Our Services

Workforce Development

Siuslaw Childcare Friends' vision and goals are to support and sustain affordable childcare in the Siuslaw Region. To implement that vision and achieve those goals, the Board must prioritize recruiting, educating, and retaining our early childcare workforce.

The Board’s goal is to take continuous actions to prepare the workforce needed to staff the Elm Park Early Learning Center and provide a safe and high-quality childcare program.

Childcare workforce development strategy includes:

• Publicize the need for a childcare workforce.
• Identify those in the community with experience in childcare or related fields.
• Educate the community on what is involved in qualifying for the childcare workforce.
• Refer prospects to qualified guidance counselors.
• Identify prospects with a longer path to becoming a childcare worker.
• Continuous administration of the childcare workforce development strategy.

Subsidy for Low-Income Families

According to the Oregon State University's Childcare Market Price Study, the average cost of a childcare slot in a center can soar as high as $1700 a month. An ALICE report for Lane County has shown that more than 50% of Florence residents make less than a living wage, putting the price of safe and high-quality childcare programs out of reach. Therefore, there is a need not just for open childcare slots but also to subsidize costs for new slots opened in the region.

The Board of Siuslaw Childcare Friends has incorporated an Aid Program into its Strategic Plan to address this challenge. The long-term goal of this continuous project will be to use our Board’s ability to fundraise to offer the sublessee of the Elm Park Early Learning Center’s community classrooms (the “Community Provider”) assistance that will (a) allow families who cannot afford market rates to receive affordable childcare and (b) assure that available slots are operated at maximum capacity.

Elm Park Early Learning Center

Rendering of Elm Park Early Learning Center

Site Plan of Elm Park Early Learning Center

Elm Park Early Learning Center will be built at 1001 Greenwood Street in Florence. It is a 5,400-square-foot single-story structure with four (4) classrooms, each with an adjoining child restroom; plus an entry hall, a kitchen, a teacher’s workroom, storage, a janitorial closet, and a 2,250-square-foot outdoor playground area. It will add 76 childcare slots, increasing slots in the greater Siuslaw region by 50%.

The City of Florence, Head Start of Lane County (HSOLC), and Our Coastal Village, Inc.(OCV) began collaborating in early 2024 to create the Center, which will open for educational childcare on September 8, 2026. Principal funding for the Center is from the BuildUp Oregon program to encourage co-location of childcare with affordable housing and from Business Oregon’s Child Care Infrastructure Fund. PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center, Three Rivers Casino Resort, The Ford Family Foundation, OCV, and the City of Florence are providing additional significant funding.

HSOLC will provide Early Head Start (18 months to 3 years) in one classroom and Head Start (3 to 5 years) in a second. Eligibility for these programs is the federal poverty line adjusted for family size.

Siuslaw Childcare Friends, the steward of the other two rooms, will engage a community provider to provide educational care for 18 infants and toddlers (no more than 8 infants) in a divided classroom and up to 20 pre-kindergarten children in the fourth classroom who are not eligible for Head Start.

Community Childcare

Siuslaw Childcare Friends will engage a local provider of educational childcare to deliver a program for:

• Up to 18 infants (maximum of 8) and toddlers in a divided classroom.
• Up to 20 pre-kindergarten children in a second classroom.

The community childcare will operate year-round from 7:30 to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.    `

Siuslaw Childcare Friends advertised for the community provider position, and the ad can be found in News and Updates.