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The mission of the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) is to foster coordinated, culturally appropriate and family-centered services that recognize and respect the needs of all children, families and early learning and care professionals. Our vision is that children, families, early care and education professionals and communities are supported and empowered to thrive.

House Bill 3073: Creating the New Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC)

In 2021, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 3073, which provided for the next evolution in early learning and child care in our state.

House Bill 3073 established a new early learning agency – called the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) – that consolidated all child care programs and early care and education programs in one place beginning January 1, 2023.

As part of this consolidation, the Employment Related Day Care program (ERDC) moved to the new agency. ERDC is a child care subsidy program originally housed in the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) that exists to help parents maintain stable employment on their path to self-sufficiency and to help children access high-quality child care. Both of which increase a child’s likelihood of success in school and beyond.

DELC was created to provide a more responsive child care and early learning system that can address the needs of children, families and providers, particularly our most vulnerable families.

As a single agency, DELC allows Oregon to better support funding and expansion opportunities, grow the supply of child care, and ensure equitable child care access in support of families, children, and providers.

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Equity Commitment

We take full responsibility to build supports and center the needs of employees, early learning providers, and families in diverse racial and ethnic communities, while working toward improved results for children from birth to five years including those in rural and urban Oregon. DELC expects its workforce, partners, and community collaborators to embrace the same values, demonstrate the same commitment, and produce results toward eliminating disparities and improving outcomes for all children and families in Oregon.

At DELC, we are committed to dismantling the systems of oppression that harm and create disparities for communities who are historically and institutionally excluded. We are adopting anti-racist principles, expanding access to services, and ensuring community representation and shared power in agency efforts. We are fostering a culturally responsive environment in which all individuals can experience a sense of belonging as they access programs, services, and resources.

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The Director and the Executive Team

Alyssa Chatterjee is Oregon’s first Department of Early Learning and Care director. She has focused on early learning policy throughout her time working for the State of Oregon beginning in 2012. Prior to her appointment as the Early Learning System Director in 2021, Alyssa served as Governor Kate Brown’s deputy education policy advisor. In addition to advising on early learning policy, Alyssa supported the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet, served as co-convener of the Governor’s Racial Justice Council, and continues to support the work of the Council’s Education Recovery Committee.

Alyssa was among the first employees at the Early Learning Division (ELD), when it was formally created. She served in a variety of roles at ELD engaged in policy and planning, including as a policy advisor and legislative coordinator for the agency. As a member of ELD’s executive team, she helped guide the state’s early learning strategic planning process for the five-year statewide early learning system plan, Raise Up Oregon. She is excited to support the continued evolution of early learning in Oregon.

Alyssa Chatterjee
Agency Director

Executive Team

Cooper Brown
Deputy Director of Operations

Joel Metlen
Deputy Director of Programs

Paulina Whitehat
Tribal Affairs Director

Kate Gonsalves
Communications Director

Koffi Dessou
Social Equity Director

Heather Thomas
Human Resources Director

Alicia Gardiner
Child Care Licensing Division Director

VACANT | Director of
Policy and Government Affairs

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Agency Strategic Plan

Below are PDF versions of the DELC 2024 - 2029 Strategic Plan: Growing Oregon Together and the associated DELC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 2023 - 2026 Action Plan.

Strategic Plan: Growing Oregon Together

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan

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