Skills related to social and emotional development are the skills that best prepare children for kindergarten and learning. Thank you to our many wonderful partners in Jackson and Josephine Counties who work with children and families every day to ensure they have the support they need to thrive.
-René Brandon, Director of Southern Oregon Early Learning Services
What We Do
Our mission is to coordinate an early childhood system that is equitable, integrated, accessible, inclusive, anti-racist, and family centered so that all families with young children are supported to ensure their wellbeing and children are thriving in early childhood and beyond.
Early Learning Hubs are neutral conveners and cross-sector system aligners. We use data analysis and stakeholder input to identify gaps and opportunities. In partnership with other community leaders and members, we invest funding into strategic efforts to increase regional capacity for strategies that are working well and to launch new initiatives that will improve outcomes for families with children 0-5.
The Need
In Jackson and Josephine County:
- 22% of children experience food insecurity
- 53% of families with children birth to age 5 are at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Line for household size
- 32% of 3rd grade children are reading at grade level
- 550 children are in foster care
- Of the 19,075 children birth to age 5 in both counties, 23.5% have access to an early learning opportunity prior to Kindergarten
Who does SOELS serve?
Jackson and Josephine Counties have a regional population of 19,075 children birth to age five. The work we do is to ensure that all families, especially those in the following priority populations, who tend to experience marginalization, have timely access to the resources that they need:
- Experiencing houselessness
- Spanish home language
- Foster/Resource Families
- Child welfare involvement
- Child experiences a disability
- Teen Parents
- Navigating recovery
- Navigating mental health supports
- Living in rural community, low access to services
- Families with limited resources
- Lacking access to child care prior to kindergarten
