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Department of Early Learning and Care

Every Child Belongs Program

Early childhood programs have a lasting positive effect on the lives of infants, young children, and families. However, recent research shows a troubling trend of young children being suspended or expelled from early childhood care settings with a disparate impact on Black children and children with disabilities. These expulsions harm children and families, causing long lasting negative outcomes.

child playing in sandbox

DELC is currently in the process of standing up the Every Child Belongs program (previously known as the Early Childhood Suspension and Prevention Program). The goal of the program is to increase supports and inclusivity and to reduce the use of suspension and expulsion in early learning and care programs and to reduce disparities. During the 2021 session, the Oregon legislature passed: HB 2166 and SB 236, addressing suspension and expulsion of young children in early care and education programs. This new service aligns with a new law effective July 2026 that prohibits suspensions and expulsions in early learning settings. 

Regional Service Providers Grantees

Applicants will work closely with DELC to:
  • Build collaborative partnerships with regional providers;
  • Develop and implement culturally responsive, equity-centered Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation;
  • Respond to support requests from early learning and care providers; and
  • Fulfill additional requirements in line with the goal of preventing and reducing disparities in the use of suspension and expulsion

The Central Entity provides content expertise and centralized coordination to support the development of Regional Service Providers as they prepare to offer Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation services.

Region
Regional Service Provider
Central Oregon (Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson Counties)
NeighborImpact
Clackamas County
Clackamas ESD
Eastern Oregon (Baker, Malheur, and Wallowa Counties)
Early Learning Department of Malheur ESD
Lane County
Early Childhood Hub of Lane County, in partnership with 
Quality Care Connections (CCR&R) Oregon Community Programs
Linn, Benton, Lincoln Counties
Family Connections CCR&R
Marion, Polk, Yamhill Counties
Willamette ESD
Multnomah County
Black Parent Initiative and the Center for African Immigrant & Refugee Organization (CAIRO)
North Coast (Tillamook, Clatsop, Columbia Counties)

North Coast CCR&R
South Central (Douglas, Klamath and Lake Counties)

Douglas ESD
South Coast (Coos and Curry Counties)
South Coast Regional Early Learning Hub
Southern Oregon (Jackson and Josephine Counties)
Family Nurturing Center
The Gorge (Gilliam, Hood River, Sherman, Wasco, and Wheeler Counties)

Four Rivers Early Learning Hub
Washington County

Community Action Organization
Central Entity
Oregon Infant Mental Health Association (ORIMHA) | www.orimha.org

Research On Early Childhood Suspension And Expulsion

According to recent research data, young children in early childhood settings are being expelled or suspended at a high rate, and children of color and children with disabilities are disproportionately affected. The high rate of suspension and expulsion harms children and families, causing negative outcomes in children’s development, health, and education.

A 2005 study of state-funded programs, “Prekindergarteners left behind: Expulsion rates in state prekindergarten program ,” revealed that the rate of preschool expulsion was more than three times greater than the national rate of expulsion for students in kindergarten through grade 12.

More recently, the United States Department of Education released the results of its Civil Rights Data Collection. The results on preschool data reveals that “6,743 children who were enrolled in public pre-K received one or more out-of-school suspensions in the 2013-14 school year.” Data also shows that black and African American preschool children are 3.6 times more likely to be suspended than white children.

In Fall of 2020, the Oregon Early Learning Division (ELD) contracted with Portland State University’s Center for the Improvement of Child and Family Services and OSLC Developments, Inc. to conduct a statewide survey and listening sessions with families . The survey asked families to indicate if they had ever been told that their child “might need to ‘take a break’ or leave care, either permanently or temporarily”. More than 6% of all children were asked to leave care. When asked why the child was asked to leave, thirty-five percent of parents indicated the reason was that the provider could not handle the child’s behavior towards other children or adults.

The root causes of suspension and expulsion are complex and varied. As a result, this program must include solutions that reflect and respond to the complex and varied issues.

Infant And Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Model

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC), will be one component of the Suspension and Expulsion Prevention Program. IECMHC is considered a promising practice for reducing rates of preschool suspension and expulsion.

In January 2022, Portland State University’s Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services School of Social Work published a report to provide guidance for the program, “ Centering Racial Equity: Design Considerations for Oregon’s Statewide Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Program .” This report was made possible by the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) grant program awarded to the Early Learning Division.

The Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) is a prevention-based approach to working with early care and education (ECE) programs in support of young children’s social and emotional development.

