiones. Esta lista de espera permitirá que solicitantes elegibles reciban una subvención si espacios adicionales se hacen disponibles durante el año del programa 2024-2025.
La cantidad de cada Subvención se basará en el número de Espacios otorgados, de la siguiente manera:
Cantidad base: $15,650 por Espacio al año
Mejora de la transportación: $1,100 por Espacio al año.
Cantidades de arranque únicas:
$1,000 por Espacio otorgado conforme a esta RFA para los proveedores existentes.
$2,000 por Sitio para cualquier nuevo Sitio que se haya establecido durante el periodo de desempeño de la subvención por parte de proveedores existentes o nuevos.
¿Está interesado en aplicar?
Solicitantes interesados tienen la opción de solicitar en inglés o en español. Todos los materiales de la solicitud se deben recibir el 17 de junio, 2024 a las 5:00pm.
¿Que significa estar en la lista de espera de Promesa Preescolar?
Si solicita para formar parte del programa Promesa Preescolar y se le otorga un espacio en la lista de espera, se le considerará elegible para obtener espacios de Promesa Preescolar en el caso de que haya fondos adicionales y espacios disponibles en el año de programa 2024-2025.
¿Qué es Promesa Preescolar?
Promesa Preescolar, es un servicio de preescolar gratuito y de alta calidad a las familias con ingresos de o por debajo del 200% del nivel de pobreza federal y niños en cuidado de crianza temporal. Promesa Preescolar es un programa con fondos públicos donde el cuidado y la educación de alta calidad suceden en una variedad de escenarios como en centros, hogares y escuelas.
