DELC outlines workforce plan: training, higher-education pathways, substitutes and statewide mental-health consultation

SALEM, Ore. — On March 5 the Department of Early Learning and Care presented lawmakers with data on Oregon’s early‑childhood workforce and a menu of programs intended to strengthen recruitment, education, retention and program quality.

John Reeves, DELC’s professional learning system director, told the Joint Committee on Ways and Means subcommittee on Education that the regulated early‑learning workforce is “extremely under compensated” and that state‑funded programs that include public dollars raise average wages for participants.

Why the workforce matters

Reeves said nearly 24,000 people work in regulated child‑care centers and family child‑care settings across Oregon. He said early‑education staff typically earn between $16 and $23 per hour in the general workforce, with an average annual salary of about $35,000 — roughly 55 percent of the average Oregon salary for other sectors. The agency reported turnover of about 23 percent between 2021 and 2022, and Reeves cited a 2024 talent assessment and national research linking low pay to workforce exits.

Mental‑health and working conditions

DELC described elevated anxiety and depression screening…