Oregon Begins Universal Preschool Plan as Parents Face Long Waitlists and High Childcare Costs

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek convened the Early Childhood Care and Learning System Roundtable yesterday, consisting of state and national early learning experts, to devise a blueprint to give every family access to affordable, high-quality childcare and preschool services.

According to Kotek, the ultimate goal is to ensure access to preschool for all Oregon children.

Children who receive high-quality early childhood education are more likely to earn better wages, live healthier lives, avoid the criminal justice system, raise strong families, and contribute to society, states the First Five Years Fund.

The national nonprofit organization says economies pay the price when access to affordable, high-quality early-life care and education is unavailable.

Oregon Economy Loses $1.4 Billion Annually to Lack of Quality Childcare and Preschool Services

The Five Years Fund projects an annual loss of $1.4 billion to the Oregon economy due to existing childcare challenges. It says that they often face the impossible choice of missing work or staying at home and caring for their children.

Even though Oregon has made progress over the past decade in expanding access to quality preschool education, Kotek says too many families still struggle to find and afford high-quality childcare and preschool.

The Roundtable will be investigating how to:

• Improve current childcare and preschool programs.
• Expand access and improve affordability of childcare services statewide.
• Achieve universal preschool access for 3 to 4-year-olds across all 36 Oregon counties.

The Roundtable is chaired by Kali Thorne Ladd, CEO of the Children’s Institute, and Sara Mickelson, a national expert in early childhood systems.

Ladd states that access to quality early learning has an enormous impact on the state’s economic prosperity.

“It is essential for our children to thrive in school and in life.”

Sara Mickelson recently served as Deputy Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Early Childhood Education & Care Department, managing an annual budget of over $700 million and leading teams responsible for New Mexico’s Pre-K expansion.

“Scaling an early learning system that truly works for every family, regardless of where they live in the state, is a critical undertaking,” says Mickelson.

Governor’s Education Improvement Actions Realized an 82% Graduation Success Rate in 2025

The launch of the Early Childhood Care and Learning System Roundtable is one of several education initiatives by the governor. Her efforts have contributed to the milestone 82% high school graduation rate achieved last year.

Federal labor data shows that the median pay of Oregon childcare workers is $17.48 an hour. This could indicate that the biggest barrier to creating more preschool and childcare jobs may therefore be recruitment and staff retention.

Here is how Oregon pay looks across early education roles tied to staffing.

According to Amy Luhn of the Oregon State University Family Resource Center, the lack of available qualified early educators  is resulting in centers operating below capacity, with 18-month waiting lists at some centers.