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, with the support of 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.
Sandy Craft, a Siuslaw Vision Team member, is SCF’s president; Tia Leonard-Durant is treasurer, and Camille Griswold is secretary. Other board members include Kim Erickson, Connie Ford, Adrian Pollut, and Chelsie Reeves.
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
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.
