DELC seeks applicants for the ERDC Rulemaking Committee to review proposed updates improving clarity, policies, provider requirements, and family child care support.
The Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program helps families pay for child care and registration fees. Initially, families may qualify if they are working, attending school, receiving cash assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – TANF), on medical leave from employment or school, or participating in certain programs with Child Welfare.
ERDC is a subsidy program. This means families may still pay part of the child care cost. This is called a copay. The monthly copay is based on family size and income. ERDC also works with partners across the state to help families find and keep child care.
The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) is proposing changes to five rules to clean up language and ensure that the language is easy to read and understand. This includes updating provider rates, adding policy regarding Every Child Belongs (ECB) for providers and updating the requirement to allow providers to store controlled substances under a child safety device or lock.
414-175-0035; Specific Financial Requirements Rule is being updated to clarify that earned shelter-in-kind income is counted as earned income for ERDC.
414-175-0040; Prospective Eligibility and Budgeting Rule is being updated to remove some unnecessary words.
414-175-0075; Child Care Provider Eligibility Standards Payments Rates, Payment Limits, and Payable Hours Rule is being updated to reflect new provider rates negotiated with both child care unions.
414-175-0080; Eligibility of Child Care Providers Rule is being updated to add a requirement for providers to Contact Every Child Belongs (ECB) when a young child is facing potential expulsion. Rule is also being updated to clarify that controlled substances on site must be stored under a child safety lock or device or in a locked room.
414-175-0085; Direct Provider Payments Rule is being updated to change listed to approved to align with ELMS terminology and to clarify that the IRS identification number must be for the business and not an individual
The Oregon DELC is launching two free professional development series for child care providers to enhance understanding of behavior and improve relationships with families.
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 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.
Managing Behavioral Escalations Series
All five modules in the Managing Behavioral Escalations Series are now available.
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.
Connections matter: Creating Systems of Support – September 28
Designed for Providers
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.
Oregon’s Embark 529 education savings plan encourages parents to save for their child’s education, offering a $100 bonus for accounts opened before their first birthday.
As a parent, you’re already investing in your child’s future every day. Embark, Oregon’s 529 education savings plan, can help you take the next step by making it easy to save for your child’s future education. Even small contributions can have a big impact. Students with an education savings account are 2.5 times more likely to pursue education beyond high school than those with nothing set aside.
To help families get started, Oregon provides a $100 Baby Grad bonus when you open an Embark account before your child’s first birthday. It’s a great way to give your child’s education savings a boost from the very beginning.
Visit embarksavings.com/baby-grad to learn more about Embark including why today is the perfect day to start saving.
Déle un impulso significativo a su hijo con Embark
Ya estás invirtiendo en el futuro de su hijo todos los días. Embark, el plan de ahorro educativo (529) de Oregón, puede ayudarle a dar el siguiente paso para ahorrar para la futura educación de su hijo. Incluso las pequeñas contribuciones pueden tener un gran impacto. Los estudiantes que cuentan con una cuenta de ahorro para la educación tienen 2.5 veces más probabilidades de continuar sus estudios después de la escuela secundaria que aquellos que no tienen ahorros.
Para ayudar a las familias a comenzar, Oregón proporciona una contribucion automatica de $100 llamada “el bono Baby Grad” al abrir una cuenta Embark antes de que su hijo cumpla su primer año. Es una excelente manera de impulsar el ahorro educativo de su hijo desde el principio.
Visita embarksavings.com/baby-grad para obtener más información sobre Embark y descubrir por qué hoy es el día perfecto para empezar a ahorrar.
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Orange Shirt Day on September 30 honors Indigenous children affected by boarding schools, promoting remembrance, healing, and action to support their identities and communities.
Later this month on September 30, we recognize Orange Shirt Day, a day of remembrance, reflection, and resilience. It honors the Indigenous children who were taken from their families and placed in boarding schools and residential schools across Oregon and the United States, as well as Canada. These institutes were designed to forcibly assimilate Native American children by erasing their identities, languages, and cultures.
Orange Shirt Day is rooted in the story of Phyllis Webstad, whose orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at a residential school. That simple act became powerful symbol of the loss of identity, dignity, and belonging experienced by thousands of Indigenous children.
