Early Childhood Systems Alignment

Improved Outcomes

Oregon is working toward improved outcomes for children and families through the transformation of its health and early learning systems. Fifteen Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) and sixteen Early Learning Hubs now serve Oregon’s children and families.

The Oregon Health Authority and the Early Learning Division of the Oregon Department of Education work closely to ensure coordination and alignment between these systems.

The Early Learning Council (ELC) and Oregon Health Policy Board (OHPB) work together to provide policy guidance for these efforts.
OHA’s Director sits on the Early Learning Council.

Community-Level Coordination

Local communities have taken great strides to ensure that health and early learning organizations are coordinated in in serving community members, including:

Membership from multiple sectors on Hub and CCO boards
Shared Hub and CCO projects and initiatives
Shared funding for staff positions, professional development, and marketing
Shared work plans and strategies for meeting shared metrics
Focused communities of practice

Agency-Level Coordination

Since 2014, OHA staff have been involved in the
following activities:

Coordination across agencies

Daily contact with Early Learning Division staff.
OHA membership on Early Learning Division teams and committees.
Collective impact work on developmental screening and other shared early childhood measures.

Coordination within OHA

Coordinate early childhood efforts throughout OHA, including the Public Health Division, Transformation Center, Health Policy & Analytics Division, and Health Systems Division.
Work closely with the Public Health Home Visiting programs to support workforce development for early childhood professionals.

Coordination between CCOs and Early Learning Hubs

Provide resources, information, and technical assistance to local collaboration efforts.
The State of Collaboration: A handbook for cross-sector partnerships between Oregon's coordinated care organizations and early learning hubs

The Raising of America is a documentary series that interweaves the latest discoveries from neuroscience with the stories of families and communities struggling to provide the nurturing environments all babies and young children need to thrive—while too often hindered by social conditions that put their children on low developmental trajectories.

Vroom

Vroom is set of tools (including a smartphone app) that empowers parents and caregivers to be brain builders. Learn more about Oregon's Vroom pilot sites and how to share Vroom in your community.
vroom