Baby Promise $10m Proposal

Governor Brown’s recommended 2019-2021 budget will invest $36.9M into early care and education. Investments include child care supply and quality, preschool & kindergarten readiness, workforce quality, and community-based family and parenting support. 

Baby Promise is one of several proposals that addresses the child care shortage throughout the State and includes efforts to incentivize more providers to provide quality care. This program will aim $10M at increasing the supply of quality and affordable infant and toddler care. Baby Promise is designed to be the contracted slot subsidy program.

Children will begin transitioning off this program around two and a half through an extensive transition process that partners with the family. By three, they are ready for the next step in the process which may include moving into a Head Start slot, family care or center environment that does not have a publicly funded slot for preschool aged children, or to a private-pay enrollment opportunity. To read more about the Baby Promise program, click here: https://oregonearlylearning.com/baby-promise.

Preschool Promise (Oregon’s Preschool program) will bring in $169.7M will create six times more slots (nearly 6600) for families at 200 percent of Federal Poverty level or below. There are about 30,000 low-income kids who have no access to preschool which is s key success driver for kindergarten. To read more about the Preschool Promise program, click here: https://orearlylearningdev.brewhousepdx.com/preschool-promise.

To read more about the Governor’s priorities see: “Education Policy Agenda: Every Oregon Student Engaged, Empowered, and Future Ready” at https://www.oregon.gov/gov/priorities/Documents/Education%20Policy%20Agenda%208.27.18.pdf