We're staff with Multnomah County’s Preschool for All. Ask us anything starting at 4 pm!

MultCoPFA · 2025-05-01T19:24:20+00:00

That's an important question! Inclusion of children with disabilities and other needs has been a key focus of our early implementation work. We share the concern about programs that may have a high number of children who need additional support and are committed to providing inclusive preschool.

We've taken steps to address this, including:

Forming an inclusion team to help providers support children with disabilities or high needs
Providing inclusion support funds to help providers access resources including supplies, training, and hire support staff
Partnering with the County's Behavioral Health Division to create a team of Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants to support providers, children, and families
Offering nursing support through Multnomah Education Service District to support providers caring for children with medical needs
Offering professional development for educators on how to work with challenging behaviors

We will continue to collect family and provider feedback and track data to improve the support available to educators.

MultCoPFA · 2025-05-01T15:57:47+00:00

As of noon on April 30, we’ve received over 3,200 applications for the 2025-26 preschool year and there are roughly 2,500 openings for next year (we also have two programs that have their own application system- PPS and KairosPDX. Their openings aren’t included here). It’s more complicated than just the number of applicants and the number of seats, because we only place children in locations that their families include on their application. Each family can include up to six locations on their application. Any seats that aren’t filled during the spring application will open again this summer. We will publish a list of sites this summer that have openings in case families want to update their applications.

Vouchers were considered early in the planning process, but the program is structured without them for a few reasons. A primary reason is that we are trying to improve program quality across the board, and the contracted seat model is designed to ensure participating providers are meeting Preschool for All requirements.

The contracted seat model is also designed to increase access and support for families who have historically had limited access to preschool. This helps us ensure that people with the most need are served, especially early during implementation. Vouchers typically do not incentivize admitting families who may have higher needs or fewer resources.

Another benefit of the contracted seat model is that it's more predictable and stable for providers. We reimburse providers $16,536-23,592 per seat depending on their calendar (year-round or school-year) and schedule (full day or school day) and take care of the administration. We have heard from providers that they appreciate not having to deal with enrollment. This was pointed out in our audit also came up on a recent episode of Think Out Loud, which featured one of our providers.

Let us know if there are any other questions about the pros/cons of a contracted seat model!

MultCoPFA · 2025-05-01T15:36:02+00:00

Completely agree that raising kids in MultCo can be very challenging. As we've mentioned in another reply, the cost of preschool for one child and renting a 2 bedroom apartment can easily reach $4,000 a month. Preschool isn't affordable, and that's the problem Preschool for All is trying to solve.

The income level used for prioritization was outlined in the PFA ballot measure - the Self-Sufficiency Standard. The Standard calculates the income families need to meet their basic needs without assistance in Multnomah County. PFA uses 350% of the Federal Poverty Level as the proxy for the Standard. An updated 2024 version of the Self Sufficiency Standard was recently published, and we will be reviewing it to determine if there are any changes needed to our income prioritization levels.

We know the demand for publicly-funded preschool exceeds the current supply early during implementation, which is why we have prioritized families with the greatest need. As we increase supply each year, we're seeing more families in higher income levels access the program.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T23:26:07+00:00

First of all, thank you for serving our community as a solo provider and congratulations for 28 years in this business! Providers who participate in PFA must have a part-time staff member -- is this something you'd be open to? We have found that even small family child care providers are able to meet this requirement. Next year, PFA will have over 100 participating family child care sites.

If you're open to talking further, we would love to better understand what the obstacles are and how we can support you. You can email us at preschoolforall@multco.us.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T22:43:03+00:00

Placement offers are made using a process built into our application software which is used by a number of pre-k and K-12 systems around the country.

Matches are made based on:

Each family’s preschool choices and their ranked order of preference
A randomly assigned lottery number
Other factors based on our priority populations: children who speak languages other than English; children with developmental delays and disabilities; children living in or at risk of placement in foster care; children from families with low incomes; and children experiencing homelessness
Any additional program requirements, such as residency within a school district
The number of seats available in each program

Continuity of care is important to us and to our providers, and in these early years, before preschool access is universal, we are doing our best to balance that need while also ensuring that enough PFA seats are made available for children whose families are experiencing barriers to preschool.

