As we wrap up July, 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!
As we wrap up June, 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.
🔗 Follow us: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube
As we wrap up May, 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!
As we wrap up June, 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.
🔗 Follow us: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube
The Oregon Health Authority implemented stricter guidelines for youth sports and outdoor activities during unhealthy air quality, acknowledging that smoke can harm children’s health at lower levels.
The Oregon Health Authority published new, stricter guidelines this week for scheduling outdoor activities when air quality gets unhealthy. The agency says the change reflects “increasing scientific evidence” that smoke can harm children’s health at levels lower than previously thought. As summer begins and fire season approaches, this may be a useful tool to reference when considering outdoor activities for children in child care and preschool programs.
Updated Guidance Document:
Oregon Air Quality Activity Guide for Children and Youth
The Oregon Center for Career Development seeks feedback for the improved Oregon Registry Steps through upcoming Listening Sessions in fall 2026. A survey is available for input.
Since Oregon Center for Career Development’s listening sessions in 2024-2025, a group of providers and partners has been looking at all your feedback. They used your ideas to create a new and improved draft of the Oregon Registry Steps.
Now, we are asking for your voice again as we build a new system that works better for everyone.
To ensure your voice is heard, we will hold additional Listening Sessions in the fall of 2026. Please take a minute to fill out this quick survey (also available in Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese) to help us find the best times and ways to share your thoughts with us.
If you have any questions, please email occdreg@pdx.edu
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!
Kindergarten families can celebrate graduation by opening an Embark savings account, receiving a $100 bonus for new accounts. Existing accounts can earn an Oregon tax credit.
This message is being reshared from the Oregon Department of Education | Oregon State Treasury for awareness.
Finishing kindergarten is a big and exciting moment!
This year, there is a new way to celebrate your child. You have the chance to receive $100 to help save for their future education.
Families can open an Embark savings account (Oregon’s college savings plan) for their Kindergarten child with as little as $25. When you open a new account, you will get an extra $100 added to it. Learn more here:
embarksavings.com/blog/celebrating-kindergarten-graduation
If your child already has an account, the money you deposit helps you earn an Oregon income tax credit. This could put up to $380 back in your pocket each year.
Embark is open to everyone. While the $100 bonus is for new kindergarten accounts, people of all ages can open an account and save for education.
Visit embarksavings.com to learn more. You can also watch a short celebration video from Treasurer Steiner.
If you would like additional background about this initiative, including remarks from Oregon State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner and Oregon Department of Education Director Dr. Charlene Williams, read the related announcement in the Oregon State Treasury Newsroom.
Don’t miss this chance to start saving for your child’s future!
June 2026 Department of Early Learning and Care Updates.
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.
Spring is flying past and many graduation ceremonies are underway. As we head into warmer days ahead here are a few recent updates:
Oregon’s constitution requires a balanced budget, so agencies and elected leaders use quarterly revenue forecasts to develop budgets and make important financial decisions. The May revenue forecast was recently released, which showed a modest increase in state revenue. However, changes at the federal level will likely offset this relatively stable economic outlook in Oregon, and agencies are expecting continued strain on state resources. DELC is in the process of developing its Agency Request Budget (ARB) for the 2027-29 biennium, which will focus on maintaining core programs and operations amid limited revenue. If you would like to share your suggestions for the ARB, you can review our Community Webinar and share your thoughts via this survey open through 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 3.
May was a busy month – the Governor signed a proclamation to officially recognize Provider Appreciation Day on May 8th and honor child care providers across the state for their contributions to families and the state’s economy. Celebrated on the Friday before Mother’s Day, this is an opportunity for us to recognize and appreciate the amazing work of child care providers across the state. Over the last month I had the pleasure of attending site visits including visits to the Family YMCA of Marion and Polk Counties and Salem Keizer School District Program at Kennedy Elementary School, where I got to see the countless ways that early educators are making a positive difference in the lives of young children. Other members of the Executive Leadership Team also recently had the pleasure of attending a visit on the Caring Communities Tour to the Northwest Region hosted by the Northwest Early Learning Hub. Getting out into the communities we serve and seeing the good work happening is always a moving and reenergizing experience, and I can’t wait to see more programs in the coming months.
Join us on June 17 from 6 to 7 p.m. for a virtual event discussing Every Child Belongs, Oregon ELMS, and program updates. Registration is required.
June 1, 2026
Join us in June to learn about the topics below:
Wednesday, June 17 | 6 – 7 p.m.
All provider types. (Interpretation available)
Zoom Registration: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_RNdExikSTrK4gn9Ebr3X-Q#/registration
This is a virtual event. Registration is required to attend via Zoom. You may submit questions in advance on the registration form.
For more information, please visit https://www.oregon.gov/delc/providers/pages/provider-info-sessions.aspx
The Oregon DELC is launching free professional development series for child care providers to improve behavior management and relationship-building techniques, available in multiple languages.
June 1, 2026
The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) is launching two new free professional development series to help child care providers better understand behavior, respond to escalations, and build stronger relationships with children and families.
The optional self-paced courses will be available through the Oregon Center for Career Development (OCCD) learning platform. The courses are approved for ORO credit in the Understanding and Guiding Behavior Set One category.
