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Oregon’s new Department of Early Learning and Care outlines programs, access gaps and outreach to connect families
Summary
Director Alyssa Chatterjee told the Education Subcommittee the Department of Early Learning and Care, created July 1, 2023, oversees preschool, infant-toddler, licensing and subsidies and is focusing on increasing access—particularly for infants and toddlers—and reducing barriers for families on subsidy wait lists.
Alyssa Chatterjee, director of the Department of Early Learning and Care, told the Oregon Legislative Education Subcommittee on Feb. 3 that DELC was created on July 1, 2023, to centralize early childhood programs and increase access to care from prenatal through kindergarten and, in some cases, school age.
Chatterjee said DELC administers preschool, Early Head Start and infant-toddler programs, provides professional learning for the early childhood workforce, runs childcare licensing and health-and-safety monitoring, and operates the state’s subsidized childcare programs, including Employment-Related Day Care (ERDC).
The department inherited programs from multiple agencies, Chatterjee said. Programs moved from the Department of Education and the Department of Human Services into DELC, while eligibility determination for ERDC remains with DHS. The Oregon Health Authority still administers most…
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