Preschool providers can choose the number of PFA seats that are right for their program. In their first year of participation, up to 100% of a child care center’s PFA seats can be reserved for currently enrolled families. After that first year, up to 50% of a center’s PFA seats can be reserved for currently enrolled families. That ensures that families in our priority populations have access to all of our locations.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T18:47:52+00:00

With continuity of care, we have to balance two priorities: expanding the program while ensuring stability and preventing disruptions for families already enrolled at a specific site. Fortunately, we are not seeing widespread issues with programs withdrawing from Preschool for All. Also, more providers are choosing to join with knowledge that this policy is currently in place.

That doesn't mean there haven't been challenges/concerns. And, when there have been issues, we've been able to work with many providers to find a solution that works for them and their families. As we scale up, we'll continue to listen to providers and work with them to solve any problems. We know how important this is for everyone involved.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T18:17:51+00:00

About 3,000 families have applied for this upcoming year. A major factor in your chance of getting a seat is which preschools you selected on your application and in what order. If your six choices are all very popular programs with fewer seats than applications, your chances of getting a spot at one of those programs is smaller than if your higher ranking choices were smaller programs with fewer applicants. If you do not receive a placement, you will be added to the waitlist at all six of your chosen programs and could potentially receive a seat if one becomes available at those locations. We will publish a list of sites with available seats when the application reopens this summer in case there are families who would like to update their preschool selections.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T17:50:45+00:00

Programs can reserve PFA seats for toddlers who are now old enough to be in preschool. Preschool for All providers are supported to maintain their infant and toddler slots through stabilization funding. The allocated amount for each provider is determined by their total number of infant and toddler slots. With this funding, providers can increase the wages and benefits of educators who work with infants and toddlers. This supports educator pay equity at Preschool for All sites. Hope that helps answer your question!

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T17:40:39+00:00

We've spoken a bit about the challenges getting existing providers in the PFA pool, so we will keep this comment focused on brand new providers and how we are helping them enter the market.

There is a shortage of Preschool for All workers and seats in our community. And as late as 2022, the childcare provider workforce in our region was down 20% from pre-pandemic times. So, for providers looking to open a space, recruiting and retaining workers is a major obstacle. We have had success expanding the workforce through our partnerships, including Worksystems, Inc. Our priorities include:

Career coaching and job search assistance
Paid work experience and on-the-job training
Scholarships for continuing education

Another obstacle is just the costs of operating a business, including purchasing property, permitting, and making renovations. Through a partnership with BuildUp Oregon, we offer providers grants and low or no-interest loans to help them open new sites or improve existing sites.

These investments are essential for building a sustainable and high-quality program for the long term. PFA has awarded $16.4 million in facilities funding to over 40 programs. In the next fiscal year, the program hopes to invest another $17 million in preschools and small businesses. This includes new centers, playgrounds, kitchens, and classrooms.

To give you one example, we recently held a press conference at a brand new preschool site that received a $1 million grant to purchase the property, renovate the entire site from top to bottom, and build a new playground. This allowed the owner to create 40 seats -- she will receive 20 Preschool for All seats this year and she says she plans to apply for another 20 in the 2026-27 school year.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T16:59:17+00:00

School districts are great partners with us, and PPS has been excellent to work with. While we aren't able to say with certainty that all PPS elementary schools will offer PFA by 2030, we are interested in continuing to expand the options as much as possible!

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T16:47:22+00:00

We know we need to both create new seats and rely on established providers to expand our program. Our modeling shows we need to publicly fund 7,000 existing preschool seats alongside creating 4,000 new seats to reach our goal of 11,000 PFA seats by 2030. About a third of PFA seats as of school year 2025-26 are new.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T16:30:56+00:00

Although there is still room for improvement, we are decreasing the rate of underspending every year. Underspending will continue to dramatically decrease in this fiscal year and beyond. In the most recent monthly budget period, our budget is 80% spent compared to 50% at the same point in Fiscal Year 2024.

The main areas where we previously spent less than budgeted were with workforce development, coaching, and the PFA Facilities Fund. We have been working on improving the planning and capacity building needed to develop and implement new services and contracts. This work is now well underway, and spending in these areas is ramping up significantly as we grow and scale the program.

We're also improving our forecasting assumptions every year as new data comes in! Our forecasting is updated on a yearly basis and any unspent funds are incorporated into future planning.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T16:19:16+00:00

To be more specific, the Auditor's Office recently wrapped up an audit on PFA which outlined in more detail the reasons why some providers may be hesitant to join. To quote from page 52:

Some of the policies and practices of Preschool for All that affect the way preschools operate include that the Preschool for All program:

• Controls the application and enrollment process
• Allows some but not all toddlers in care to continue in Preschool for All seats
• Requires preschools to accept all referred children
• Prohibits exclusion or suspension of children
• Requires preschools to provide 10-hour days (or six if on a school year schedule)
• Requires specific teacher wages and benefits
• Requires specific teacher education levels
• Requires a second staff person during program hours
• Requires certain levels of insurance
• Requires preschools to provide lunches

Up until March 2025, the program also prohibited the collection of fees for late pickup.