The message “Every Child Matters” is more than a remembrance of the past, it is a call to action. It reminds us that every child deserves to be safe, valued, and supported in their identity. For us at DELC, this message is especially meaningful. As public servants dedicated to the well-being of children and families, we have a responsibility to understand the historical and intergenerational trauma caused by these systems, and to ensure that our work actively supports healing, equity, and justice.
DELC has included honoring and recognizing Tribal Sovereignty as a top priority. In this goal, DELC seeks to create training and resources for staff and partners to learn about the Native American experience, enhance and share educational resources, and much more.
While we acknowledge the deep and lasting harm caused by these schools, we also uplift the strength, courage, and enduring spirit of survivors, their families, and communities. As we honor Orange Shirt Day, we encourage you to take time to learn more about this history, reflect on its ongoing impact, and consider how we can each contribute to a future where all children are honored, protected, and empowered.
Office of Tribal Affairs Department of Early Learning and Care
Core Educational Resources
U.S. National Resources
Orange Shirt Day: Honoring Indigenous Children and Building a Path of Reconciliation
A detailed overview of the movement’s history, meaning, and how it is observed across the U.S.
Highlights Oregon’s direct connection to boarding school history, including schools in Warm Springs, Siletz, Grand Ronde, Klamath, Umatilla, and Chemawa.
Emphasizes the importance of remembrance and education in schools and communities.
Oregon families with young children are encouraged to participate in a survey on child care experiences for a chance to receive a $25 gift e-card.
We need your help to reach real families within your program and community!
The Department of Early Learning and Care has partnered with Portland State University and OSLC Developments, Inc. to hear directly from Oregon families. Parents and caregivers of young children in Oregon are invited to complete a survey about their experience searching for and using child care.
All eligible parents and caregivers who complete the survey will receive a $25 gift e-card! One card per family. You can make sure families within your program receive a flyer and have the opportunity to participate in the survey!
With Artificial Intelligence (AI) becoming more common, it is harder for surveys like this one to get into the hands of real people (rather than bots and scammers). So this year, we are handing out paper flyers with instructions on how to access the survey all throughout communities in Oregon in hopes of reaching real families with young children.
If you have not yet received any flyers in the mail, you can request some be mailed to you. Email pdg@oslc.org to request survey flyers to share with families in your program!
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DELC seeks applicants for the CBR Rulemaking Committee to review updates aligning background checks with federal standards, enhancing child safety, transparency, and supervision clarity.
The purpose of this rulemaking is to update the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care’s (DELC) Central Background Registry (CBR) requirements to fully align with federal standards, which mandates FBI fingerprint-based background checks. These updates require the FBI fingerprint results before an individual may be granted Conditional Enrollment status in the CBR. This change states when a CBR applicant may be conditionally enrolled while their application is being processed. The rules will also clarify who must supervise someone who is conditionally enrolled when they are working with children in child care settings. The rules for the CBR, licensed child care facilities and recorded programs will be updated to reflect these updates.
This rulemaking also aims to increase transparency, strengthen safeguards for children and provide clearer guidance to caregivers, providers, and community members on expectations for background checks and supervised access.
The Rule Advisory Committee (RAC) provides caregivers, providers, community members and union representatives with a structured setting to receive updates on proposed rule changes, ask questions and share feedback.
September 2026 Department of Early Learning and Care Updates.
A Message from leadership
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This month’s update from Director Alyssa Chatterjee
It’s back to school time for many programs and families, and I’m getting ready to celebrate Maya’s first birthday! I’m not sure where the time has gone, but as we head into the fall there are a few things that are top of mind that I’d like to share with you.
Remembering the tremendous impact of Dolly Parton
First, I wanted to take a moment to talk about Dolly. Last week there was an outpouring of heartache around the news of the passing of Dolly Parton. Oregon’s flags were flown at half-staff in her honor, and folks around the world shared the impact Dolly had on them. Beyond her music, Dolly gave millions of children the gift of reading.
