Newsletter
The 2015 Legislature has passed legislation that will create a new mixed-delivery preschool model for Oregon. With passage of this legislation (House Bill 3380), Oregon has taken a significant step towards expanding access to preschool and supporting children to succeed in school and life. Implementing this new preschool model will be one of the Early Learning Division’s most challenging and significant endeavors, and a crucial opportunity to advance the strategic goals of the Early Learning Council (ELC).
Read the ELC Strategic Plan.
Mixed-delivery refers to the fact that multiple types of entities will be eligible to deliver preschool programs through this model. These entities include Oregon Head Start Pre-Kindergarten, public schools, licensed family and center-based child care programs and community-based organizations (CBOs).
Some of the features specified in HB 3380 include:
- Three- and four-year old children living in families up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Line are eligible to participate
- Early Learning Hubs would identify the providers who would deliver the preschool program in their community
- Schools, Oregon Head Start Pre-Kindergarten programs, child care providers and CBOs are all eligible to provide preschool services
Through the mixed delivery model, Oregon will make progress towards:
- Meeting the diverse preschool needs of families, communities and school systems in all parts of Oregon
- Leveraging community capacity and collaborative public/private partnerships
- Promoting equity and quality
- Maximizing impact of public investments
- Bridging early learning and K-12