As we are enjoying the Spring weather, we are also feeling very grateful for the support we are seeing for children and families, both locally and in Salem.

We had a very successful short legislative session with some real wins for children and families.

Here are the 2024 Highlights provided by our advocacy partners at Children’s Institute:

• PASSED/FUNDED: Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) was funded adequately to address the deficit in this program. The Department of Early Learning & Care will receive $99 million now to address the known shortfall in the program for the existing caseload. The legislature also allocated $72 million in a “special purpose account (SPA)” for this program to address additional deficits and hopefully bring some families off the waitlist next year.
• PASSED/PARTIALLY FUNDED: CHIPs & Child Care (HB 4098A) Advocates requested an $8 million investment, and legislators have allocated $5 million to increase access to child care near new semiconductor chip manufacturing centers.
• PASSED/FUNDED: Birth to 5 Literacy ($9.4 million in a 2023 SPA) funding was allocated to the Department of Early Learning & Care in HB 5701 (Section 4). Half of this funding will go to the Early Childhood Equity Fund through culturally specific grantees, and half will go to the Kindergarten Partnership Fund through Hubs.
• PASSED/FUNDED: Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education ($22 million to restore 2023 session cut) funding was allocated to the Department of Education in HB 5701 (Section 2).
• FUNDED: Relief Nurseries ($2.7 million) was fully funded in the Joint Addiction & Community Safety Response Committee budget framework! This item is in HB 5204-2, Section 3.
• FUNDED: Nurse Family Partnership ($3.2 million, HB 4105) was fully funded in the Joint Addiction & Community Safety Response Committee budget framework! This item is in HB 5204-2, Section 12. HB 4105 is not moving forward, but the needed funding is.
• While we did not receive the funding requested for Healthy Families Oregon, the Early Learning Scholarship Program, or additional funding for the Child Care Infrastructure Fund, we are deeply grateful for all the progress made during this short session.

This quarter’s newsletter is focusing on the progress we are making in Jackson and Josephine counties in supporting the needs of our families with young children AND improving supports to our child care workforce. If you read about something that resonates with you and you would like to know more about the work that’s happening, please reach out to us. Local change requires local action and we need you!

If you want to go fast, go alone.

If you want to go far, go together.

African Proverb

With Gratitude,

René Brandon

Director

Southern Oregon Early Learning Hub

In our Winter Newsletter, we highlighted the four areas of need to address our child care crisis and shared the recording of our Child Care Expansion Kick-off Event.

We are excited to give you updates on the progress we’ve made since then. This is an ongoing effort and we will provide regular progress updates.

• Subsidizing Child Care Slots
• More than half of families in Southern Oregon cannot afford child care. To address the need for more subsidized child care slot for working families:
• Providence Community Health Foundation has awarded $72,000 for subsidized child care slots for working families with infants and toddlers who cannot afford the cost of child care.
• Southern Oregon Early Learning Hub has identified $35,000 for subsidized child care slots for working families with preschool school age children who cannot afford the cost of child care.
• We are continuing to accept funding from interested community partners who would like to contribute to this ongoing fund. All donated funds go directly to support subsidies.
• We will begin the contracting process with child care programs soon.

• Building the Child Care Workforce
• One strategy to recruit new teaching assistants into the child care workforce, is through paid internships, with funding from Rogue Workforce Partnership, Providence Community Health Foundation, and Southern Oregon Early Learning Hub and in partnership with WorkSource Rogue Valley, Child Care Resource Network, and Rogue Community College. Up to 16 jobseekers receiving services from WorkSource Rogue Valley can participate in a paid internship at a participating local child care facility with the goal of receiving a job offer at the end of the 150 hour internship, if the facility thinks the intern is a good fit for their program.
• Specialized Supports in Early Learning Classrooms
• Child care teachers have indicated they need more support to address the increase in big behaviors they are experiencing from children in the classrooms. Examples of these behaviors include injuries to other children and teachers, destroying property, running from the classroom, and throwing chairs and other equipment. We know that children sometimes need more one-on-one support to practice self-regulation skills. To begin to address this systemwide need, we will be offering training for up to 10 individuals to receive the 12-month Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA) Credentialing at $10,000 per person. These QMHA’s will provide direct skills training to children in child care classrooms.
• Josephine County System of Care will be contributing $30,000 for 3 Josephine County child care programs to participate
• We are looking for additional partners to sponsor up to 7 additional individuals in both Jackson and Josephine counties and we will launch when we have raised the additional funds. Please reach out to René Brandon at rene_brandon@soesd.k12.or.us to learn more!

