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| Quality Child Care |
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Child care is early education.
New research on brain development has confirmed that the first few years of life are the most critical in determining a child’s intellectual, emotional, and social development. Because quality child care is vital to ensuring that children enter school ready to succeed, the division initiates and funds innovative programs, including:
- A child care Mentoring Project that teams experienced child care providers with new providers to help them provide safe, quality child care.
- Provider Training Programs, in partnership with local Resource and Referral entities, that focus on health and safety, social and emotional development, and care-giving for infants and toddlers.
- Career development opportunities for care providers through the Oregon Registry at the Center for Career Development at Portland State University.
- A statewide public information campaign to educate consumers about the importance of quality child care in the early years of development and businesses about the availability of Oregon’s child care tax credits.
- A Health Consultation Program which makes Public Health Nurses available as consultants to child care providers.
Helpful Links
Types of Child Care in Oregon Click Here
Search online for Child Care
Five Steps to Finding Quality Child Care Brochure Click here
Quality Child Care Check List Click here
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| Tax Credits |
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Child Care Tax Credits
Oregon currently has two tax credits related to child care. To learn more, click here.
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| Need Help Paying for Care? |
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An Oregon family with both parents working full time at minimum wage earns only $31,200 per year. These families struggle to afford the cost of child care, which averages over $4,800 per year, per child. The cost of care is even less affordable for families in high needs categories. The division provides funding to DHS for the Child Care Subsidy Program to benefit low income working families. The Child Care Division also provides funding to over 200 community-based organizations that serve high needs families, including:
- Teen parents participating in approved high school or GED completion programs.
- Parents participating in state-approved substance abuse programs.
- Migrant and seasonal farm workers.
- Parents who have children with special needs.
Employment Related Day Care Flyer
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| Finding Child Care |
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The Oregon Child Care Resource and Referral Network (OCCRRN) is a statewide network of 17 community based child care resource and referral agencies that work to improve the quality, accessibility, and affordability of child care for all Oregon families. The network agencies:
- Provide training, technical assistance, and support to member agencies.
- Initiate projects to build quality child care.
- Inform policy makers, businesses and the public on child care related issues.
- Advocate for child care professionals and for families with children.
- Connect parents with child care resource and referral agencies throughout the state.
The division is an active partner in making child care more accessible in local communities by:
- Providing funds to the Oregon Child Care Resource and Referral Network, an organization of 17 local agencies. These community-based organizations provide child care referrals to parents, training and support to providers, and information to businesses.
- Providing funding to the Commission on Children and Families to assist in planning and expanding the supply of child care at the county level.
- Funding a pilot project to recruit, train and support providers to serve children with special needs and encourage Inclusive Child Care.
To search for child care online, click here
Use the county list below to find the Resource and Referral agency in your area
- Baker County
- Benton County
- Clackamas County
- Clatsop County 1-866-504-CARE
- Columbia County 1-866-504-CARE
- Coos County
- Crook County
- Curry County
- Deschutes County
- Douglas County
- Gilliam County 1-877-279-8262
- Grant County
- Harney County
- Hood River County 1-800-755-1143
- Jackson County
- Jefferson County
- Josephine County
- Klamath County 1-800-866-9835
- Lake County 1-800-866-9835
- Lane County
- Lincoln County
- Linn County
- Malheur County
- Marion County
- Morrow County
- Multnomah County
- Polk County Sherman County 1-877-279-8262
- Tillamook County 1-866-504-CARE
- Umatilla County
- Union County
- Wallowa County
- Wasco County 1-800-755-1143
- Washington County
- Wheeler County 1-877-279-8262
- Yamhill County
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| Mandatory Reporting |
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Mandatory Reporting of Suspected Abuse and Neglect
Child care providers are mandatory reporters of suspected abuse and neglect.
A DHS Question & Answer about reporting abuse and neglect is available here.
More information about mandatory reporters is available here.
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| Links and Resources |
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For a list of child care links and resources, click here
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