Child Care in the Siuslaw Region
Catalyzing Child Care Opportunities
Responding to needs from local businesses and organizations, Siuslaw Vision is collaborating with the City of Florence and many regional partners to increase child care capacity in our community. This effort will not only help business staffing shortages, but also allow people who have young children to be more involved in community work.
CHILD CARE WORKING GROUP
Siuslaw Vision and other community partners created a Siuslaw region child care working group. Since 2022, this group provides a productive environment for providers and partners alike to share ideas, struggles, and suggestions while also having allotted time for support and connection.
Group members include representatives from: City of Florence, Onward Eugene, Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, Quality Care Connections, Bright Beginnings Preschool, EC Cares, First Step Florence, Siuslaw Family Connection, Oregon Department of Human Services, Head Start of Lane County, licensed in-home providers, and local parent representatives. This diverse group gathered to respond to the widespread impacts of not enough child care available.
The child care working group creates a space in which providers, partners and community members are able to converse, provide resources, and brainstorm new ideas to improve the child care industry in the Siuslaw region.
SUNSHINE COMMITTEE
The Sunshine Committee is a sub-committee of the Child Care Working Group and seeks to support and appreciate all Siuslaw Region early child care providers both in home and in facilities by dropping by little bits ‘sunshine’. These sunshine drops include thank you notes, gift cards for local restaurants and grocery stores, flowers and more. The Sunshine Committee is currently funded by Siuslaw Vision.
SIUSLAW CHILDCARE FRIENDS
Siuslaw Childcare Friends (SCF) is a 501(c)(3) organization formed in January 2025 to promote and enhance child care and early learning opportunities in the Siuslaw region.
The mission statement of Siuslaw Childcare Friends is to support, sustain, and expand childcare and early learning opportunities for families of all income levels in the Siuslaw region, including Florence, Oregon. Their goal is to lift up and support working families and their children by providing safe, reliable, and affordable childcare and early learning opportunities in the greater Siuslaw region. Siuslaw Vision and the Siuslaw Child Care Working Team have provided start-up support for SCF and continue to work closely to support the center.
SCF will be the steward of the two community provider classrooms and will engage and assist the community providers who serve those classrooms. SCF will begin community outreach efforts shortly to raise awareness of its role in supporting local child care and the actions it will take.
Photo (from left to right) Kim Erickson, Camille Griswald, Sandy Craft, Tia Durant, Connie Ford, Adrian Pollut, Chelsie Reeves and her son, Rowan
Finding safe, quality care for your family
One of the most important decisions your family will ever make is choosing child care. This information is adapted from Finding Quality Child Care: A Guide for Oregon’s Families. Find a link to the full guide at siuslawvision.org/childcare.
- Understand your options – review what’s available in our region and the costs of each program.
- Visit and ask questions – Contact the providers that meet your needs and ask when you and your child can meet them and see the facility.
- Take a closer look – Consider whether the program meets your family’s needs, research Spark and the Child Safety Portal.
- Choose a program – Stay involved and communicate with your provider often.
In Oregon, child care programs include home-based providers (registered or certified), larger child care centers, and some smaller programs that are license-exempt recorded. These recorded providers are approved by the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care, meet basic safety requirements, and may accept state child care assistance.
211 / FIND CHILD CARE
Find Child Care Oregon / 211 helps families locate child care through referrals and provides resources to make informed decisions about child care needs.
CHILD CARE SAFETY PORTAL
The Child Care Safety Portal is a resource for parents and families to check on the safety and quality of licensed child care programs in Oregon. The Portal lets you search for a child care provider and view their licensing history over a period of time.
QUALITY CARE CONNECTIONS
Quality Care Connections is Lane County’s Child Care Resource and Referral Agency. Learn about child care options, quality indicators, financial assistance programs, and search tools to support your child care search. Quality Care Connections staff are available to help you navigate these resources – call us for support at: (541) 463-3300.
Child Care Working Group On KCXT
KCXT Radio interview with child care working group members Abby Harrison and Adrian Pollut, May 30, 2025:
Photos
1. Chantelle Meyer (City of Florence, Siuslaw Vision Team), Abby Harrison (Americorps RARE, Siuslaw Vision), Holly Mar-Conte (Onward Eugene) at the Child Care Community Solutions Summit
2. The Child Care Working Group in action
3. Siuslaw region child care champions Chantelle Meyer (City of Florence, Siuslaw Vision Team), Abby Harrison (Americorps RARE, Siuslaw Vision), Stephanie Sarles (Executive Director, Siuslaw Vision), Lindsey Phillips (Connections Coordinator, Siuslaw Vision) at the Child Care Working Group.
