Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care releases first strategic plan, ‘Growing Oregon Together’

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care has released the 2024-2029 strategic plan along with its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan. Outlined in the plans are the agency mission, vision, and values that reflect the agency’s mandate, along with key goals and objectives to guide the work for the next five years. 

The multi-year plans are designed to be both ambitious and achievable in the interest of fostering coordinated, culturally appropriate, and family-centered services that recognize and respect the strengths and needs of all children, families, and early learning and care professionals in Oregon. 

“Today we released a bold vision for our young agency,” said DELC Director Alyssa Chatterjee. “I’m proud to share these plans, which I believe will be transformative and will serve as a roadmap to help guide programs, operations, and priorities over the next five years toward doing what we do best – strengthening Oregon’s early childhood system to change the trajectory of a child’s life while positively impacting caregivers, the early learning workforce, and our economy.”  

The Growing Oregon Together plan drew upon community conversations and feedback from more than 700 partners, providers, and families in addition to input from more than 200 staff members. Guided by the plan, DELC aims to build upon the strong foundation established over the last year since the agency’s inception. Outlined in the plan are six key goal areas and affiliated objectives for the next five years: 

• Access 
• Tribal Sovereignty 
• Infants and Toddlers 
• Workforce 
• Relationships  
• Foundations 

Woven throughout Growing Oregon Together and the DEI Action plan is an unwavering commitment to advance the agency values of equity, respect, trust, relationships, safety, continuous improvement and integrity with an emphasis on communities who have been historically underserved. Together the two plans outline high-level priorities, increase accountability, and will serve as a guidepost to ensure the agency is meeting the needs of care providers, families, and communities across Oregon.   

“We’ve gone through tremendous change over the last year with standing up our new agency,” said Director Chatterjee. “Now, these guiding documents will help to deepen DELC’s commitments to the communities we serve while advancing our mission to foster coordinated culturally appropriate, and family-centered services that recognize and respect the strengths and needs of all children, families, and early learning and care professionals.” 

DELC’s values are integrated throughout the programmatic goals, objectives, and cross-agency strategies which will be used to help monitor and communicate progress. The plans are living documents and may evolve based on community needs and available resources. As DELC moves forward with implementation the agency will report out on the progress made to develop and launch programs and policies that advance DELC’s vision to ensure all children, families, early care and education professionals, and communities are supported and empowered to thrive.  

The full version of Growing Oregon Together and the DEI Action Plan are available on the DELC website.