| About Us |
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| Oregon Commission for Child Care |
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| Vision |
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By the year 2010, all families in Oregon will have access to safe, quality, and affordable child care.
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| Mission Statement |
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The mission of the Oregon Commission for Child Care is to advise the Governor and Legislature on the issues, problems, and solutions related to affordable, quality child care in Oregon; and to advocate for the availability of safe, quality and affordable child care.
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| Organization |
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Annual Performance Measures
The Commission for Child Care is created within the Employment Department to address the issues, problems and alternative solutions that are critical to the development of accessible, affordable and quality child care services. (ORS 657A.600 to 657A.630) At the start of each biennium, the Commission for Child Care reports to the governor the critical concerns and issues impacting the availability of quality child care, and identifies the programs, projects and activities which the commission will undertake regarding those issues.
The Commission for Child Care is comprised of 18 members, including three representatives from the Legislative Assembly, who serve as nonvoting members. One is appointed by the President of the Senate and two are appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Fifteen voting members serve as volunteers and must be:
- Two persons who provide child care services at a certified or registered child care facility, one of whom is a trainer of child care facility employees, appointed by the Governor;
- Two persons who are representatives of state or local government, one of whom is appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and one by the President of the Senate;
- One person who is qualified by education or experience to render an opinion about tax and legal issues concerning child care appointed by the Governor;
- One person who is representative of for-profit businesses appointed by the President of the Senate;
- One person who is representative of not-for-profit businesses appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
- One person who is representative of labor appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
- One person who is representative of the business community appointed by the Governor;
- Two persons who are members at-large, appointed by the Governor;
- One person whose profession involves the physical and mental well-being of children appointed by the Governor;
- Two persons who are consumers of child care, one of whom is qualified to receive state-subsidized child care assistance, one appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and one by the President of the Senate; and
- One person who is a representative of a child care resource and referral agency appointed by the Governor.
Appointed members serve for three-year terms. Legislators serve two-year terms. The Governor designates the chairperson of the commission to serve for a term of one year.
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| Programs |
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Since its creation in 1985, the Commission for Child Care has successfully advocated for developments within Oregon's child care system, which include the following:
- Establishment of Oregon's parental leave law in 1987 and subsequent refinements in 1995;
- State tax credit for employers who subsidize or provide dependent care for their employees;
- Oregon's statewide child care resource and referral network that assists parents, providers and employers;
- Establishment of the Child Care Division that oversees the administration of the Federal Child Care Block Grant Funds and regulates the provision of child care in Oregon;
- State registration of family child care providers;
- Professional development of family child care providers through mandatory training and greater access to homeowners' insurance coverage;
- Mandated in-home health and safety reviews for newly registered child care providers; and the
- Establishment of a task force on financing quality child care.
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