Programs & Initiatives

As an Early Learning Hub, the Lane Early Learning Alliance is a self-organized, community-based coordinating body created to provide a “system approach” to early childhood education that works to improve the efficiency and outcomes for our youngest children. The Lane Early Learning Alliance helps leverage and coordinate existing programs to build on their important work, share lessons learned across service providers, and encourage the reduction of duplicated services in order to provide the most relevant and effective services to families.

Kindergarten Readiness

The Lane Early Learning Alliance is partnering with the Kids in Transition to School (KITS) program to give children a big boost to their early literacy, self-regulation, and social skills through a system of positive teaching and behavior change strategies.

KITS also builds strong families by providing parents with tools and skills to teach and advocate for their children at home, in school, and in the community.

Family Support

Lane County’s network of twelve school-based Family Resources Centers (FRCs) serve as a critical access point for families with children, help increase early connections to neighborhood schools, and are a strong foundation for the implementation of several Lane Early Learning Alliance’s strategies.

  • The FRCs are key partners in early literacy programming, parenting education activities and classes, and family engagement strategies. The Lane Early Learning Alliance is investing in building the capacity of FRCs through extended summer hours, culturally responsive programming, school transition activities and increased outreach.

Preschool Promise

The Lane Early Learning Alliance oversees Lane County’s Preschool Promise program, which provides free, high-quality preschool to children, ages 3 and 4 years old, who live at 200% of the federal poverty level.

  • By incorporating a mixed delivery approach, Preschool Promise is centered around the philosophy that families should be able to choose the setting that works best for their children and family. From culturally responsive environments and inclusive programming to well-educated teachers, Preschool Promise builds a learning environment that can create lasting benefits.

"...Devoting resources to early learning programs is the most cost effective and high-yield investment we can make as a state...Children who arrive at Kindergarten ready to succeed are more likely to read at grade level in third grade, graduate high school on time, and move on successfully in life."

− Governor John Kitzhaber