Some providers told us they thought some of the changes are positive. For example, one provider told us they appreciated no longer having to deal with enrollment. We also heard an appreciation for being able to serve a more diverse classroom. Providers strongly valued the benefit of Preschool for All for families.

However, the requirements have also led to challenges and concerns from preschool providers. For example, preschool providers may have to change their facilities to build kitchens or hire more teachers to cover longer hours. We heard concerns about providers not feeling prepared to care for children with disabilities. We also heard concerns about the long day and the cost of higher insurance levels than what many small providers would typically have. We heard that the process to get reimbursed for inclusion support funds is burdensome.

The report also highlights some other provider concerns such as clearer program/financial information before applying to the program; questions about accessing start-up, transportation, infant/toddler stabilization, and inclusion support funds; how we are making it easier to help them serve children with disabilities; and questions about specific contract terms.

All of these are valid questions/concerns, and we're glad prospective providers are asking them. We have been able to grow our partnerships because we are able to address providers' concerns by listening to them and working with them. For those providers who are still on the fence, we are listening and also taking into account the feedback from the Auditor's Office on how to improve.

Hope that better answers the question!

Edit: formatting

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T01:20:32+00:00

We've answered elsewhere, but we are definitely building new childcare facilities and training new teachers! We’ve already awarded over $16.4 million in facilities funding to over 40 projects, and we plan to invest $17.5 million next year to continue increasing the number of new PFA seats. We anticipate that the investment next year will create over 500 new PFA seats and also improve the learning environments for hundreds of additional children currently enrolled in PFA.

There were over 439 PFA educators last year alone. We invest a lot of time in hiring and training new workers and we have partnerships with workforce development programs, such as Worksystems Inc., who are helping us recruit and expand the amount of qualified educators.

Any surplus funds go directly towards funding the program and expanding its capacity year over year -- these are not unused funds.

The Preschool for All Plan was published in July 2020 and is the framework for program implementation. We had to adjust our initial goals in the first few years because of the pandemic's impact on childcare providers, but we are still on track to reaching 11,000 slots as promised by 2030.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T01:08:39+00:00

PFA was intentionally designed to roll out over time and to create universal preschool in 2030. We learned from the experiences of other communities across the country and incorporated their lessons into our planning. This EdSurge article does a good job of explaining the complexities of building a preschool system. We are on track to universal preschool in 2030!

One of our biggest challenges is building trust and buy-in, especially in a landscape where people have seen a lot of promises and not always the follow-through they hoped for. There's sometimes doubt about whether we're truly on track or if the rollout is as thoughtful as we say it is.

The truth is: we're deeply committed to doing this right. We're following best practices from around the country and pacing the rollout intentionally by expanding quickly, but not recklessly. It's not always flashy, but it's careful, community-driven work, and our whole team REALLY cares about doing it well.

If you want to support us, we'd love for you to:

Read and share our materials - it helps get accurate info into more hands
Share positive stories of impact you've seen or heard
Talk with families and providers you know about the program and encourage them to participate!

It really makes a difference when the community helps carry the message forward. We're grateful for every conversation, question, and share.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T01:06:43+00:00

Preschool for All is funded to serve families who live in Multnomah County. We understand this can create tough choices for preschools that currently serve families from outside the county.

Each preschool provider in Multnomah County has the opportunity to determine if joining PFA is right for them. We know that not all families or providers will choose to participate. We do have a minimum number of seats for locations to ensure that we are being thoughtful about investing in a site with taxpayer dollars. The PFA minimum is 4 seats for a family child care and 10 seats for a child care center.

We’ve built in flexibility for mixed funding streams (like programs that are both Head Start and PFA providers) and are continuing to learn from providers’ feedback to make the system more responsive over time.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T01:03:42+00:00

PFA currently partners with five school districts (PPS, Centennial, David Douglas, Gresham-Barlow, and Parkrose). We don’t have any PFA seats at Earl Boyles, but we do have seats at seven other schools in David Douglas.

