Quarterly Newsletter

Somehow, we are already in mid-July! We’ve been extremely busy over the last several months and you will read all about it in this newsletter. The theme of this newsletter is EXPANSION! Amid plenty of ongoing challenges locally and nationally, we are happy to share so many wonderful examples of how more families are receiving support, more children are getting access to free preschool, and more partners are having opportunities to connect with families and each other.

Thank you to the countless partners showing up every day for children and families!! If you aren’t yet connected to the opportunities you will read about below, we would love to chat with you and find ways to collaborate and support you in your work.

Let’s keep building community together,

René Brandon, Director

Southern Oregon Early Learning Hub

In each newsletter, we will continue to talk about promoting protective factors in the families we serve. We will highlight how readers can receive training and emphasize the strategies we are bringing to the region that you can join and how each one supports specific protective factors.

In each article, look for the notations describing which protective factors are being promoted.

Parental resilience: Managing stress and functioning well when faced with challenges, adversity and trauma

Social connections: Positive relationships that provide emotional, informational, instrumental and spiritual support

Knowledge of parenting and child development: Understanding child development and parenting strategies that support physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional development

Concrete support in times of need: Access to concrete support and services that address a family’s needs and help minimize stress caused by challenges

Social and emotional competence of children: Family and child interactions that help children develop the ability to communicate clearly, recognize and regulate their emotions and establish and maintain relationships

While it’s true we cannot mitigate all risk factors families face, we can and should intentionally increase the protective factors for our families. So, how can YOU start?

The best way to start is with training on the protective factors:

• FREE Online Trainings from ProSolutions Training, in both English and Spanish. 2 hour sessions on each protective factor. Option for CEU at small cost.

And who should take training? All individuals and organizations who serve families with young children: schools, child care programs, home visitors, health care providers, government agencies, faith based organizations, youth serving organizations, etc.

To be most effective, everyone who comes into contact with families should take the trainings –receptionist, case managers, home visitors, program managers, CEO. The trainings should begin to transform the way an organization welcomes and engages families, how services and supports are structured to promote protective factors, and how families connect with the organization and each other. It’s a framework for engagement that builds on family strengths and creates opportunities for new strengths to emerge.

Protective Factors Supported: Parental Resilience, Social Connections, Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development, Concrete Supports in Times of Need, and Social and Emotional Competence in Children.

Our move will take place over the first two full weeks of July, and we will be getting the playroom spaces ready to host groups the first week of August.

We will be inviting community partners, families, and funders to join us in celebrating our opening our new space once we are settled in. Please be on the lookout for an invitation to come soon!

We are also excited to begin hosting Open Playgroups, and invite community partners to join us in hosting, sharing information about their services, and connecting with the families who come to Growing Together. We hope that these Open Playgroups will reduce barriers for families and allow them to learn more about services in their area in a space that is comfortable and familiar. If you would like to learn more, or host an Open Playgroup, please reach out to Jordan_Rogers@soesd.k12.or.us!

With generous, ongoing support from Redwood Foundation for Education, Four Way Community Foundation, and City of Grants Pass Community Development Block Grant Funds, we are able to prepare this space for our families. We could not have done it without this support and we are so grateful.

There are new Preschool Promise opportunities in our region! Our hub region was awarded an additional 82 Preschool Promise slots in June, great news for families in need of subsidized preschool enrollments in Jackson and Josphine county. The Department of Early Learning and Care will be awarding these slots to new and existing Preschool Promise programs. Please spread the word, enrollment efforts are underway!

Interested families can visit Southern Oregon Early Learning Hub’s Preschool Promise webpage to learn more about Preschool Promise opportunities in Jackson and Josephine County. Lotteries will be ongoing to fill slots as they are available. Please reach out to Southern Oregon Early Learning Services for more information!

Email enrollment@soesd.k12.or.us or call (541) 776-8590, ext. 1145.

Para asistencia en español, llame (541) 776-8590, extensión 1190.

Protective Factors Supported: Concrete Supports in Times of Need, and Social and Emotional Competence in Children.

Part 2: This article was contributed by Becky, a Grants Pass School District 7 parent and owner of My Event Nanny LLC, who reflects on her family’s experience navigating parenting during the pandemic, participating in early learning opportunities, and the big transition to Kindergarten.

