News and Articles

Every child in Multnomah County is prepared to succeed in school and life, regardless of race, ethnicity, or class. Our Strategic Plan describes how we’ll make that happen.

“It reminds me of a tornado,” says Hadiyah Miller. “It’s growing and there are a lot of pieces in the air.” Miller is an early childhood education expert and a member of Portland’s Black Child Development Council. She’s talking about—and taking on—school suspension and expulsion rates which disproportionately impact children of color from a very young age. Learn more about what the council is doing to calm the storm—and how you can help.

#WeCountOregon is a coordinated statewide effort working in rural and urban communities around Oregon to ensure that the Census is equitable, fair, and just, and that every Oregonian is counted. The Census Equity Funders Committee of Oregon (CEFCO) is raising $10 million to support a campaign to reach out to communities that are more likely to be undercounted. United Way of the Columbia Willamette is serving as the backbone organization for CEFCO.

The Student Success Act presents a tremendous opportunity for students and families. School districts and early learning hubs across the state are being asked to engage their communities to understand the needs of students and families as a first step toward investing these new resources.

The root causes of inequities impact families and children across our county in lots of ways, every day. The work we do at Early Learning Multnomah and the programs we invest in have to reflect the reality of that diversity of experience and opportunity. As Oregon prepares to make new investments in early learning, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate the significant work that has happened since the beginning of this year.

In July we celebrated five years of parent leadership through the Parent Accountability Council with a family celebration. Check out some of the photos from the day.

Molly Day has been a Director of Early Learning Multnomah since its inception. We asked her to reflect on a half-decade of ELM and what she imagines for the next five years.

Our Parent Accountability Council member, Ms. Lydia, has been selected to join the steering committee of the national Parent Leaders Network.

The Preschool for All Task Force released recommendations this week calling for expansion of preschool opportunities across Multnomah County. Our own Parent Accountability Council played a critical role in shaping the final recommendations.

Early Learning Multnomah is working with partners from IRCO, Health Share and Multnomah Early Childhood Program to hear from Vietnamese and Bhutanese community members about child development. The learnings will shape the ways in which dominant culture organizations offer supports and services.

The Student Success Act will provide a large investment in Oregon’s schools. Did you know that it also includes about $400 million per biennium in new investments in early learning programs?

The Parent Accountability Council (PAC) will celebrate 5 years this summer. The PAC was created to guide Early Learning Multnomah’s work. We’ve been reflecting on the difference between listening to parents and sharing power.