State and county officials outline preschool slots, funding and goals; Multnomah County’s Preschool for All aims for universal seats by 2030

State and county officials told the Senate Committee on Early Childhood and Behavioral Health how state and federally funded preschool programs combine with Multnomah County’s local Preschool for All initiative to expand preschool seats and raise staff pay.

Alyssa Chatterjee, director of the Department of Early Learning and Care, described three state programs — Preschool Promise (state program for families at or below 200% of the federal poverty level), Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten (OPK; Oregon’s Head Start model) and Employment Related Day Care (a voucher program up to 250% FPL) — and said those programs and federal Head Start funding form the foundation for local expansions. “Our preschool promise program provides high quality preschool to families living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level,” Chatterjee told the committee.

Multnomah County official Brooke Chilton Timmons said voters approved Preschool for All in November 2020 with 64 percent support and the initiative is designed to grow to provide universal, publicly funded preschool to 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds in the county by 2030. “Preschool for All connects 3 and 4 year olds in Multnomah County to free, culturally responsive, inclusive preschool,” Chilton Timmons said.

Key figures presented to…