May 31 deadline approaching for 2023-24 Preschool for All application
Multnomah County children who will be 3 or 4 years old on or before September 1, 2023 are eligible to apply now for the upcoming school year
Families have until Wednesday, May 31 to submit their 2023-24 Preschool for All application. Children who will be 3 or 4 years old on or before September 1, 2023 and who have at least one parent or legal guardian living in Multnomah County are eligible to apply. Families can learn more or apply at https://pfa.multco.us/.
Families can choose up to six participating preschool programs on their application, including preschool programs in schools, home-based family child care, or center-based care. Applications will remain open until May 31. Applications will open again for waitlist spots on a rolling basis in the summer.
Designed by a task force including parents, providers, policymakers, and community partners, Preschool for All leverages existing investments in publicly-funded preschool and is designed to strategically fill gaps in access, building toward universal preschool in 2030. In the upcoming school year, Preschool for All will offer more than 1,400 preschool slots, exceeding the County’s Year 2 goal by 27%.
To make this growth possible, the County is investing in necessary child care infrastructure including higher wages for early educators, coaching and professional development for child care workers, funding to stabilize infant and toddler care, investments in recruitment and retention of a skilled and diverse workforce, and support for the expansion of child care facilities across Multnomah County.
There are no income requirements for family eligibility. While capacity is limited, children who currently have the least access to high quality preschool will be prioritized. These include:
- Black, Brown, Native American Indigenous, and all Children of Color;
- Children who speak languages other than English;
- Children with developmental delays and disabilities;
- Children living in or at risk of placement in foster care
- Children from families experiencing low incomes
- Children experiencing homelessness
The County is proud of what’s been accomplished so far and is looking forward to another year of Preschool for All beginning this September.
“To have this opportunity to make preschool available to every family is a big dream. It’s a freedom dream,” said Keinya Kohlbecker, Preschool for All provider at Harmony Montessori in SE Portland.
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