Four years of Preschool for All have given us something incredibly valuable: real experience with how thousands of Multnomah County families choose and use preschool.
These early years have also brought us close to universal preschool access in Multnomah County even earlier than expected! New population projections from Portland State University show that PFA could reach universal coverage well ahead of the original 2030 goal. And for the 2026-27 school year, PFA has more than 7,000 preschool seats available – nearly twice as many as last year.
Together, that growth and experience give us an opportunity to look more closely at the system we’re building: Are we offering the preschool options families actually need?
Since the beginning, PFA’s growth has been guided by data, evaluation, and input from families and communities. Today, we have much more information to learn from than we did at the start! We can see where families apply, which sites they choose, where waitlists form, where seats remain open, and what families tell us when an offered placement doesn’t work for them.
That’s the idea behind the Gap Analysis Study our team has been conducting: bringing these different pieces together to find the gaps that remain as PFA approaches universal access.
And we’re already learning so much!
Where We Have Seats and Where Families Want Them Don’t Always Match
The first phases of the Gap Analysis Study looked at Census and geographic data – like Multnomah County demographics and where PFA seats are located. It also examined PFA application data, such as where families are applying and which sites have open seats or waitlists.
Early findings are revealing important geographic gaps. Family demand significantly exceeds PFA capacity in inner SE Portland neighborhoods, while capacity currently exceeds demand in Outer East Portland and Gresham. Earlier work also identified NW and SW Portland, Cully, and parts of North and Northeast Portland as priority areas for growth, along with a need for sites accessible by public transportation and along commuter routes.
These findings help explain something that can otherwise seem surprising: PFA can have open seats and long waitlists at the same time.
Having a Seat Available Doesn’t Mean a Family Will Choose It
Geography isn’t the only factor shaping family choices.
New PFA sites make up about one-third of our seat capacity this school year, but they currently have nearly three times the rate of open seats as established PFA sites. Feedback from families who declined a PFA placement in prior years points in the same direction: some families are looking for more established programs.
We’re seeing other preferences, too. For example, Montessori programs have longer waitlists across locations and types of preschool settings.
Schedule matters as well. Families are asking for part-time options – not shorter preschool days, but full days offered fewer days each week. This is especially true for families with three-year-olds who are looking for a more gentle transition into preschool.
Together, these findings show that reaching universal access means understanding not just how many seats families need, but where and what kinds of preschool options work for them.
We’re Also Looking for What Application & Enrollment Data Can’t Show Us
Applications, waitlists, and enrollment patterns still can’t tell us everything.
What about families who never applied because they didn’t see an option that would work for them?
Our evaluation team is talking directly with families about unmet preschool needs. We also invited families across Multnomah County to take a community survey, reaching beyond current PFA families to learn what may be missing for families who never applied.
A universal system needs to understand not only the families already using it, but also who may still be left out of the choices currently available.
Turning What We Learn Into PFA’s Next Phase of Growth
This work is already informing real decisions. Early geographic findings have been shared with BuildUp Oregon to help guide where PFA Facilities Funds are invested in new early childhood education facilities, and have informed criteria for mid-year seat allocations. When the study is complete, we’ll bring the data and family feedback together to help inform recommendations for PFA’s 2027-28 allocations. It will also help shape Preschool for All’s Strategic Growth Plan in our final steps toward universal preschool.
PFA has always used data and community input to guide its growth. What’s different now is how much more we know — and how precisely we can use it.
As universal preschool comes into view, that knowledge can help us make more specific decisions about where PFA should grow, what kinds of options families need, and where investments can have the greatest impact.
Because reaching Preschool for All isn’t just about having enough seats. It’s about making sure the preschool system we’ve built works for families across Multnomah County.