January 2025 Community Newsletter

January 2024 Department of Early Learning and Care Updates

A Message from the Director

Happy New Year. Please keep an eye out for a special message next week with highlights from 2024. Wishing you all a wonderful start to 2025!

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Our January Update

Governor’s Recommended Budget
The Governor released her recommended budget, “Building on Progress,” on December 2nd. We were excited to see some important call outs for investments in early learning and child care within this more constrained budget environment. The GRB not only keeps DELC programming whole, it also recommends additional investments in DELC operations, the Birth Through Five Literacy Fund, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Oregon, creates a Tribal Early Learning Fund, and expands the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation model. These investments reflect what DELC will officially take a position on during the legislative session. Now, our Government Affairs team is prepping for the session, January bill drops, committee assignments, and our Ways & Means budget committee presentation in the spring. I am encouraged by the recognition that early learning and child care must remain a priority for the state and look forward to the session, beginning January 21.

Legislative Reports
December tends to be a big month for reports! Several teams have been hard at work to deliver our final reports of 2024. The last two are the Birth Through Five Literacy Plan and HB 2991 Barriers to the ECE Workforce Report. Both reports will be released by December 31 and can be found alongside our other reports on our website.


FCF Business Leadership Cohorts

First Children’s Finance is excited to partner with the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care to provide Business Leadership Cohort (BLC) opportunities at no cost to Registered/Certified Family Child Care Programs and Certified Center Child Care programs.

Space is limited; cohort selection is not first-come, first-to-participate. Priority will be given to new programs in areas with limited training resources and providers new to a leadership role; other factors included on the application will also be considered.

Applications will be reviewed starting January 10, with accepted participants being notified in mid-January. A stipend of up to $2,465 will be provided to all participants who successfully complete a Business Leadership Cohort.

  • The BLC consists of four business training/development sessions and two consultations; participation in all is required to receive the certificate AND stipend.
  • Participants gain tools and skills to manage enrollment, analyze finances, understand child care business operations, and more!
  • Learn and grow with peers!

Space is limited! Applications will be open from January 2 at 5 pm PST to January 9 at 5 pm PST.

To learn more about upcoming cohorts, please select your business type and language: 

Child Care Centers 

Family-based Child Care 

SESSIONS (dates are tentative and are likely to change) 

  • Family Child Care, Session 1: Thursdays (January 9, 16; February 6, 13; plus 2 consultation dates) 
  • Family Child Care, Session 2: Tuesdays (January 14, 21; February 11, 18; plus 2 consultation dates) 
  •    Family Child Care, Session 3: Thursdays (February 13, 20; March 13, 20; plus 2 consultation dates) 
  •    Child Care Centers, Session A: Wednesdays (January 15, 22; February 12, 19; plus 2 consultation dates) 
  •    Child Care Centers, Session B: Tuesdays (March 4, 11; April 8, 15; plus 2 consultation dates) 

Interpretation services will be available in Chinese (Mandarin), Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.   


Rule Highlight: Rule guidelines for Cribs and Playpens

If you are looking for rule guidance for cribs and playpens, or other topics, you can find these guidelines on the DELC Website. Rule and guidance documents can be found using the Resource Documents search bar. You can sort and filter documents by name, language, and program type.  

Visit the resource documents page by clicking this link: Resource Documents 

Click the links below to go directly to the Cribs and Playpen guidance documents in your preferred language:  

PTA-0739-RG-Cribs-and-Playpens-in-Family-Child-Care-EN.pdf 

PTA-0739-RG-Cribs-and-Playpens-in-Family-Child-Care-SP.pdf 

PTA-0739-RG-Cribs-and-Playpens-in-Family-Child-Care-CH.pdf 

PTA-0739-RG-Cribs-and-Playpens-in-Family-Child-Care-RU.pdf 

PTA-0739-RG-Cribs-and-Playpens-in-Family-Child-Care-VT.pdf 

Click the links below to go directly to the Rule Guidance for Cribs and Play Yards in your preferred language:  

PTA-0739-Rule-Guidance-Cribs-and-Play-Yards-EN.pdf 

PTA-0739-Rule-Guidance-Cribs-and-Play-Yards-SP.pdf  


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