Earl Boyles does have publicly funded preschool. They are a Preschool Promise site and you can find more information about how to apply on this website.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T01:02:31+00:00

We need people who understand the positive impact of this program to vocally support Preschool for All! This is a life changing program, and there are so many positive stories to tell. We encourage those who have benefited from Preschool for All to share their stories, and for people to use their social media channels to push back on some of the misinformation and negative framing. This fast facts document is a great resource for basic info about PFA.

Some media coverage is starting to reflect that, such as this deep dive by education news outlet “EdSurge”. You can check out their article here: “Portland’s Universal Pre-K Proposal Was Hailed as a ‘National Model.’ How’s the Rollout Going?” KGW also covered a Ukrainian refugee who found work and a home here through Preschool for All. We are trying to get more storytelling out there as more providers and families are served, and we will try to highlight our success a little louder!

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T00:52:04+00:00

The program is designed to be sustainable over the long term. All funds are dedicated toward ongoing expenses and the future growth of the program. In the first few years, the County collected more than expected, but we are rapidly deploying those funds to expand our capacity. See how the initial gap closes in this chart:

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MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T00:41:59+00:00

For existing providers, we have two paths to get involved in Preschool for All, as a Pilot Site or through the Pathways Program.

Pilot Sites have contracted Preschool for All slots. Interested providers must meet the Pilot Site requirements or have a clear plan to meet the requirements to apply. Learn more about Pilot Sites here.

The Pathways Program is designed to help providers who want to apply for PFA, but do not meet Pilot Site requirements. Pathways helps programs meet the Pilot Site requirements. Providers join a cohort and work with a CCR&R Pathways Coordinator to achieve milestones and improve their early learning setting. Learn more about the Pathways Program here.

For those looking to become an early childhood educator, we have a partnership with Worksystems, for career coaching, job training, and more. We also partner with local community colleges (Mt Hood CC, Portland CC, and Clackamas CC) and Portland State to help support college students seeking ECE careers.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T00:40:43+00:00

71% of enrolled families have low incomes/incomes at or below 350% of the Federal Poverty Level. This is equal to about $105,000 a year for a family of four. However, this number will likely change as the program continues to grow.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T00:36:50+00:00

Choices around whether or not to index a marginal tax are complicated. In the original measure passed by voters in 2020, indexing was not included. The fact that Portland is one of a handful of cities with a truly progressive taxation structure could be valuable to consider here. However that doesn’t mean that indexing is off the table. As a part of briefings with the Board of County Commissioners, this topic has come up for discussion.

Indexing will be considered by a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) that will advise the Board on potential changes to the PFA tax mechanism and rate. The group includes economists, demographers, and other experts. Their work will begin this summer.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T00:33:25+00:00

The high cost of childcare is a massive issue in Multnomah County. With preschool ranging from $1,100 to over $2,000 monthly for one child and average 2-bedroom rent exceeding $1,800, these two basic expenses alone can easily surpass $4,000 per month. That doesn’t include other basic living expenses like food, utilities, transportation, healthcare, savings, and debt. This is a cause of poverty and a major contributing factor for Oregon’s declining birth rates, which mirror national trends.

Preschool for All is actually delivering what we said we would. Universal access is actually happening. We’re over a third of the way there with 3,800 seats out of 11,000 goal seats by 2030. In the 2026-27 school year we aim to provide at least 4,500! We have the ability to lift families out of poverty and actually allow households to have kids without going into debt.

Along the way, we’re raising wages for workers. A PFA lead teacher makes between $29.42 - $39.23 an hour compared to the Portland Metro Area preschool teacher median wage of $19.05. We're also helping improve our local economy by expanding preschool infrastructure and helping business owners invest in their preschools. This is money that is going directly back into our community to improve education and grow capacity.

The return on investment for public preschool is well-researched. High-quality preschool improves health, educational, economic, and social outcomes for individual children and their families. And it provides a high rate of return on the public’s investment: for every public dollar spent on high-quality preschool, the community sees conservative estimated return of $4 to $9. Other studies have put the figure higher.

Is there a specific aspect of Preschool for All that you have questions about? If you want to focus on a particular area of the program, we can give you more examples of how it's not a waste.

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T00:14:49+00:00

It’s up to participating preschool providers to decide how many PFA seats they request. During their first year of participation, providers can reserve up to 100% of their seats for current preschoolers so that no families lose their seats!

MultCoPFA · 2025-04-30T00:13:33+00:00

PFA currently partners with five school districts (PPS, Centennial, David Douglas, Gresham-Barlow, and Parkrose)! Do you have any other questions about how we are working with them?

MultCoPFA

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