Sharing Health Care Resources for early childhood staff
Early Childhood Providers in Oregon May Now Be Eligible for Affordable Health Insurance
Early childhood providers may now be eligible for more affordable health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace®, due to continued expanded tax credits. As early childhood providers, you have played a crucial role for children, families, and communities, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is pleased to have the opportunity to expand more affordable health coverage to early childhood providers due to the Inflation Reduction Act.
Learn more (PDF) about what coverage you may be eligible for through the Health Insurance Marketplace® and follow along to this step-by-step training as you fill out applications.
You can learn more by reading this flier What Do Early Childhood Educators Need To Know About The Marketplace?
My experience as a Head Start kid empowers me to understand more intimately the impact the program can have.
Head Start Awareness Month is a personal reflection for many of us. For some, it’s because of our work in government and our closeness and belief in the mission of equitable access to early education. For others, we have been a part of Head Start, as teachers, staff, or even children whose education began in a program. My experience as a Head Start kid empowers me to understand more intimately the impact the program can have.
Photo of DELC Employee Christina and her oldest child at the Oregon Zoo.
My mother worked in education. Her career began at Head Start when my brother joined the program for early intervention services to help with his speech delay. The program paid for her to get her GED and then hired her to help with speech services. She gained experience as a staff member and then worked for the Hillsboro School District as an assistant to a speech therapist. She worked in that role and transitioned to an Education Specialist, specializing in IEPs until she retired. I joined Head Start as a sibling to a qualifying kiddo, my brother.
I am the youngest of seven children, but my brother and I were the only children to attend Head Start, and both of us have chosen a career in public service. Today, I work at the Department of Early Learning and Care to ensure that other young children have access to early learning and care. My brother is now a skills trainer/QMHA for a program in the Portland area, helping those with behavioral health support needs to experience life as freely as possible.
Working for this agency as a Head Start kid feels full circle. I think about how my family’s life, my life, or my brother’s life could have been different if we didn’t have the access we had. I have spoken to other folks in government who are also Head Start kids. From one Head Start kiddo to others working in government – thank you for your service. It matters. Happy Head Start Awareness Month!
On October 10, 2024, Fisher-Price Snuga Infant Swings were recalled due to a suffocation hazard after 5 deaths were reported.
On October 10, 2024, Fisher-Price Snuga Infant Swings were recalled due to a suffocation hazard after 5 deaths were reported. You can visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website to view the complete report on this recall.
DELC is partnering with Oregon’s Kitchen Table to hear from people across the state about Early Literacy.
In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed a bill called the Early Literacy Success Initiative. This law directed the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) to develop a Birth Through Five Literacy Plan. The plan will offer ways to support literacy for children ages birth through five.
DELC is partnering with Oregon’s Kitchen Table to hear from people across the state about this topic.
Your input will help DELC inform the Birth Through Five Literacy Plans. By filling out this survey, you can help make sure that the plan is helpful for and supports communities.
You can take the survey in your preferred language by clicking the links below!
Join us to have a conversation about the Birth Through Five Literacy Plan
If you work for an early childhood program or a group that supports families with children ages birth through five, join us for a conversation about what you would like to see in the Birth Through Five Literacy Plan.
Learn more and register for a conversation by looking at the Birth through Five Literacy Survey Flier below. You can also download it to share with your network!
By sharing what you think, you can help make sure that DELC creates a Birth Through Five Literacy Plan based on what community members want to see happen.
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.
To participate in this study, you are being asked to verify your program rates and capacity.
What is the Market Price & Supply Study?
The Oregon Market Price & Supply Study (MPSS) focuses on collecting information about the price and supply of child care in Oregon.
To participate in this study, you are being asked to verify your program rates and capacity.
Please see the flier below to learn more about this opportunity! You can view the flier in English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Somali, and Arabic.
Families and care givers can use 211info to find local child care resources and child care providers in their area!
211info is a resource for communities finding support to identify, navigate, and connect with the local resources they need. Families and care givers can use 211info to find local child care resources and child care providers in their area!
