Oregon parents may see more opportunities for child care, according to a recent report citing a 5% increase in available child care slots.
Oregon State University researchers found that increased public funding was instrumental in the rise of child care openings for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers from 2020 to 2022.
The increased public funds came primarily through Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten, Preschool Promise and Baby Promise, which are state-administered programs that receive both state and federal dollars.
Michaella Sektnan is the Evaluation Specialist for the Oregon Parenting Education Collective. She said that meeting the quantitative demand for childcare is just one piece of the puzzle.
“There’s also things to consider like the quality of the care, the cost or accessibility issues such as distance and travel," Sektnan said. "Availability of the care, whether it matches the families work schedules, or meets the families cultural or linguistic needs.”
Oregon’s Early Learning Division says it’s currently working to increase availability and improve access to child care across the state.
