2023 Children’s Agenda Recap

We passed 23 of our Children’s Agenda concepts!

6 priorities passed (out of 10)

A total of 23 concepts passed (out of 43)

$448.4M funded 

140 meetings with legislators

95 testimonies

75 attendees for our Advocacy Day

150 ACTions by ACT members 

An investment of $448.4M has been committed for children and families in Oregon this year

The 2023 legislative session, which ended on June 25, had immense promise and potential to improve the well-being of Oregon’s children and families. With the support of our ~130 organizational partners, the 2023 Children’s Agenda set forth a bold and robust plan. We supported 10 priorities and a total of 43 legislative concepts across our 5 issue domains, totaling $1.109 billion in investments to support our agenda this year. Together, we aimed to address critical issues such as investing in child care and early childhood programs, expanding access to health care and mental health services, promoting economic stability and student success, and ensuring food for all across the state.

However, unexpected challenges marked this year’s legislative session. The longest walkout in the state’s history pushed the Legislature to a breaking point, testing the 27 recently elected state legislators and new Legislative Leadership. The political upheaval resulted in the session ending abruptly with mixed outcomes. Unfortunately, many critical community-driven bills that address core challenges facing Oregon’s children did not make it across the finish line.

We hold deep gratitude and appreciation for all of the hard work and collaborative advocacy of our Children’s Agenda members who worked tirelessly to improve child well-being! Our collective efforts resulted in 23 of our concepts, including 6 of our priorities, passing this year. A total of $448.4 million was invested for Oregon’s children and families.

There is much work left unfinished for our children and diverse communities across the state of Oregon. We will need to return in the next legislative session to hold legislators accountable for their commitments to making Oregon a state where all children thrive.

“Having the Oregon Kids' Credit included in the Children's Agenda as a priority issue helped elevate the need for lawmakers to enact HB 3235, even when our chances seemed slim at the beginning of session. As a result, tens of thousands of kids in all corners of the state will see a boost to their family's incomes later this year.”
Tyler Mac InnisPolicy Analyst, Oregon Center for Public Policy
“I am so grateful for the enthusiastic support, partnership, and involvement in the Children’s Agenda, and for getting our environmental health bills over the finish line. They are helping to change the trajectory of the state's toxics policies.”
Jamie PangEnvironmental Health Program Director, Oregon Environmental Council
"The Children’s Agenda has been incredibly valuable and a great resource. Being a student-led and relatively inexperienced organization when it comes to policy and legislature, Our Children Oregon has been extremely helpful."
Ava ColleranDirector of Policy, Oregon Student Voice
“We really appreciate The Children’s Agenda for elevating our advocacy efforts this year and for pulling together partners to ensure we are collectively aligned and proposing complementary legislation.”
Maureen HinmanExecutive Director, Oregon School-Based Health Alliance
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2023 Children's Agenda Recap

Climate & Sustainability Recap

Bill Number:

PRIORITY
Right to Refuse Hazardous Work (SB 907)

Toxic Free Kids Act (3043)

Toxic Free Cosmetics (546) $270,392

PRIORITY
Toxic Free Schools (SB 426)

What this Means:

Children and families in underserved communities already bear the brunt of increased impacts of climate change and exposure to harmful chemicals. We made strides to protect Oregon workers on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Children are more protected from toxic chemicals in products, toys, and cosmetics. However, the Legislature missed an opportunity to ensure toxic-free learning environments for children in schools by reducing exposure to pesticides.

Economic Well-Being

Bill Number:

PRIORITY
Food for All (SB 610)

What this Means:

Failure to pass means Food for All means ~62,000 individuals and their families will continue to experience disproportionately higher levels of food insecurity amidst the removal of pandemic-era government assistance and rising cost of living.

Bill Number:

PRIORITY
Oregon Kids’ Credit (3235) $75M

What this Means:

We passed a fully refundable $1,000 tax credit for every child aged 0 to 5 to qualifying low-income families filing their taxes. 55,000 children across the state stand to benefit from the Oregon Kids’ Credit, disproportionately low-income and children in rural communities.

Bill Number:

PRIORITY
Protect Providers in Rentals (SB 599)

PRIORITY
Reduce Barriers for Care Facilities (HB 2727) ($215,000)

PRIORITY
Invest in Early Learning and Care Facilities Fund (HB 3005) ($110M)

What this Means:

We made investments in early learning and care infrastructure by allowing providers to operate in rental homes and fund a study to address barriers for existing facilities across the state. The Early Learning and Care Facilities Fund has been created to support child care providers in acquiring, planning, building, and renovating child care facilities. However, the investment of $55 million in this area is inadequate for supporting the growth of early childhood facilities.

Bill Number:

PRIORITY
Reduce Barriers for Workforce Development (HB 2991) ($300,000)

PRIORITY
Child Care Provider Incentive Program (HB 3029)

What this Means:

While a study has been funded to identify unnecessary barriers for child care workers’ professional credentials, we missed an opportunity to establish a child care provider incentive program, to increase recruitment and retention among the child care workforce.

Bill Number:

PRIORITY
Remove Barriers to Access Child Care (HB 3027)

PRIORITY
Adequately Fund DELC (HB 5013) ($41.6M)

What this Means:

There was a missed opportunity to substantially increase access to child care. Only $23M was funded for Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) and $18.6M for Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education was funded in the DELC Budget. This funding does not adequately meet service levels and even reduces the number of families receiving ERDC.