As mentioned above, one strategy to address the child care workforce shortage has been created in partnership with WorkSource Rogue Valley, Child Care Resource Network (CCRN), Rogue Workforce Partnership (RWP), Rogue Community College (RCC) and Southern Oregon Early Learning Hub (SOELS). We have come together to create a pathway to engage adult jobseekers receiving services through WorkSource Rogue Valley to be invited to participate in a paid internship at participating high quality child care facilities within Jackson and Josephine counties.

The jobseeker will have the opportunity to try out child care as a career choice by working up to 150 hours and the child care facility will have the opportunity to see if the jobseeker would be a good fit for their program. The goal is that jobseekers who have completed the internship will be well-suited and possess the skills and training needed for child care and be potentially offered employment at the end of the internship.

If your child care program is interested in participating in the Adult Internship Program please contact Devon Finley at Child Care Resource Network. If you are a jobseeker interested in learning more about a career in child care please contact Foo Kok at Kok.A.FOO@employ.oregon.gov or visit the WorkSource Rogue Valley for more information.

Since 2024 started we have learned about multiple upcoming funding opportunities for child care start-up and expansion. SOELS staff, along with partners from Child Care Resource Network (CCRN), Rogue Community College (RCC), and the Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) at SOU and RCC came together to host information sessions and answer questions, provide support, and highlight upcoming funding opportunities for individuals interested in starting or expanding a child care business. We had almost 50 people register to attend 2 different sessions, one with a focus on start-up information, and the other with a focus on expansion information. We had representation from English and Spanish speaking individuals across both Jackson and Josephine counties. Both sessions are recorded, and can be viewed in English or Spanish.

Start-Up Information Session Recording

Expansion Information Session Recording

If you would like a copy of the presentation, or would like to learn more, please reach out to Jordan Rogers at Jordan_Rogers@soesd.k12.or.us

We were fortunate enough to get connected with Josie Molloy, prior CEO of the Josephine County of Chamber of Commerce, and Brittni Biller, Membership & Business Development Director. After attending our Child Care Expansion Kick-Off last November, Josie and Brittni both joined us for our Josephine County Parent Advisory Council Meeting. During the meeting, we were able to brainstorm ways that we could collaborate, and continue to spread awareness about the critical need to improve child care access and supports.

• We were invited to provide an article on the child care crisis and share regional data in the February edition of the Chamber's Newsletter.
• We were also invited to present at the Chamber's Business Expansion & Retention Committee, to connect with local business leaders, share the ongoing work in our region, and invite them to come along side us in support of families in their community.
• SOELS will also be hosting the Chamber's Greeters meeting on Wednesday, April 10th, at the HIVVE in Grants Pass, to continue to connect with members of the business community and share how the child care crisis is impacting local families, and local businesses.
• Josie Molloy also assisted in connecting us with other agencies and local city officials, to continue building a system where everyone has a seat at the table, and we can all work together to address the needs in our region.

We are so grateful to the Josephine County Chamber of Commerce and its members for its continued support and collaboration. We hope to keep building on our momentum, and look forward to additional opportunities to work together in the future.

If there are additional meetings, committees, groups, or any other opportunities to connect with partner agencies and share our regional child care data, we would love to hear from you! Please reach out to Jordan Rogers at Jordan_Rogers@soesd.k12.or.us.

Families needing publicly-funded preschool for the 2024-2025 program year can visit Southern Oregon Early Learning Hub’s website to learn more about Preschool Promise opportunities in Jackson and Josephine County. Families can join the lottery now for openings next fall. Lotteries will begin later this spring and will continue into the summer. Families selected in the lottery will be invited to apply and complete the eligibility process. Please reach out to Southern Oregon Early Learning Services for more information!

Email enrollment@soesd.k12.or.us or call (541) 776-8590, ext. 1145.

Para asistencia en espanol, llame (541) 776-8590, extension 1190.

On February 16th and 17th, the Children's Museum of Southern Oregon brought a pop-up exhibit to the Growing Together Center in Grants Pass! Families had 2 fun-packed days of getting to explore and play with dinosaur bones, sensory tables, mini catapults, and so much more! It was such a joy to see all of their happy faces learning and playing. To top it all off, each child got to leave with a gift bag filled with additional fun items!

Thank you to the Children's Museum for bringing their fun exhibits to the families in Grants Pass, we look forward to more opportunities to play together in the future!