If you would like to learn more about GPSD7's Early Learning Program, click here. If you would like to read the first part of Becky's story from our last newsletter, click here

The first week of kindergarten was made up of half days, with children rotating through all three kindergarten classrooms. Teachers worked thoughtfully to find the best fit for each child. The first week of school marked a big cultural shift for our family. I went from being deeply embedded in John’s learning experience to suddenly having very limited direct communication with his educators. While we received broad updates about school happenings via ParentSquare, it felt impersonal.

When I learned that the first parent–teacher conference wouldn’t happen until January, I was frankly, shocked. That contrast—between the incredible support that helped get us here and the distance we felt once kindergarten began—is what brings me to reflect on what worked well in this transition, and where there may still be room to grow.

What’s working well is the tiered approach to supporting children with different emotional and educational needs. The Early Learning Center offers Playgroups, which I’ve shared about today, as well as full preschool programs, READY for Kindergarten classes, parenting workshops, and more. Another key strength is having an early learning educator who not only guides children’s development but also serves as a family advocate throughout the kindergarten transition—helping families navigate supports, ask the right questions, and feel confident in this big step.

If I could wave a magic wand and redesign how families are welcomed into kindergarten, I would build on what’s already working while strengthening continuity and communication. I would expand the Playgroups program so that each elementary school had a home-based option, allowing children to become familiar with the environment and educators at their future school. I would offer parents considering a 504 plan a group information session where they could ask questions, understand available supports, and feel less alone in the process. I would create a consistent weekly summer program to maintain routine and momentum. I would increase parent–teacher conferences to a quarterly schedule, and encourage kindergarten teachers to have a monthly, direct check-in with families—sharing what’s going well, learning what parents are seeing at home, and gently offering encouragement where growth is still unfolding.

We want to thank Becky once more for sharing her experience with us! We hope families find comfort in reading stories that demystify the experience, and hope more parents share their experiences, both with us and our K-12 partners.

Don't forget! There are a variety of local playgroups that offer young children a safe, playful space to build early social, language, and motor skills through age-appropriate activities and interaction with peers. Playgroups provide valuable support by reducing isolation, fostering friendships, and connecting caregivers to community resources and parenting knowledge. Together, playgroups strengthen children’s development while nurturing confident, supported families during the crucial early years! Check out one of the many FREE playgroup opportunities below:

• Read Play Talk groups hosted through SOELS (Check out the Opportunities for Families tab on our website for the current playgroup schedule!)
• Josephine County Early Childhood Services Playgroups (Weekly groups offered for 0-3, and 3-5 years old. Sign up on their website)
• Playgroups through Grants Pass School District 7's Early Learning program (Weekly for 3-5 years old. Learn more and sign up on their website)
• Storytimes and fun groups through the local libraries!
• Check out the Josephine County Library Here!
• Check out the Jackson County Library Here!

On June 30th parents from both our Jackson and Josephine County Parent Advisory Councils (PAC) came together for the very first time. Since the groups inception in 2023, parents have learned more about how the early learning system works, given their feedback and guided the work of the Hub, compiled and shared resources, written letters to state and local legislators, as well as developed projects to help families within their communities. Projects like multilingual story times and themed playgroups, free open gym lessons, STEM kits that can be checked out through the library, drop-in dance parties, and so much more! It has been such a privilege to work alongside them and watch them grow in their abilities both as individuals and as a group.

Most of the parents included in the picture below have been participating in our PAC meetings since we first convened in May 2023. Sadly, this means that many of them have reached the 3 year term limit, and will soon be stepping away from our PACs so that new families can be brought in. During our last meeting, we asked them all to reflect on their time in the PAC, and share some of their feedback. All the families agreed that stepping into the PAC helped them as parents while learning about available resources and connecting with other parents. Additionally, they all agreed that they knew that their work with the PACs has made a difference both in their social spheres among family, friends, peers, colleagues, etc. as well as in their communities.

We wanted to share our appreciation and gratitude for all the time and hard work that the parents have shared with us, along with their perspectives, thoughts, and ideas for their community. We are truly grateful!