The new series were created to give child care professionals practical tools and strategies they can use in early learning settings. Courses will be available in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, English, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
The first series focuses on understanding and responding to challenging behaviors in early learning settings. The five-module series is designed to be taken in order so participants can practice and apply strategies between modules.
Topics include:
Each module takes about 1 to 1½ hours to complete and includes activities providers can use in their own programs.
The first module is expected to launch on June 8, with additional modules released every other week.
The second series focuses on building strong relationships and support systems to support children and their families.
Topics include:
The Connections Series is expected to begin releasing in mid-August.
Early reviewers shared positive feedback about how easy the training is to understand and how useful it is for providers.
“These modules will be an excellent resource for early learning providers,” one reviewer shared. “The information is so relatable.”
Another reviewer shared that it can be difficult to find research-based training about managing escalating behaviors and appreciated having more accessible learning opportunities.
The series were designed to be practical, approachable, and accessible for providers across Oregon.
More information, including registration details, will be shared through DELC and OCCD channels as modules become available.
The Oregon Summer EBT program provides eligible families with $120 in grocery benefits for children during the summer, ensuring access to nutrition when school meals are unavailable.
June 1, 2026
This message is being reshared from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) for awareness.
Good nutrition during the summer helps children stay healthy, grow, and be ready to learn. The Oregon Summer EBT program supports families by providing grocery benefits when school meals are not available. It helps children grow strong and do well in school by giving families money to help buy groceries when school meals aren’t available.
Each eligible child can receive $120 in food benefits for the summer. Children who are automatically eligible received their benefit on June 5. Some families may qualify but need to apply. Online applications open June 5.
Who is automatically eligible:
Who needs to apply:
What else should you know?
Need help or want to apply?
The Oregon Department of Human Services provides free food markets in Tigard and Hillsboro, distributing diapers to support families facing diaper insecurity and related struggles.
June 1, 2026
This message is being reshared from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) for awareness.
The Oregon Department of Human Services in Washington County holds two free food markets each month — one in Tigard and one in Hillsboro. Each market also gives out more than 2,000 diapers. That adds up to about 48,000 diapers a year. The hour-long markets typically serve more than 600 Oregonians from about 150 households.
Diaper insecurity in Oregon is high, with one in two families in 2025 struggling to afford adequate supplies costing about $1,200 per child per year. That’s about $100 a month. Infants need about 12 diapers per day; toddlers need about eight.
“Families experiencing diaper need are often facing food insecurity as well, which makes the markets an ideal distribution point,” said Dawn Dzubay, Community Partnership Coordinator at the ODHS Tigard office. “Having to choose between rent, food and diapers places a huge strain on families. As a community, I know we can do better.”
“People get emotional when sharing how much it means to them to receive free diapers. The stress touches every part of their lives,” Dzubay said. “Think about it—you can’t take your child out into the community without clean diapers. No library story time. No trips to the zoo. No daycare or playdates. One mother told us she kept her baby in the bathtub out of necessity when running low on diapers. It’s heartbreaking.”
Here is what some people who came to a recent Free Food Market at the ODHS Tigard office said:
Kosar Meman is a Family Coach at the ODHS Self-Sufficiency Programs Tigard office. She helps distribute diapers at the monthly Free Food Market.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that our community cares deeply. The health of our community is our health and we feel it directly. We see firsthand how meeting basic needs can change everything for a family. That’s why we work so hard to help people meet their needs. People are often overwhelmed – sometimes at their breaking point. They are looking for resources. They sometimes have no hope, and then someone donates a bed that they needed and they become very emotional. It truly changes lives,” she said.
PDX Diaper Bank has been a driving force in bringing free diapers to Washington County, and Executive Director Rachel Alston continues to partner with ODHS to secure sustainable, long-term funding. Past supporters of this county wide outreach effort include Trillium Community Health, the City of Tigard, the Hillsboro Rotary Club, and Nikon.
“We definitely need to find our next funding stream,” Dzubay said.
The Hillsboro Free Food Market is down to only size 1 diapers, and the Tigard market has just sizes 1, 4, 5, and 6 left.
“Many people have to balance what they spend their money on, such as for food and rent. To be healthy thriving members of our community you also need essential such as diapers,” she said.
Monetary gifts sent straight to PDX Diaper Bank boost bulk buying power, maximizing every dollar. To donate purchased diapers to ODHS in Washington County, contact Volunteer and Donations Coordinator Theresa Huang at WashingtonCounty.Volunteer@odhs.oregon.gov.
Tigard Free Food Market., on the fourth Monday of each month from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., 10777 SW Cascade Ave.
Hillsboro Free Food Market, on the second Tuesday of each month from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., 5300 NE Elam Young Pkwy.
Statewide List of ODHS-hosted Food Markets: Free Food and Resource Events
ODHS Community Partnership Team, Washington County:
Kaylie Camp, Beaverton - kaylie.n.camp@odhs.oregon.gov
Aubrey Stark, Hillsboro- aubrey.stark@odhs.oregon.gov
Dawn Dzubay, Tigard - dawn.dzubay@odhs.oregon.gov
