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Parents and local workforce groups urge county action on preschool eligibility and homelessness supports
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Summary
Public commenters urged the Board to adopt a 'flex window' for Preschool for All eligibility so summer‑born children are not penalized by a Sept. 1 cutoff, and workforce providers asked the county to sustain funding for Summer Works and employment supports tied to homelessness response.
Multiple members of the public used the non‑agenda public‑comment period to press the board on early‑childhood policy and services that affect families and people experiencing homelessness.
Andrew Scott, who identified himself as a parent of two in Portland, asked the board to direct legal and policy staff to review a proposed code amendment to address what he called a “birth‑month penalty” in PFA eligibility tied to a Sept. 1 age cutoff. “The fix is a flex window, giving parents of summer born babies the agency to shift their 2 years of eligibility to ages 4 and 5,” Scott said, and asked the board to consider an equitable exception ordinance.
Representatives of WorkSystems — Patrick Gehring, chief program officer, and Ernesta Enguleviciute — described regionally funded workforce programs including Summer Works and the Home for Everyone economic opportunity program and urged continued county investment. Gehring said Summer Works provided paid work experiences for hundreds of young people and leveraged federal, state and local funding to support county priorities.
Ariana Chavarria Campos, a licensed clinical social worker with Cares Northwest, urged the board to reconsider proposed county funding cuts to child‑advocacy and early‑childhood mental‑health positions, saying the reductions disproportionately affect staff of color and early‑childhood mental‑health consultants.
Other commenters raised nonprofit accountability and local housing issues; Lisa Jackson (Spotted Elk) provided a multi‑page demand letter alleging compliance problems with nonprofits delivering housing and mental‑health services and urged better oversight.
The chair thanked speakers and staff said the written testimony had been distributed to commissioners. No immediate board action was taken; commissioners noted the testimony and staff said items related to Preschool for All and workforce funding would be considered through the PFA enrollment and budget processes.
