Home » State Early Childhood Policy Landscapes » Oregon Early Childhood Policy Landscape

Oregon

Oregon, like all states, has a unique early childhood policy landscape that is shaped by economics, demographics, political history, coalitions, and other factors that create a state-specific environment for policy advocacy.

State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s environment and the numerous efforts—by the organizations listed on this page, other organizations, parents, policymakers, practitioners, and more—who work both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.

2024 State Early Childhood Policy Environment and Progress

Early Childhood Landscape:

Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.

Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining

Approximately 33% (122,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (2022). This number represents a decrease from 42% (174,000) in 2017.¹

Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High

Black, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.²

(NOTE: Selecting for age 0-8, state, and race can yield small cell sizes that can make percentages less accurate. Bars marked with S indicate data with extremely small cell sizes, which is not displayed. Bars marked with C should be interpreted with caution. Though the cell sizes are larger, they still fall below a threshold of reliability.)

Advocacy Landscape:

State General Fund Appropriations: Growing

The 2024-2025 biennial budget plans for total fund spending over two years of $121.3 billion, a 3.6 percent decrease from the enacted budget for the prior biennium, with the decline primarily attributable to less spending from federal funds. The total budget includes $31.9 billion in general fund spending and $1.6 billion in lottery fund spending, with the combined general and lottery funds enacted budget up 17.2 percent compared to the previous biennial budget. (General Fund spending is up 24 percent over the previous biennial budget of $24.1 billion.) The budget is based on combined general and lottery fund resources of $34.0 billion, including a $7.2 billion beginning balance and $27.0 billion in projected revenues (net of personal income tax kicker), and after accounting for various transfers, reversions, dedications, revenue enhancements and reductions. The state is forecasting combined balances in the general fund and lottery fund of $548 million at the end of the biennium. Combined reserves in the Rainy Day Fund and Education Stability Fund are projected at $2.9 billion at the end of the biennium.³

Largest Per Capita Revenue Sources (after federal transfers) (FY 2021):⁴

- - Individual Income Taxes: $2,652 per capita
  - Charges: $2,437 per capita

Oregon does not levy a general sales tax. Charges are public payments connected with a specific government service, such as tuition paid to a state university, payments to a public hospital, or highway tolls.

State Budget Rules:⁴

Oregon uses a biennial budget. The legislature must pass a balanced budget, but it can carry a deficit over into the following year. Oregon further limits both spending and revenue growth with a budget rule based on personal income growth. The rules are binding and require a legislative supermajority or vote of the people to override them. The state also requires a three-fifths supermajority to pass bills that increase tax rates. The state does not have any limits on debt service or authorized debt. Oregon also uses a unique budget rule known in the state as “the kicker.” When the state’s actual revenue collections are 2 percent or more above the official revenue forecast for the two-year budget cycle, the excess revenue is returned to Oregon taxpayers as a tax credit on resident’s state income tax (thus, the size of the rebate depends on the filer’s income). There are separate kickers for individual income tax revenue and corporate income tax revenue. Oregon voters approved the kicker in a 1980 ballot initiative.

Permanent State Funding Stream Dedicated to Early Childhood: Yes

Oregon invested $50 million in lottery bonds to create the Child Care Infrastructure Fund. Distributions fund investments designed to expand child care and preschool facilities.

Also, nicotine taxes fund a health care package that includes Medicaid eligibility up to 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. The revenue is roughly $160 million per year and ensures health care for the 135,000 children between the ages of 0-5 on Medicaid in Oregon (about 40% of Oregon’s children).

Further, since 2019, Oregon has had a corporate activity tax dedicated to education – 20 percent of which is allocated to programs serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The tax is a form of a gross receipts tax that applies to a variety of corporations, partnerships, and other entities consisting of $250 plus 0.57 percent of the taxable commercial activity that exceeds $1 million in the calendar year.

Political Alignment: Aligned Democrat

During the 2024 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Democrat controlled. The state’s Governor was also a Democrat.⁵

Types of Common Ballot Measures Available:⁶Five

- Legislature Initiated State Statute—Appears on a state’s ballot as a ballot measure because the state legislature in that state voted to put it before the voters.
- Voter-Initiated State Statute—Earns a spot on the ballot when sponsors collect signatures according to the laws governing the initiative process in Oregon.
- Legislature-Initiated Constitutional Amendment—A constitutional amendment that appears on a state’s ballot as a ballot measure because the state legislature in that state voted to put it before the voters.
- Voter-Initiated Constitutional Amendment—An amendment to a state’s constitution that comes about through the initiative process.
- Veto Referendum—When citizens of Oregon disagree with a statute or legislative bill enacted by the state legislature, they can collect signatures to force the issue to a vote. If enough signatures are collected, the bill is placed on the statewide ballot.

Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:

Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:⁷

An Oregon coalition of advocates is working with Child Care NEXT funding on a sustained effort to pursue bold transformation for the state’s child-care ecosystem.

2024 Policy Progress:

Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include⁵:

The CHIPs & Child Care (HB 4098A) policy will allocate $5 million to the Oregon Business Development Department to fund and build new childcare infrastructure and provide funding to provide financial support for the construction workforce by paying for child care. Oregon does not meet the child care and infrastructure needs. With the growing number of CHIP manufacturing jobs and construction workers drawn into specific parts of the state, the CHIPS Child Care Fund supports enhancing child care access near semiconductor chip manufacturing centers. The funds will support small child care centers, create a child care assistance program for CHIPS employers and employees, address the child care requirements needed to meet and win federal CHIPS grants, and increase the child care supply.

The legislature approved $9.4 million allocated to the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC)for the Birth Through Five Literacy Plan (SB 5701, Section 4). DELC advancements include a direction to develop a Birth Through Five Literacy Plan to expand culturally specific early literacy programs for children from birth to age five, to provide training and coaching for direct service staff in early literacy, and to develop and expand language revitalization efforts by federally recognized Indian tribes in Oregon. DELC is expected to utilize $4.7 million of the Birth Through Five Literacy Fund to enhance early literacy activities offered by the Kindergarten Readiness Partnership and Innovation (KPI) program administered by the regional Early Learning Hubs across the state. DELC is expected to establish a program budget of $4.7 million in the second year of the biennium and leverage the Early Childhood Equity Fund (ECEF) eligibility requirements to go to culturally specific ECEF grantees and prospective applicants who meet ECEF criteria.

The legislature increased the Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) funding, allocating $660,000 to the Department of Education for the Family Day Care Home sponsorship program using General Funds. The additional funding supports and stabilizes the sponsor organizations that work with home-based child care providers to access federal reimbursement for food they serve to children in care. CACFP reimbursements cover breakfasts, snacks, lunches, or suppers to support participating child care providers’ nutritional meal expenses and alleviate cost burdens on families.

The Joint Addiction & Community Safety Response Committee budget framework fully funded Relief Nurseries by $2.7 million as part of the direct investments in prevention programs. Relief Nurseries provide trauma-informed therapeutic and family support services to families with children from birth through age 5 to precent the cycle of child abuse and neglect by strengthening parenting skills, building successful and resilient children, and preserving families. Advocates have historically been asking local counties to increase funding for this preventative program, but through effective messaging and advocacy, the state Joint Addiction & Community Safety Response understood the connection and importance of investing in proven early intervention strategies.

The Joint Addiction & Community Safety Response Committee budget framework fully funded the Nurse Family Partnerships program by $3.2 million as part of the direct investments in prevention programs. Nurse-Family Partnership is an evidence-based community health program that helps transform the lives of vulnerable mothers pregnant with their first child. Each mother is partnered with a registered nurse early in her pregnancy and receives ongoing nurse home visits that continue through her child’s second birthday. Advocates have historically asked local counties to increase funding for this preventative program. Through effective messaging, education, and consistent advocacy, the state Joint Addiction & Community Safety Response understood the connection and importance of investing in proven early intervention strategies.

Ongoing Grantee Areas of Advocacy:

The Alliance’s lead ally in Oregon, the Children’s Institute, leverages research, practice, policy, and advocacy to shift systems toward justice for families so that all of Oregon’s children, prenatal to grade 5, have access to opportunity. CI focuses on early learning and healthy development, success in the early grades, and aligned early learning and elementary experiences. CI convenes the Early Childhood Coalition to strengthen advocacy efforts and early childhood policy.

Childrens Institute is working to advance early childhood policies in several areas that align with the Alliance’s birth-through-eight policy framework:

Early Care and Education

Child Care

Child Care Workforce

K-3 Education

Pre-School and Pre-K

Child and
Maternal Health

Early Intervention (0-3)

Family
Supports

Home Visiting

Early Childhood Infrastructure

Early Childhood Finance and Cost Modeling

Early Childhood Governance

Click here for more information on their policy agenda.

RECENT ADVOCACY SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

¹Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, January, 2024.

²National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 through 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, October 2024, NCCP analysis of ACS 5-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2018-2022.

³National Association of State Budget Officers, Proposed and Enacted Budgets, FY 2025.

⁴Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, June 2024.

⁵National Conference of State Legislatures, 2024 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, April 29, 2024.

⁶Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved July, 2024.

⁷Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, July, 2024.

⁸Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-October, 2024; and 2024 Prenatal-to-3 Legislative Highlights, Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, July, 2024.