Clatsop County grants credited with expanding licensed childcare slots, presenter says

Eva Manderson, program coordinator for the Child Care Resource & Referral program at the Northwest Regional ESD, told the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners that local grant programs and the state Preschool Promise helped lift the county out of a child care "desert" for 3- to 5-year-olds.

Manderson said the child care desert metric—"when a county has 3 or more children for every licensed childcare slot"—comes from Oregon State University's analysis and is updated every two years. She told the board that 2022 data show a significant recovery from COVID-era declines: access for 3- to 5-year-olds rose to roughly 41 percent in 2022, and infant–toddler access recovered from the steep dip seen during the pandemic.

The county now has 35 programs listed in the Find Child Care Oregon database, Manderson said: 12 certified centers, about 10 family child care programs and multiple exempt or limited-hour programs that are not always represented in the database. She said 17 programs offer infant–toddler care, 29 offer preschool and 13 offer school-age care. "These are the programs that are making a real difference for families," Manderson said.

Manderson detailed financial support tied to local priorities: county-directed grant rounds (including ARPA funds) and later rounds have resulted in over $850,000 in awards to date, with slightly more than $200,000 targeted for infant and toddler expansion and the bulk of funds going to scholarships. She said more than 130 families have received scholarships so far. On state-subsidy connections, Manderson reported 95 families enrolled in Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) in the county, about 64 percent of whom are connected to child care programs, and there were 85 families on the ERDC wait list at the time of her presentation.

Vice Chair Banks praised the grant program’s effect on the provider network: "It has created a deeper connection between providers," she said, adding that stronger communication has helped other programs quickly absorb care when a provider shuts down unexpectedly. Commissioner Webb said the range of services is commendable and noted the high cost of care in some places: "My daughter and her husband pay $5,000 a month for childcare," he said, underscoring the urgency of affordability work.

Manderson said the program requires grantees to be listed for referral in the Find Child Care Oregon database so families and referral services (for example, 211) can find them more easily. She also said a small number of exempt family providers may not appear in state listings, so the database undercounts total local capacity.

The board thanked Manderson and the staff managing the grant program for expanding access and retention. Manderson said another grant round will open May 1 and that she will join the board soon for a provider appreciation event.

The board did not take formal action during the work session; commissioners encouraged continued outreach and monitoring of capacity by age group.