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Celebrating Head Start Awareness Month!
October 6, 2017
Thank you to Governor Kate Brown for proclaiming October as Head Start Awareness Month. The Early Learning Division is excited to celebrate Head Start Awareness Month. This is the time of year that Oregon Head Start Pre-Kindergarten programs from across the state connect with their partners to share about exciting…
2017 Lynne Angland Award Recipients Announced
September 28, 2017

The Early Learning Council announced today the two recipients of the 2017 Lynne Angland Award. The Lynne Angland Award recognizes people and organizations who improve safety, quality, affordability and access to child care in Oregon at both the state and local levels. Lynne Angland was a passionate visionary dedicated to…
Preschool for All: Investing in Equity
September 21, 2017

The Portland State University Early Childhood Council is hosting a free all-day event on October 13th: Preschool for All, Investing in Equity. The Oregon Early Learning System Director, Miriam Calderon, will be a featured speaker. Topics include how to address gaps in access to early childhood education and how to…
Office of Child Care (OCC) Statutory Workgroup
August 24, 2017
The Office of Child Care (OCC) Statutory Workgroup will meet on Monday, August 28, 2017, 9:00 to 12:00 noon*. The meeting will be held at the State Capitol Building, Room H470. Statutory Workgoup Agenda Aug 28 meeting DRAFT Agenda: Approve meeting minutes (June 29, 2017 meeting) ORS Chapter 329A overview…
Save the date October 27th – Teen-Parent Program Conference
August 17, 2017
Save the date - October 27th, 2017 (9 am to 3:30 pm) Teen-Parent Program Conference 6th Annual Teen-Parent Program Fall Conference 2017 The Teen-Parent Program Conference is organized by the Early Learning Division of the Oregon Department of Education to gather staff involved with coordination and day-to-day work of Teen Parent…
Rule Amendments: License-Exempt Child Care Providers Accepting Federal Subsidies
August 15, 2017
OAR Chapter 414, Division 180. The Early Learning Council will begin rulemaking to amend rules governing license-exempt child care providers accepting federal subsidies. The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 requires states and territories to conduct health and safety monitoring inspections for all child care providers who…
Central Background Registry Rule Revision
August 15, 2017
The Early Learning Council will begin rulemaking to adopt permanent administrative rules relating to enrollment in the Central Background Registry established pursuant to ORS 329A.030. The Early Learning Division Office of Child Care (OCC) administers the Central Background Registry (CBR) pursuant to ORS 329A.030. OCC conducts background checks on individuals…
Child Care and the Solar Eclipse of 2017
August 14, 2017
The Early Learning Division is providing the following documents to help you prepare your program and families for the upcoming solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. The health and safety of children and staff is important during the solar eclipse event. What: During the solar eclipse, the moon will cover…
Division for Early Childhood’s 33rd Annual Conference
August 4, 2017
The Division for Early Childhood’s 33rd Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs and Their Families is coming to Portland in October 2017. The Division for Early Childhood (DEC), a division of the Council for Exceptional Children, is the principle organization for professionals who work in Early Intervention…
Important: CBR Processing Timeline – July through October
July 10, 2017
When the Office of Child Care receives a completed Central Background Registry application form and fee, and there are no issues, processing time is normally 3-5 business days from the date the form is received at Central Office before the letter for fingerprinting is mailed out. (During the busy season of late-July thru October, process time…
Child Care Statutory Authority Workgroup Meeting
June 28, 2017
At the April 27, 2017 Early Learning Council meeting, the Council adopted the charter for and directed the Early Learning Division to convene a Child Care Statutory Authority Workgroup. A copy of the charter can be found here. The Workgroup is scheduled to convene its first meeting on Thursday, June…
Earned Income Tax Credit
June 26, 2017

Your household may qualify for a bigger refund with an Earned Income Tax Credit. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal tax credit for working people with low to moderate income. To qualify, you must meet certain requirements and file a tax return, even if you do not…
AMENDING RULES GOVERNING VEHICLE USE
June 13, 2017

The Early Learning Council will consider formal rulemaking to amend rules governing vehicle use in Registered Family Child Care Homes (OAR Chapter 414, Division 205); Certified Family Child Care Homes (OAR Chapter 414, Division 350), Certified Child Care Centers (OAR Chapter 414, Division 300), Regulated Subsidy Family Child Care Homes…
Kindergarten Assessment Results Remain Stable
March 11, 2017

The Oregon Department of Education released results last week from the fourth annual Kindergarten Assessment (KA). The assessment is given each fall to entering kindergarteners and provides a snapshot of students’ foundational skills in three core areas of learning and development: early literacy, early math, and approaches to learning. “At Early…
Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines Release
February 21, 2017

We are pleased to announce the release of Oregon’s Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines, which align the learning and developmental progressions for children ages 3-6 in the domains of approaches to learning, social-emotional development, language and communication, literacy, and mathematics. The Guidelines are designed to equip early learning providers and kindergarten…
Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines Release
February 21, 2017

