A no-cost childcare program that serves Central Oregon, including Bend and Redmond, is accepting applications for families with children ages six weeks to three years old.
NeighborImpact is a nonprofit organization that provides resources to Central Oregonians. One such resource is Baby Promise, which offers childcare through licensed providers for a full year. In addition to providing childcare, the program also supplies essentials like diapers, wipes, and formula at no-cost to parents.
Baby Promise providers also receive support in the form of experts like Instructional Specialist and Infant/Toddler Specialists that help out throughout the program.
Sydney Borchers, Promise Specialist at Neighbor Impact, said the program is much needed in Oregon where childcare is often hard to come by and can have long waitlists.
An Oregon State University report found that between 2018 and 2024, Central Oregon counties that were served by Baby Promise (Benton, Crook, and Deschutes) were still considered severe childcare deserts for children ages 0-2 years old.
“We are connecting families directly with childcare slots. We know how challenging it can be to be searching for care, let alone obviously, affording it and everything else that comes with it, but the search can be really challenging,” said Borchers. “So being able to connect the program and the family directly has been a huge, a huge win for our program.”
Baby Promise provides services in 3 regions: Multnomah County, the Southern Oregon Coast, and Central Oregon.
