Early Childhood Development
The Ford Family Foundation has identified Early Childhood Development as a top priority within its grantmaking portfolio. To guide its efforts, the Foundation has articulated the following goal: To increase the number of children in rural Oregon who are entering Kindergarten “school-ready.” The Foundation is prepared to make a substantial investment towards the following objectives:
• Expand the Foundation’s knowledge of early childhood issues;
• Continue the Foundation’s leadership role in early childhood development by exploring and advocating for the advancement of regional and statewide strategies;
• Develop community engagement in the early childhood arena through community-based coalitions;
• Expand the continuum of evidence-based home visiting programs; provide targeted parenting education; and
• Contribute to the development of a kindergarten readiness assessment tool.
These objectives were identified by the Foundation as part of a facilitated planning process and are not exhaustive. They do, however, form a framework around which a fully designed program can be shaped.
A major component of the Foundation approved Early Childhood Development proactive strategy is parenting education. Parenting education is a prevention strategy that yields high social and economic benefits for both individuals and families, and society at large. The Ford Family Foundation has invested heavily in this strategy since 2002, and has assumed a significant leadership role as an advocate for parenting education programming and the development of an overall parenting education system in Oregon. The recently approved Early Childhood Development proactive strategy builds heavily on past investments, successes, and lessons learned as does the newly deployed Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative (OPEC). In June, 2010, the Foundation approved the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative as the vehicle to carry The Ford Family Foundation’s parenting education efforts forward.
OPEC envisions building a parenting education system across Oregon, with parenting education “hubs” located strategically to allow widespread geographic coverage. OPEC intends to include metropolitan areas of Oregon as well as rural. Hubs are defined as: coalitions who work with community partners to deliver parenting education services while building a more coordinated parenting education system within a defined region. There are currently six hubs up and running, covering 19 counties across Oregon.
To learn more about the parenting education program, please visit: Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative (OPEC).
To learn more about our support of parenting over the last nine years through our Enhancing the Skills of Parents Program, please visit Oregon State University and select “Parenting Resources”.
Note: Special Programs are Foundation-driven efforts; funding is considered by invitation only. These programs not part of the Foundation's Responsive Grant categories and are not open to unsolicited requests.