We are pleased to announce the release of Oregon’s Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines, which align the learning and developmental progressions for children ages 3-6 in the domains of approaches to learning, social-emotional development, language and communication, literacy, and mathematics. The Guidelines are designed to equip early learning providers and kindergarten…
Child Care Resource & Referral Request for Application Release
February 21, 2017

You are invited to apply! The Early Learning Division is now accepting Requests for Application to be a Child Care Resource and Referral partner in the following service delivery areas: Region County(ies) SDA Multnomah Multnomah SDA Marion-Polk-Yamhill Marion, Polk, Yamhill SDA Washington Washington SDA Clackamas Clackamas SDA North Coast Clatsop,…
Brain Building Oregon Website Launched
November 17, 2016

The Early Learning Division to Launch Website Promoting Brain Building in Children (Salem, Ore.) – The Early Learning Division with the Oregon Department of Education is launching a website, Brain Building Oregon, to promote brain building in children from birth to five years old. The new site features 12 resources…
Portland Water Bureau Lead Testing
November 10, 2016

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) was notified by the Portland Water Bureau (PWB) confirming that lead levels in the Portland water service area had recently exceeded federal standards. As public health officials and the agency responsible for regulating lead levels in municipal drinking water systems, OHA directed the PWB to…
ELD News: Subscribe or Update Your Preferences
November 4, 2016

If you are interested in receiving news from the Early Learning Division, you should subscribe to our mailing list! If you are already subscribed to our mailing list, you can update your preferences by following the link above. We want to start or continue sending you information that you care…
Students and Families: Applications Now Open for Grants and Scholarships
November 3, 2016

Eugene, Oregon | The Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) encourages students statewide to apply now for grants and scholarships at OregonStudentAid.gov. OSAC awards more than $80 million each year in state-funded grants and privately funded scholarships to help students meet their college expenses. More…
Time to turn back the clocks and let your light shine!
October 28, 2016

Be Seen. Be Safe. Dress bright morning and night As daylight saving time ends Sunday morning, Nov. 6, TriMet and our partners want to remind everybody to turn clocks back an hour, change the batteries in smoke detectors and increase safety when walking and biking. During the darker months, TriMet…
Oregon Afterschool Conference
October 10, 2016

Join OregonASK at Chemeketa Commnity College in Salem on October 22, 2016 for the Oregon Afterschool Conference! This year's theme of Stepping Into the Future will support program directors and front line staff to continually improve and and innovate within their afterschool and summer programs. All participants will be able…
Building Early Learning Partnerships for a Strong Foundation in Education
September 13, 2016

The Early Learning Division invites you to participate in an upcoming conference titled Building Early Learning Partnerships for a Strong Foundation in Education. This conference, which will bring providers of early learning services and K-3 educators together for a shared professional learning experience, will take place on November 17-18, 2016…
Preschool Promise, Oregon’s Free Preschool Program, Begins This Month
September 6, 2016

Early Learning Hubs across the State Will Implement Preschool Promise (Salem, Ore.) – Oregon’s innovative free preschool program, Preschool Promise, begins this month with rolling starting dates across the state. Oregon’s mixed delivery preschool pilot supports children and families living at 200 percent of the poverty level. Preschool Promise will…
Text-to-911
August 30, 2016

Text-to-911 planning and implementation is underway in Oregon and Southwest Washington, and should be available throughout Oregon in the next 24 months. The Portland-Metropolitan Region implemented an interim pilot project to receive text-to-911 messages, and after months of successful testing, went live on August 23, 2016. The National Emergency Number…
Webinar for Child Care Center Directors and Certified Family Child Care Owners
August 3, 2016

Join us on a webinar to learn more about the New Health and Safety Training Requirements. August 18th, 2016 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Log into the webinar by using the link below: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/927046517 Dial in: 1 (877) 309 2070 Access Code: 927-046-517 Audio Pin: Given once you are logged in
New Health and Safety Training Requirements
July 26, 2016

The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 requires training and regulation on specific health and safety topics for all caregivers that are licensed or who receive federal child care subsidy funding. The Early Learning Division will be adopting rules on the new training requirements soon. More information…
Early Learning Division and Partners Launch P-3 Resource Site
July 6, 2016

There is a growing recognition that achieving third grade success requires a strong continuum of support starting with prenatal development through third grade (P-3). Oregon’s Early Learning Division and Department of Education are partnering with The Children’s Institute, Oregon Community Foundation (OCF), The Ford Family Foundation, and Portland State University…
Regulated Subsidy Family Home Child Care Rulemaking: Implementing the CCDBG Act of 2014
June 15, 2016

The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 (CCDBG) requires states to develop health and safety requirements for all child care facilities that accept reimbursement through Child Care and Development Fund subsidy payments. Oregon Revised Statutes 329A.505 authorizes the Office of Child Care to conduct on-site inspections when…