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Join Children First for Oregon to Make a Difference for Kids

Join Children First for Oregon on October 20, 2008 as we release our annual state Report Card: The Status of Children in Oregon, and share our vision to create a brighter future for every Oregon child.

The event will feature live music, local wine, fresh appetizers, inspiring speakers, and a chance to mingle with the state’s business, foundation and political leaders.

CFFO leaders will share how you can make a difference for kids in your community.

Purchase your tickets today.

We hope you’ll join us on October 20th for the 2008 Report Card Release Event: Looking to the Future.

The Rising Cost of Child Care

A new policy brief from Children First for Oregon details the rising costs of child care over the past decade, and what can be done to improve the affordability, and quality of child care across Oregon.

Affordable, quality child care is crucial to the well-being of children, the economic stability of families and the productivity of businesses from large to small.

Child care helps children succeed in school and allows parents – who represent a large portion of the workforce – to work.

Unfortunately, too many Oregon families struggle to afford child care. While recent efforts have improved access to child care in our state, further changes are needed to ensure affordable care is within reach for all Oregonians.

Need Help Paying for Child Care?

You may now be able to get help paying for child care while you work. There have been changes to the Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program. Because of the changes, you may now qualify for the program.

To find out if you can get help paying for child care while you work, contact your local DHS office.

Push for Children’s Health Care Reform Gains New Ammunition

A newly published report from The Commonwealth Fund emphasizes the need for Oregon to have a strong commitment to providing quality, affordable health care coverage to uninsured children across the state.

The report entitled: “U.S. Variations in Child Health System Performance: A State Scorecard,” ranks Oregon 43 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of how well the state performs on 13 indicators of health care access, quality, costs, equity, and the potential to lead healthy lives.

Tell Lawmakers that Providing Health Care Coverage for Children is a Priority

A healthy future for Oregon children requires us to ensure their healthy development today – today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens, parents, and community leaders.

That’s why we have a responsibility as a state to make sure that our collective resources are being used to build the strongest foundation for our kids. Ensuring that every child has access to high quality affordable health care will establish this foundation, and guarantee a strong future for us all.

How Can I Help?

5.9

The number of infants per 1,000 who die before they are one year old.

Do you know a current or former foster youth between the ages of 15 and 25?

The Oregon Foster Youth Connection (OFYC) is comprised of young people between 15-25 years of age who have personal experience in the foster care system and an interest in strengthening the policies that governed their experiences.

The mission of this group is to use first-hand experience, combined with best-practices research, to educate lawmakers, administrators and the community about the unique issues facing foster youth. Get more information.