Providence partnership expands access to child care in Southern Oregon
In Southern Oregon, accessing high-quality child care is a challenge for many parents. Half of Jackson County families live with children ages 0-5 and are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. It is estimated that an additional 20% of families are above the 200% level but still struggle to pay for child care, which can cost up to $18,000 per child, per year in the Medford area.
This significant lack of affordable high-quality child care hinders parents’ ability to work outside the home and causes some children to miss out on early childhood education, a foundation for future learning.
Children without access to high-quality care may enter school less prepared, exacerbating educational inequalities.
Providence has partnered with Southern Oregon Education Service District/Southern Oregon Early Learning Hub to address the current child-care crisis by supporting three priority areas:
Child-care program expansion – Funding provides wrap-around support to individuals interested in becoming a registered family child-care provider. Expansion is focused on rural communities with a lack of child-care programs.
Build the child-care workforce with paid internships – Funding supports Jackson County job seekers in exploring a child-care career through a paid internship. Since the start of the grant, nine individuals have participated in the program: One completed the internship and was offered employment, two are currently completing their internship, and six will soon begin internships.
The Providence Innovation Grant provided SOESD/SOELH the opportunity to show a proof of concept. Future funding will come from the region's workforce board, Rogue Workforce Partnership.
Subsidized child-care slots – Funding has allowed for contracts with three child-care programs providing child care for 13 children from 12 families. Eleven of the families are single-parent households. Eleven parents have maintained employment, one secured employment, and one secured employment while attending college.
Parents of these families have voiced their appreciation for this support:
- “It has allowed us to afford groceries/bills/gas so much easier by decreasing the cost of child care. We can live far more stress-free, and my child absolutely loves school!”
- “My daughter has really blossomed in her classroom. She’s been talking way more, and clearer, is almost fully potty trained, is counting and saying some of her ABCs. She loves going there. This would not be possible without SOESD. I wouldn’t have been able to get a job and support my two kids without this opportunity because I wouldn’t have been able to afford it on my own. I’m so grateful for this program and this opportunity.”
- "Without this program I wouldn’t be able to afford child care to seek employment again while being a student.”