Diaper need is a growing problem in our country. According to new data from The NDBN Diaper Check 2023: Diaper Insecurity among U.S. Children and Families, 1 in 2 U.S. families cannot afford enough diapers to keep their infant or child clean, dry, and healthy. These babies are more vulnerable to painful rashes and urinary tract infections and have more trips to the doctor. 3 in 5 parents miss work or school because they can’t afford the diapers required to leave their baby in child care. Clean diapers are a basic need of every baby and toddler.

The Growing Together Community Center, with support from the Family Nurturing Center continues to supply diapers, pull-ups, wipes, and formula for families in need. The diaper closet is for emergency use, and to supplement a family's current supply, but we know the cost of diapers is high, and the need is great. We welcome any community support, financial donations, and diaper donations so we can continue to provide this service. Donations can be dropped off at our SOELS Medford office, or at the Growing Together Center.

The Home Visiting Network is an opportunity for home visiting staff in Jackson and Josephine Counties to get together for connection and learning. There are multiple programs in both counties that have home visiting services available, making the opportunity to come together and connect with other home visitors a valuable experience. Home visitors are often a region’s key for knowing what is happening with families in their own homes. It typically starts with a phone call and a knock on the door, but through hard work and trust, home visitors are able to help families learn, grow, and thrive.

In order to support home visitors in their work, Home Visiting Network meetings occur monthly to offer information about local resources, host and/or spread the word about training opportunities, and share what the needs are for them and the families that they serve. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month from 9am-10am. If you are interested in learning more about the Home Visiting Network or would like to attend our next meeting, please reach out to Sydney Wing at sydney_wing@soesd.k12.or.us

Strengthening Families™ is a research-informed approach to increase family strengths, enhance child development and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. It is based on engaging families, programs and communities in building five key protective factors: parental resilience, social connections, knowledge of parenting and child development, concrete support in times of need, and social and emotional competence of children.

On Monday, June 17th, the Southern Oregon Early Learning Hub is hosting a free, all-day Strengthening Families training, taught by Felicity Elworthy. Attendees will spend time learning about the Protective Factors Framework and how it can be used in their work to support families. If you would like to attend the June 17th training or have any questions, please contact Sydney Wing at sydney_wing@soesd.k12.or.us, breakfast and lunch are provided, space is limited!

Raise Up Oregon 2.0 is a document that serves at Oregon's statewide strategic plan, focused on building a comprehensive early childhood system. It breaks down the actions that state agencies can take in partnership with families, communities, and the private sector in order to ensure that the early childhood system includes a wide array of opportunities to support families with young children to grow and thrive.

Raise Up Oregon engages with the following state agencies:

• Early Learning Council (ELC)
  
• Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC)
  
• Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC)
  
• Oregon Department of Education (ODE)
  
• Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS)
  
• Oregon Health Authority (OHA)
  
• Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS)
  

The first edition of Raise Up Oregon has been guiding early learning work across the state since 2019, and we are excited to continue to make progress to ensure that we are engaging with partners across all sectors to avoid working in silos, avoid duplication of work, and continue building a comprehensive early childhood system that addresses the needs of families in Jackson and Josephine County

SOELS also created and shared a presentation in March that highlights some of the updates in the second edition of Raise Up Oregon, and how its goals are guiding our work currently. We will continue to share updates and highlight pieces of RUO in future newsletters. If you are interested in learning more, please check out the Department of Early Learning and Care's website, or reach out to Jordan Rogers at Jordan_Rogers@soesd.k12.or.us

"Rogue Community College will join Urban Institute’s launch of a new practice to improve data collection on college students who are parents as part of the Data-to-Action (D2A) Campaign for Parenting Students. The cohort will include eight grantee colleges and universities and one citywide college system. As part of the collaborative effort, Rogue Community College will work to collect data on parenting and single-mother students in its college data systems and use that data to support students and their educational goals.

Rogue Community College, like many other institutions, has minimal student data. However, with the data that has been collected from various surveys throughout the years, it’s now estimated that 35% of students are also parents.

Rogue Community College will receive $60,000 for two years through Urban Institute and will work with their team to help collect data and implement strategies to use that information to support students. A Rogue Community College student employee, who is also a student parent, is part of the team. Her perspective during the analysis will ensure student parents are seen and heard throughout the grant process." (RCC Press Release, April 3rd, 2024)

We are so excited to hear the Rogue Community College is participating in this initiative and look forward to seeing the results and the positive impacts for the parenting students pursuing further education at RCC!

If you would like to learn more, please contact Kayla Rasson or visit the Rogue Community College website.