Committee hears bill to study ERDC enrollment and barriers for student parents

Representative Zach Hudson opened a public hearing Tuesday on House Bill 2593, which would require the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) to report on current enrollment and changes since the ERDC wait list was implemented, and to recommend strategies to ensure enrollment includes a minimum 50% working families and 20% student parents.

Supporters including student parents, labor advocates and immigrant‑rights groups urged passage of the bill as a transparency and outreach measure. Andrea Haverkamp of AFT Oregon said ERDC was designed to support student parents but is “falling short of reaching its full potential,” and urged lawmakers to require data that will inform future policy and funding choices. Felicity Ratway, a graduate research assistant and Spanish interpreter who testified with her six‑month‑old child present, described paying thousands of dollars in neonatal bills and struggling to find affordable childcare slots while completing her PhD work.

Community testimony and concerns

Multiple witnesses described high childcare costs and long wait lists. Kim Sekishiro, a small‑business owner and college student, described infant care in Salem costing roughly $1,500 a month and urged renaming ERDC to “Child Care Affordability Program” to reduce confusion about student eligibility. Amanda Orozco of Unite Oregon said many immigrant and low‑income families are effectively shut out by bureaucratic barriers and called for targeted outreach and data collection to ensure equity.

Agency response and committee questions

Jennifer Aras, Childcare Assistance Program manager for DELC, said the agency already collects some information about why families receive subsidies (employment, education, TANF) and has recently updated data collection to better identify student parents. She described ERDC’s financial mechanics: a regional maximum payment rate combined with a family co‑pay (the largest current co‑pay cited by the program manager was $130 per month). Committee members asked whether the department has the capacity to reach everyone on the wait list and whether a name change would impose costs. Aras said family, friend and neighbor (license‑exempt) care is part of ERDC’s coverage and that outreach materials exist, but acknowledged a wait list can make outreach feel frustrating for families who cannot immediately access slots.

Outcome and next steps

The committee closed the public hearing without a vote and invited written testimony to OLIS. Members encouraged DELC and stakeholder groups to continue coordination; Representative Hudson framed the bill as a first step to collect data and to improve access for student parents.

Ending note

HB 2593 does not itself appropriate additional funds; supporters said the required DELC report would produce the data legislators and stakeholders need to decide whether and how to expand ERDC or otherwise change eligibility, outreach or funding.