| PROGRAMS & INITIATIVES |
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| Child Care & Education |
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Goal
The goal of the Commission’s work in child care is to provide communities with resources and capacity to meet the child care needs of families.
The Role of OCCF in Child Care and Education
The Oregon Commission on Children and Families (OCCF) facilitates the development of a local community plan for the children and families in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. In each community, the quality and supply of child care is recognized as a key need. Federal child care funds distributed through the OCCF system address local child care needs as they are identified in the local plan and focus on continued development of an integrated system of early care and education in each county. These funds are not available to subsidize individual needs for child care.
Specifically, child care funds under OCCF are dedicated to:
- Improving child care quality through the enhancement of a strong, integrated early childhood system in each county and in the state
- Stabilizing the supply of child care, particularly, hard-to-find child care
- Supporting increased supply of child care for underserved populations, especially infant and toddler care, non-traditional hours care, care for special needs children, care for sick children, and out of school time care for school aged children
- Providing training and scholarships for child care providers
- Improving child care facilities to meet health and safety regulations and access for children with special needs
- Supporting child care provider compensation initiatives
- Funding health and mental health consultation to early care and education settings
- Enhancing core child care resource and referral services
- Supporting child care public information activities to inform and educate parents, providers, policymakers, business people and the general public about the impact of the earliest years on a child’s later success
The Oregon Commission on Children and Families works closely with child care partners across the state. Staff from the State Commission convenes the Early Childhood Team and Steering Committee and participates in the Child Care and Education Coordinating Council and its subcommittees.
Click here for the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) Guidelines referenced in OAR 423-010-0024 (2)(a) and the CCDF State Plan as well as the Code of Federal Regulations
Click here for other Childhood Care & Education publications.
For information contact:
Kim Cardona
Child Care Specialist
(503) 378-5159
Kimberly.Cardona(at)state.or.us
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