Bill Number:

Stable Homes for Oregon Families: Eviction Reform and Reduction (HB 2001 & HB 5019)

Stable Homes Reasonable Rent (SB 611)

Funding in OHCS Budget (HB 5511) ($81M)

What this Means:

New protections for renters passed this session. Under the new laws, we ensured renters have important rights that can help protect them from eviction. Rent stabilization was also passed, capping at 10%, to protect in cases of extreme inflation. The housing package also includes $200M invested to build more affordable housing, rehousing, and homelessness prevention.

Overall, $81M for emergency rent and homelessness prevention assistance, with 30% set aside for culturally-specific organizations.

Bill Number:

Stable Housing for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (HB 2001 & HB 5019) ($25M)

What this Means:

We dedicated $25M for houseless youth services such as housing for youth, emergency funding to families in danger of losing their homes, and specifically $6.5 million for DHS to expand the host home program for unaccompanied youth.

Bill Number:

Stable Homes Rental Market Data (HB 3169)

Stable Housing for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (SB 658)

Fund Oregon’s IDA

What this Means:

There were missed opportunities to ensure transparency around the housing market to know more about local housing needs, and no funding dedicated to Oregon’s IDA program. Funding for a pilot program for a school to provide direct assistance and support to students facing homelessness also did not pass.

Education Recap

Bill Number:

PRIORITY
Healthy School Meals for All (HB 5014) ($17M)

What this Means:

An increase in food access passed with the allocation of $17M in Free School Meals, meaning an estimated 200 more Oregon schools can provide free breakfast and lunch improving the wellbeing of 114,000 Oregon students facing hunger.

Bill Number:

Elevating Student Voice Act (HB 2656) ($1.46M)

Outdoor School Student Data (HB 3037)

What this Means:

To better measure school quality, student success, and access, we ensured all school districts can provide surveys to collect information on students’ educational experiences, mental health needs, learning environment, and outdoor school attendance.

Bill Number:

Outdoor Preschool Licensure (HB 2717) ($65,496)

What this Means:

We passed HB 2717 to streamline the licensure of outdoor preschool programs, closing the gaps to accessing preschool for Oregon families.

Bill Number:

Early Literacy Initiative (HB 3198) ($144.3M)

What this Means:

The goals of the Early Literacy Initiative are to increase early literacy for children from birth through 3rd grade, to reduce early literacy academic disparities, to help parents and guardians develop early literacy skills, and to increase the use of research-aligned methods to teach early literacy skills. To accomplish these goals, the bill invests $144.3 million across three new grant programs: the Early Literacy Success School Grant, the Birth Through Five Literacy Plan, and the Early Literacy Success Community Grant.

Bill Number:

PRIORITY
Students with Disabilities Success Plan (SB 575)

The Youth Collaborative Act (SB 421)

Expanding Afterschool and Summer Learning (SB 531)

What this Means:

There were missed opportunities to improve student success. Implementing targeted strategies for students with disabilities who disproportionately face vast systemic inequities did not move forward. The Youth Collaborative Act, which would have supported diverse youth leaders in the policymaking process also did not progress. Despite bipartisan support, no further funding for afterschool and summer learning, preventing equitable access for students to learn year-round.

Physical & Mental Health Recap

Bill Number:

PRIORITY
Racism is a Public Health Crisis, Task Force (HB 2925) ($690,290)

PRIORITY
Racism is a Public Health Crisis, Mobile Health Units (HB 2918)

What this Means:

The Legislature again declared racism as a public health crisis. They continued to fund the task force of community members to develop strategies to address this public health crisis. However, the opportunity to fully fund the pilot program for culturally- and linguistically-specific mobile health units to serve BIPOC communities did not pass.

Bill Number:

988 Crisis System Implementation (HB 2757) ($39.6M)

What this Means:

Investments were prioritized for mental and behavioral health by providing stable funding for Oregon’s 9-8-8 mobile crisis response call centers and establishing policies and training to assist emergency response, ensuring a strong, equitable, and consistent system across the state.

Bill Number:

PRIORITY
School Health Crisis Response Act (SB 549)

Improving Health Outcomes for Immigrant and Refugee Families (HB 2957)

Oral Health Care Coordination (SB 487)

Community Health Workers Pilot (HB 1074)

Flavor Hooks Oregon Kids (HB 3090)

What this Means:

There were missed opportunities to address youth mental health needs, oral health access and coordination, and support for community-based work. We are missing much-needed resources to fund school-based health centers, student mental health programs, enough mental health providers and counselors for youth in Oregon’s schools, comprehensive health education, and other essential wrap-around services. 

Family & Community Recap

Bill Number:

PRIORITY
Advocacy for Children in Foster ($5.9M)

Child Advocacy Center Funding (HB 2732) ($6M)

Community Violence Intervention Program ($10M)

What this Means:

Investments were made to fund violence intervention programs to address gun violence locally, as well as Oregon’s CASA program and Child Advocacy Centers which provide vital services, resources, and advocates to speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children.

Bill Number:

Allowing Children’s Service District (SB 858)

Healthy Families Oregon

Relief Nurseries

Nurse-Family Partnership

What this Means:

There were missed opportunities to allow voters the option to support the most needed services for children in their communities by establishing local children’s service districts. Additionally, there was no funding for critical early childhood programs that provide home-visiting and evidence-based programs that improve the health of young children, parent support, and overall help strengthen families, especially those living in poverty.