Consultation Approach

The overall approach is focused on:

  • meeting the social-emotional needs of children
  • supporting the knowledge, skills, and capacity of ECE providers
  • early childhood suspension and expulsion prevention

The approach begins with ECE providers and/or parents contacting a centralized resource line, or “warmline” for support. The warmline connects the ECE provider with local consultants. The consultation will be structured to individualize support based on needs of the children, ECE programs, and cultures within the community. Through regular coaching with consultants, ECE providers will gain a greater understanding of children’s behavior and social-emotional development within the context of family, community, and culture.

To support an anti-racist, equity-focused IECMHC system, the consultants will:

  • receive comprehensive onboarding, reflective supervision, and ongoing training
  • reflect cultures, histories and contexts of the communities they serve
  • actively and intentionally address implicit and explicit bias
  • participate in shared professional development to strengthen anti-racist practices
  • build authentic, trusting relationships with staff, families, and children

For more information about IECMHC , visit https://www.iecmhc.org/.

young boy playing with legos  

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Every Child Belongs (ECB) Program?
1

The ​Every Child Belongs program (previously known as the Early Childhood Suspension and Expulsion Prevention Program), set to launch in July 2025, will support Oregon early learning and care providers in building inclusive and positive learning environments for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old. The program will connect early learning and care providers with local coaches and consultants who provide guidance on healthy interventions and offer training and professional development to reduce suspensions and expulsions, especially among children of color and those with disabilities.  It will also support early learning and care providers as they align with a new law effective July 2026 that prohibits suspensions and expulsions in most early learning settings. ​​

Why is this program necessary?
2

This program aims to create a fair, inclusive early learning system. Research indicates a rise in suspensions and expulsions in early childhood settings, disproportionately impacting Black children and children with disabilities. These practices can have lasting negative effects. The program aims to address these disparities, in partnership with early learning and care programs, to promote an equitable, fair, and inclusive early learning system. ​

What are the key components of the program?
3

The program aims to reduce suspensions and expulsions, particularly for children of color and children with disabilities, by providing additional supports for early learning and care providers including training, professional development, access to local coaches and mental health consultants. This program will be provided through a system of support that is coordinated in local regions.  The program also supports alignment with a new law effective July 1, 2026, that prohibits suspensions and expulsions in early learning settings. Additionally, resources for early learning and care providers encompass trauma-informed approaches, support for children’s social/emotional growth and well-being, racial identity development, inclusion, and antibias practices.  ​

When will the program officially start?
4

The program is set to launch in July 2025. However, preparations, including the development of resources and training materials are already underway. Please visit this page to stay up-to-date. ​

What are the new laws related to early childhood suspension and expulsion?
5
The intent of this new law is to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn and grow in an inclusive and positive learning environment. Communities have asked that the disparate impact on children of color and children with disabilities be addressed. Oregon’s HB 2166 and SB 236​ do that. The new law is effective July 1, 2026. It will prohibit suspensions and expulsions in licensed child care and DELC-funded early learning program settings. The program aligns with these laws by working to provide early educators with tools and supports that avoid such practices and support an inclusive learning environment.

How will the new law be enforced?
6

The goal is to focus on supporting early learning and care providers by providing training, professional development, coordinated support and mental health consultation. DELC has proposed that the Child Care Licensing Division (CCLD) enforces the prohibition on suspension and expulsion activities similarly to how all other child care licensing rules are enforced. A rule prohibiting suspension and expulsion in child care licensing rules would not fall into CCLD’s definition of a “serious violation,” and therefore violations would be considered “non-serious.” This means that CCLD is proposing that it will first address violations of the prohibition on suspension and expulsion activities through technical assistance, which would mean ensuring CCLD will connect providers to the resources available to prevent suspension and expulsion first, and provide education to providers about the new supports. Repeated violations of non-serious rules could result in non-compliance letters, civil penalties or other legal action.  ​

How are you going to address the mental health provider shortage? How will that impact access to a mental health consultation?
7

DELC is working with the Oregon Infant Mental Health Association (ORIMHA) and higher education partners to build opportunities for workforce development that creates better onboarding and professional development for mental health consultation roles.  Our goal is to build a coordinated system of support to leverage any and all resources available. Early learning and care providers and/or parents will be able to contact a centralized resource line, or “warmline,” for support. This connects them with local consultants who provide individualized support based on the needs of the children, early learning programs, and local cultures. ​

How can I get support in my area? How fast will I get the help I need?
8

DELC is developing a warmline, which will be simple way for educators to request support when needed. When the warmline is available, an educator or early learning program will submit a request online. Next, the educator or program will receive a call back to learn more about the situation, and then regional partners will work together to assign a technical assistance (TA) provider or a mental health consultant. The TA provider or consultant will contact the educator and provide ongoing, onsite support services to address the situation. We understand that the situation may be urgent and requires an urgent response. It is anticipated that the turnaround time from request to first contact will be 1-2 business days. ​