How do I contact 211info’s Child Care line? Dial 211. Listen to the prompt for Child Care and press the specified number (the number can vary by region).
Text the keyword “children” or “niños” to 898211 (TXT211)
HOURS: Monday – Friday: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
How long does it take for 211info’s Child Care staff to return calls? If a specialist is not available there is an option to leave a voicemail. The Child Care Team has 24 hours to follow up with callers. Most calls are returned within an hour or two of leaving a message.
How are child care referrals provided to families? 211info staff ask the person requesting referrals what would work best for them. Referrals can be given via phone, email, text, or mail.
What if a caller does not speak English? 211 has bilingual staff on the phones and also has access to multiple translation service/language lines with over 240 languages available.
When I searched using the FCCO online tool I was not successful at getting a list. What can I do? The public can contact 211 directly for help with finding child care. Staff will provide you with a customized list of child care referrals in your area.
Can 211 help me find financial assistance for Child Care in Oregon? 211info staff can refer families to programs that are free to eligible clientele and/or help with the cost of care such as Employment Related Day Care, Preschool Promise, Baby Promise and Head Start. We can also find providers that offer discounts, sliding scale fees or scholarships.
Can the Child Care Team recommend a quality child care program? 211 staff can provide referrals but we cannot make recommendations. 211 gives a full range of child care options and tools to help parents choose a provider that best meets their individual family needs.
Why does 211 give referrals to providers who are full? It is not guaranteed that the providers on our referral lists have openings. Although the local CCRR’s often update the child care provider information, vacancies can change daily. Parents must contact providers directly to find out if they have an opening.
Does 211info add and update the Child Care Provider Listings? Providers must contact their local Child Care Resource and Referral to update their listing. 211info’s Child Care Team can help providers locate the CCRR in their area. Click below to view other Child Care Update articles
We are collecting statewide experiences of childcare providers to identify which resources providers have access to, rely on, gaps in available resources, desired technical assistance, and other resources providers need to inform the development of a suspension and expulsion prevention program (SEPP).
Please take this survey and share your experience as a Child Care Provider in Oregon. We are collecting statewide experiences of childcare providers to identify which resources providers have access to, rely on, gaps in available resources, desired technical assistance, and other resources providers need to inform the development of a suspension and expulsion prevention program (SEPP). Your response will be anonymized and no personal, identifiable information will be shared.
The survey will take about 15-20 minutes to complete. As a token of our appreciation, you will receive a $25 digital gift card once your status as a child care provider is confirmed. The results of the survey will be available to the public by January 2025.
If you are a child care provider, and interested in taking the survey please email the DELC research team at delc.research@delc.oregon.gov to receive the survey link.
Click below to view other Child Care Update articles
Oregon conducts a Market Price & Supply Study (MPSS) every two years to understand the current prices and supply of child care across the state.
Oregon conducts a Market Price & Supply Study (MPSS) every two years to understand the current prices and supply of child care across the state. By participating, you help Oregon leaders have the information they need to make policy decisions, such as setting subsidy rates and investing in child care supply.
The 2024 study will be conducted between October 1 – December 31. You will be asked to verify the rates you charge for your program and current child care capacity. This can be done in the Find Child Care Oregon (FCCO) Provider Portal or through your local CCR&R. Your program information is combined with other facilities for local and state decision-making purposes. Price information is not shared with parents and is reported without identifiable program information.
The study is a partnership between your local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R), The Research Institute at Western Oregon University, Oregon State University, and the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC).
Watch for more information from your Child Care Resource & Referral in early October!
Learn more about previous Market Price and Supply studies by clicking on the documents below!
Let’s celebrate Oregon Pre-Kindergarten (OPK) and Early Head Start programs!
Launched in 1965, Head Start programs promote children’s development through services that support early learning, health, and family well-being. Let’s celebrate Oregon Pre-Kindergarten (OPK) and Early Head Start programs!
