Every Oregon family deserves access to high-quality, affordable and culturally relevant child care. Every child care provider should be paid a wage that reflects the essential work they do. But it’s not just about fairness — it just makes economic sense. Child care is the workforce behind the workforce, enabling parents to participate in the labor market and driving local economies. We urge lawmakers to act now to preserve the progress made so far and secure a brighter future for Oregon’s families, businesses and economy.
The Problem at Large
Each and every day, the child care crisis continues to make thousands of Oregonians’ lives unnecessarily difficult. Parents and caregivers are unable to afford the child care necessary to simply go to work let alone advance their careers with training and education, spend time with friends and family, or access healthcare, for example.
The current child care system in Oregon is facing significant challenges, including:
- Inadequate funding: The state only funds ERDC to serve about 12% of eligible families, leaving thousands of families on a waitlist.
- Inequitable access: Families, especially in rural areas, face barriers in finding child care due to inadequate referral services (211). 25% of families approved for ERDC are not connected to a child care provider.
- Workforce crisis: The child care industry has the largest labor gap of 12.6%, with low wages ($35,000/year) and lack of benefits (health insurance, paid sick leave) making it difficult to attract and retain workers.