If a provider receives support from the warmline, will they be able to get help again?
9

Yes. Educators will be able to submit a request for support when needed.  Each request will be reviewed to determine which supports best match the educator’s needs. ​

Which programs will the prohibition apply to? Are there any exceptions?
10

Our goal is to prevent any child from being suspended or expelled regardless of where they receive care. Any early childhood care and education program that receives state public funds from DELC, or a program certified under ORS 329A.280, or registered under ORS 329A.330 is prohibited from suspending or expelling any child. Programs that are license-exempt will still be subject to the new law if they receive DELC funding. This restriction also applies to school districts and prekindergarten programs that operate with funding provided by DELC.  ​

Have the rules for the program been finalized?
11
On September 28, 2022, the Early Learning Council adopted the administrative rules​ to begin implementation of the Every Child Belongs program. However, DELC will continue to seek input from people, communities, and organizations impacted by these rules before proposing additional requirements regarding accessing the program. 

Will there be trainings on how to help children with high needs?
12

The goal of the program is to provide early educators and programs with the resources they need to be able to support the children they care for. DELC and its partners will be creating access to new training on supporting children during challenging situations. To learn about trainings that are currently available, contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral​, check the trainings available through the Oregon Registry, and keep an eye out for community-based trainings on the Pyramid Model, trauma-informed practices, and more.  In addition to training, the program will increase access to onsite supports provided by coaches, inclusion specialists, and consultants designed to provide educators/programs with new skills and knowledge in supporting children with high needs. ​

What are ways to encourage parents to accept help and seek support?
13

A provider may request support without naming the child. After the request is received, someone will work with you to identify strategies to gain parental consent and/or will explore with you what support options are available.  Regional Service Providers can help you identify the best ways to communicate with families about the benefits of seeking support if needed. ​

What are the impacts when young children and infants are expelled or asked to leave their child care or early learning setting? Is this happening in Oregon?
14
According to a recent Oregon survey, the rate of children being asked to leave care across all families in Oregon has been increasing since 2019 with a disparate impact on children of color and children with disabilities. When young children are expelled, they are more likely to experience harmful effects on their development, education, and health, and can begin to view themselves negatively.

What will happen if a new child comes to an early learning program and the educator/early learning program doesn't think they can support the child?
15

The intent of the program is to provide support to educators in order to support children. ​Submit a warmline request even if the child has not yet started if there is reason to believe the program will need support right from the beginning. ​ ​

Where can I find more information or updates about the program? If I have questions not outlined, who should I contact?
16

Additional FAQs will be added to this website. If you have an urgent question please contact Katrina Miller, Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist: 971-719-6981 and Katrina.Miller​@delc.oregon.gov​.

*The official Oregon Administrative Rules have not yet been written. DELC's intent is for the ECB program to provide support for early learning programs and increase supports to decrease disparities.  Additional information will continue to be added as it becomes available.

Resources

  1. Centering Racial Equity: Design Considerations for Oregon’s Statewide Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Program , January 2022 | Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services, Portland State University
  2. Oregon 2020 Preschool Development Grant Statewide Needs Assessment: Family Reports , Winter 2020 | Center for the Improvement of Child and Family Services at Portland State University and OSLC Developments, Inc.
  3. IECMHC | The Center of Excellence for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (CoE for IECMHC)
  4. Suspension and Expulsion in Early Childhood | National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI)
  5. Preventing Suspensions and Expulsions in Early Childhood Settings | SRI Education
  6. Timeline of Research, Commentary, and Policy Regarding Preschool Expulsions and Suspensions | The Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy
  7. Preschool Suspensions: This is What We Know, March 2018 | National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI)
  8. Information and Resources to Assist States in Developing Policy on Early Childhood Suspension and Expulsion , May 2017 | Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes
  9. Who Is Being Expelled from Preschools, and Why?, March 2017 | Zero to Three
  10. Spotlighting Progress in Policy and Supports, November 2016 | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  11. Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) for the 2013-14 School Year, June 2016 | U.S. Department of Education
  12. Reducing Suspension and Expulsion Practices in Early Childhood Settings , December 2014 | Office of Early Childhood Development
  13. Implementing Policies to Reduce the Likelihood of Preschool Expulsion , January 2008 | Foundation for Child Development
  14. Prekindergarteners Left Behind, May 2005 | Foundation for Child Development
  15. What About the Other Kids In the Room, February 1, 2023 | by Alex Shevrin Venet for UnconditionalLearning.org