PENDLETON — Prior to COVID-19, Oregon’s Department of Education, Early Learning Division, launched a program to enhance the state’s ability to provide parents and child care providers with additional early learning resources called the Preschool Promise Program.

Preschool Promise is a model for a publicly funded, high-quality preschool system. Preschool Promise leverages high-quality, local and culturally relevant early child care and education programs and makes them available to children living at 200% of the poverty level. By incorporating a mixed delivery approach, which recognizes that high quality early learning experiences can take place in a wide variety of settings, Preschool Promise provides opportunities for families to access and choose the preschool setting that best meets their needs. Preschool Promise is expanding statewide in Fall 2020.

For those wanting more information on the program, Preschool Promise Operating Guidelines can be found at https://www.dropbox.com/s/gm5cyblhsrejnp8/Preschool%20Promise%20Operating%20Guidelines%20.pdf?dl=0.

To apply to become a Preschool Promise provider during the 2020-2021 school year, visit the Oregon Department of Education’s website at https://ode.smapply.org/prog/preschool_promise_program_provider_application/. The deadline to apply has been extended to May 4, 2020.