AT DELC, we were honored to partner together through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL), the book-gifting early literacy program recently expanded to be available in every county statewide. As a result, every child from birth until age five can receive one free, age-appropriate book delivered directly to their home each month, regardless of income ensuring children across Oregon can access free books that support their literacy and lay the foundation for lifelong learning. You can read more about this impactful work and watch Dolly’s video remarks about Oregon on the DPIL landing page.
Here in Oregon, Dolly’s dream now reaches every zip code – putting books in the hands of tens of thousands of young readers. Her belief was simple: every child deserves to fall in love with reading. We’re honored to continue to carry her legacy forward.
Caring Communities Tours
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of joining the Caring Communities Tour with the Marion & Polk region for a community engagement-focused day centered on partnerships and initiatives strengthening early childhood systems for children and families. Together, we spent the day exploring themes of community partnerships, workforce development, early literacy, and kindergarten readiness, and I left excited about what we can learn from our communities to inform state work.
A sincere thank-you to the many partners who shared their time and their work – including teams from Salem for Refugees, Child Care Resource & Referral of Marion, Polk & Yamhill, Willamette Education Service District, Marion Polk Early Learning Hub, and Willamette Health Council – for the meaningful conversations and your ongoing commitment to Oregon’s children and families.
Agency Request Budget
It’s finally here! The DELC 2027-29 Agency Request Budget (ARB) is now available on our website. While the revenue environment means that we aren’t asking for a lot, this is a wonderful opportunity to share more about who we are becoming as DELC and what we need to be successful. Next up, the Governor will consider all ARBs alongside available revenue as she develops the Governor’s Recommended Budget by December 1st.
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As we wrap up August, 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 August, 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.
Last month, Yamhill Community Care Early Learning’s Family Picnic united families to explore resources, connect with organizations, and foster a supportive community for children and families.
Last month, Yamhill Community Care Early Learning’s Family Picnic brought families together to connect, learn about free community resources, and enjoy games and activities for children.
The picnic gave families a welcoming place to meet local organizations, ask questions, and learn about services that can support them. Families could come as they are, spend time together, and connect with people and organizations that serve young children and families.
Bringing many community partners together in one place also helps families see that they are not alone. There is a strong network of people and organizations ready to support children and families. Events like the Family Picnic make it easier for families to learn about programs, services, and other resources in their community.
The goal is for families to leave feeling seen, heard, and supported. It is also a chance for families to learn about resources that can help their children learn, grow, and succeed.
Thank you to Yamhill Community Care Early Learning for bringing families and community partners together and showing that supporting children and families is a shared effort.
Want to learn more or attend an upcoming event? Visit the Yamhill Early Learning website to find resources, programs, and upcoming events for families in the area: Home – Yamhill Early Learning
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DELC hosted OTELA’s first in-person meeting, fostering collaboration on a Tribal Early Learning Plan that emphasizes sovereignty, cultural responsiveness, and community engagement for Native American children.
Pictured above: OTELA members, DELC staff, and contractors from Northwest Native Chamber and First Children’s Finance who support DELC’s work with Tribal Nations
The Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) was honored to host members of the Oregon Tribal Early Learning Alliance (OTELA) for the committee’s first in-person gathering on July 28, 2026. Held at the DELC Office in Salem, the meeting marked an important milestone in advancing collaborative, sovereignty‑centered early learning efforts across the state.
About OTELA
House Bill 2815 (2025) created OTELA and the Tribal Early Learning Plan and Fund (TELP/F), codified in ORS 417.831. OTELA is the formal advisory committee established by DELC to guide the development and implementation of the TELP/F. The Tribal Early Learning Plan and Fund is a statewide early learning and care plan for Native American and Alaska Native children, ages birth to eight, who are enrolled in early childhood care or education programs.
OTELA is responsible for advising DELC on the development and implementation of the Tribal Early Learning Plan; recommending the distribution of funds; and providing input on the delivery of culturally and linguistically responsive early learning services.
Pictured above: OTELA members and NWNC staff take notes during the work session.
OTELA Work Session
OTELA’s gathering featured an interactive, hands-on activity designed to gather input from the Tribes. Members of the committee were asked for their perspective and feedback on how best to structure the first draft of the Tribal Early Learning Plan. The group considered the provider and educator voice, goals of the Plan, and more.