Protective Factors Supported: Parental Resilience, Social Connections.

We are looking for new families to join both our Jackson and Josephine County PACs! Please email Jordan_Rogers@soesd.k12.or.us for more information!

Pictured left to right: Jordan Rogers (SOELS), Stephanie (Josephine), Yunyu (Jackson), Yuriko (Jackson), Ashley (Josephine), Rahel (Josephine), Rosario (Jackson).

Not pictured here is our Interpreter, Tomas Monter-Rangel who has provided interpretation services for the Jackson County PAC throughout the 3 years that we have been meeting. We also wanted to share our appreciation to Tomas for all his support, and for making the meetings accessible to our parents whose primary language is Spanish. Thank you Tomas!

The Family Connection (TFC) is Southern Oregon’s designated parenting hub, serving Jackson and Josephine counties with free, evidence-based parenting education and support. We offer a wide range of workshops, classes, and events designed to strengthen families with children ages 0–18. Whether you're a professional seeking trusted, accessible resources for the families you serve, or a parent looking for tools, community, and support, TFC is here to help. We collaborate with local agencies to ensure every family has access to high-quality, inclusive, and empowering parenting support.

Learn more on their website, connect with them on Facebook, and check out their upcoming events below!

Protective Factors Supported: Parental Resilience, Social Connections, Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development, Concrete Supports in Times of Need, and Social and Emotional Competence in Children.

The Oregon Parent Education Collaborative (OPEC), is a statewide parenting education network for families, parenting education professionals like the Family Connection, and community partners. You can explore additional resources on their website.

OPEC also shares a blog, with research-based, practical tips about parenting children of all ages! Just this month they shared an article called Supporting Resilience Every Day, along with resources to help you find high quality children's books to support mindfulness and learn more and resiliency! Check out the blog and articles on early childhood, parenting teens, resources for culturally and identity specific needs, and more!

As we mentioned in the Fall Newsletter, we are bringing back the Partner Information Sessions we hosted prior to the pandemic. We have been surveying our cross-sector partners to learn what topics are most relevant to our community. More than half of all respondents prioritized Behavioral Health Supports for Children, Supports for Families with Young Children, and Services for Children who Experience a Delay or Disability. Our first Partner Information Sessions will focus on these three topics.

We are working to secure our speakers and will host our fist session Friday, September 11th from 10am-12pm. All sessions will be held over Zoom and will be recorded and shared on our webpage for easy access for anyone unable to attend. If you are interested in participating please email Jordan_Rogers@soesd.k12.or.us for more information!

Protective Factors Supported: Concrete Supports in Times of Need, and Social and Emotional Competence in Children. By attending this series, your team will be building an even stronger base of support for the families you serve.

Southern Oregon Early Learning Hub and Southern Oregon Head Start have just launched a new collaboration aimed at strengthening early childhood education and social-emotional development across the region. Through this partnership, five certified Pyramid Model coaches are providing hands-on guidance to educators across 15 Head Start classrooms. This approach ensures that teachers are fully equipped with even more evidence-based strategies to foster positive behavioral health and inclusive learning environments for young children.

This partnership thrives on a foundation of mutual trust, reflective listening, and side-by-side mentorship tailored to the unique strengths of every educator. By working closely together to implement the Pyramid Model framework, coaches and teachers co-create supportive classroom environments that promote children's social-emotional competence and effectively navigate challenging behaviors. This approach empowers teachers, elevates classroom dynamics, and demonstrates how strong community alignment can transform early childhood environments together. We look forward to seeing the coaching model continue to develop and will continue to highlight the Pyramid Model framework and how it is being rolled out into our region!

Protective Factors Supported: Concrete Supports in Times of Need, and Social and Emotional Competence in Children.

We have seen a significant increase in the demand for diapers. Regularly changed diapers are a necessity for the health of children and are also very expensive for families with young children.

We welcome any community support, financial donations, and diaper donations so we can continue to provide this service. No donation is too small.

As we move, we will also be able to take donations of clothing, food, gently used toys and books for families to look through as they access the diaper closet. We can start taking donations in August at 1021 NW Highland Ave, Grants Pass, OR 97526

Protective Factors Supported: Concrete Supports in Times of Need.