Preschool Promise to Help 170 Washington County Children Attend Preschool this Fall

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, May 17, 2016

The Oregon Department of Education Early Learning Division (ELD) has awarded over $2 million to Early Learning Washington County (ELWC) to help children from low-income families attend preschool this fall.

ELWC, which is a partnership between United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and Washington County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is the designated regional Early Learning Hub for Washington County.

There are 16 regional Hubs statewide. They were formed to make services more accessible, available and effective for children and families, particularly those who are historically underserved.

ELD has awarded nine regional Hubs a total of 1,300 slots of affordable, high-quality preschool for children ages three and four whose families have incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level. These State General Fund grants are being made under Preschool Promise, a program created by the 2015 Legislature.

ELWC has been awarded approximately 170 preschool slots. ELWC will contract with seven child care facilities, community-based organizations, Head Start providers and school districts to begin operating 16 classrooms in September 2016. These classrooms will serve children living in the 25 highest need elementary school catchment areas and rural areas of the county. Eligible families will be identified though outreach from the elementary schools in neighborhoods served by Preschool Promise classrooms. State General Funds will be combined with another $1.7 million in Head Start, Oregon Pre-Kindergarten, private market and school district funds, so that each mixed-income classroom will serve 20 children.

"Preschool Promise has been championed by Governor Brown as a major investment in the Early Learning Hubs created by the Legislature," says United Way Community Impact Officer Zeke Smith. "This program will make it possible for more of Oregon's children to succeed in school."

Marni Kuyl, director of Washington County Department of Health and Human Services, adds, "Washington County is very pleased that our partnership with United Way has already resulted in a new $2 million investment for Washington County's children and families."

Other Early Learning Washington County initiatives include: Healthy Families, a home visiting and skill building program for families with children ages 0-3;Parenting Together, which offers parenting education opportunities for families throughout Washington County; and Kindergarten Counts, a tri-county project to promote early kindergarten registration by June 1.

For more information, contact William Thomas, director of Early Learning Washington County, at 503-380-1665.

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