Dana Castano (Turtle Mountain Chippewa), DELC’s OTELA Liaison, shared her perspective of the value of this work session.
“This brainstorming session created continued momentum for the committee’s long‑term work, while ensuring alignment with Tribal priorities. We have eagerly anticipated gathering everyone together face-to-face to discuss this important work. The impact of shared voices and spending time learning with one another is something we deeply value.”
Some of the OTELA members shared their thoughts on the visit as well.
Julie Siestreem, Hanis Coos, Tribal Council Position #3, Confederated Tribes of Coos Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians expressed that “It was an honor and a luxury to meet with everyone in person to reaffirm our commitment to doing the best we can to meet the educational needs of all our children.”
Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians’ Tribal representative, Jesse Jackson, who serves as the Tribe’s Education Programs Officer, shared that “It was encouraging to hear how each Tribe is incorporating its own culture, language, and values into early learning while recognizing that we share many of the same goals and challenges.”
It was an honor to join OTELA in person to see the impact of each member’s contribution in creating strong foundations for the longevity of the work ahead,” said Carey McCann, DELC Director of Policy and Strategy, “I am inspired by the thoughtfulness and care shaping the vision and mission. Together, this work centers the health and well-being of Tribal nations for current and future generations of families and young children.”
Collaboration
“We were blessed with two different sets of guest speakers” shared Julie Siestreem.
In addition to OTELA members, attendees included representatives from the Child Care Infrastructure Fund Technical Assistance team at Northwest Native Chamber, as well as First Children’s Finance.
First Children’s Finance is supported through DELC’s Preschool Development Grant to engage Tribal Nations in creating a Tribal Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) access pathway. Jannan Cotto (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians) serves as Systems Coordinator/Ekinoonad (the one who guides) at First Children’s Finance and is leading the project, which aims to make ERDC, the state’s child care subsidy, more accessible to Tribal Nations, providers on Tribal land, and Tribal families. “It was fantastic to see participants spend time building a shared vision and mission for OTELA while advancing Oregon’s Tribal Early Learning Plan. Investing in that kind of foundation-building creates stronger partnerships.” Jannan said. “The care and intentionality with which DELC’s Office of Tribal Affairs convened these collaborations helped create an environment where authentic partnership can grow.”
Pictured above: Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians OTELA Representative and member, Sonya Moody-Jurado, and OHA Representative Angie Butler (Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians) review and provide feedback during the meeting’s activity.
“What felt especially meaningful was seeing the intention behind how people were brought together,” said Amber Faist (Coquille) of Northwest Native Chamber, Chief Programs Officer. “We know from our own work that gathering people in the right way matters. Making space for people to share what they know, learn from one another, and build relationships across experiences is often where the most important work begins.”
DELC looks forward to continued partnership with OTELA, supporting the committee’s efforts and expanding Tribes’ access to DELC programs, services, and essential early childhood infrastructure.
Jemiah Wassman, Director of Education, Confederated Tribes of Coos Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, said “I’m hopeful OTELA can continue building those relationships into sustainable, dependable funding and systems that Tribes can rely on to create programs that serve our children and future generations.”
“[DELC’s Office of Tribal Affairs’] collaborative, relationship-centered approach honors Tribal sovereignty and helps ensure Tribal voices shape the direction of this work.” remarked Jannan Cotto.
The first in‑person gathering marks a meaningful step toward strengthened collaboration and a shared vision for Tribal early learning systems that honor sovereignty and meet the needs of children, families, and communities across Oregon.
“I am hopeful that OTELA will continue to create meaningful opportunities for Tribes to learn from one another and advocate collectively for Tribal early learning” remarked committee members Jesse Jackson, “I hope this work strengthens our ability to provide culturally responsive, family-centered programming that reflects our traditions and supports the long-term success of our children.”
The Office of Tribal Affairs at DELC will continue to provide support to implement the plan and fund. To read more about this work please visit Oregon Tribal Early Learning Alliance (OTELA) page of the DELC website. Tribal Sovereignty is one of six goals in DELC’s strategic plan. To learn more, visit the Growing Oregon Together page of the DELC website.
Pictured above: OTELA members, DELC staff, and partners from NWNC and FCF participate during the work session
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