About Early Learning Washington County
Early Learning Washington County (ELWC) is a partnership between the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and Washington County Health and Human Services. This unique partnership brings diverse organizations, parents, and communities together to support families in raising strong, healthy children.
Mission, Vision, Goal and Equity Lens
Our Vision
Our community works in partnership with families to raise strong, healthy children who are life-long learners, with equal opportunities to succeed and reach their full potential.
Our Mission
To promote safety, good physical and mental health, stable families, and positive experiences that prepare young children in Washington County for success in school.
Our Purpose
ELWC establishes a collaborative community to create a coordinated, culturally responsive, effective early learning system that incorporates health, mental health, family support, and early childhood care and education.
Our Goals
- Improve kindergarten readiness
- Increase stability and attachment in families with young children prenatal to age 6 and prepare for transition to future opportunities
- Align, coordinate, and deliver early learning services through a single, results-driven system
- Champion, encourage and assist the people and organizations that support early learning
Equity Lens
ELWC will reduce the disparity of opportunities and disproportionate risks to make school success possible for all children. Specific efforts will focus on families who are expecting and on children of color, with disabilities, those that are English-language learners, those who live in low-income, homeless, migrant or refugee families, and those who have experienced abuse or trauma.
Governance
Steering Committee
The United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and Washington County Health and Human Services serve as the backbone organizations driving the collaborative work of the Hub.
Early Learning Washington County is governed by a Steering Committee which is advised by several other committees:
- Parent Advisory Committee
- Equity Committee
- Executive Committee
- Stewardship Committee (ad-hoc)View past meeting minutes here.
2019-2021 Early Care Education Sector Plan
2021-22 ECE Sector Plan Update
2021-2022 - Actualización del Plan para la Expansión del Sector de Aprendizaje Temprano y Educación
Early Learning Washington County aspires to be governed in a collaborative and community-oriented manner. For this reason, committee membership is comprised of Community Based Organizations, School Districts, Health Care Organizations, Culturally Specific Organizations, Governmental Entities, and Parents or Caregivers.
If you are interested in learning more about the governance of ELWC we encourage you to review our charter, past meeting minutes, or reach out to staff about upcoming meetings or events. Contact Amy Henderson or Juana Garcia to learn more.
Staff
Laura
Ramirez Altamirano
Bilingual Parent Engagement Project Manager
Early Learning Washington County - United Way of the Columbia-Willamette
Amy
Henderson
Program Specialist
Early Learning
Washington County
Begoña
Rodriguez Liern
Co-Director
Early Learning Washington County - United Way of the Columbia-Willamette
Evan
Weaver
Senior Program Coordinator
Early Learning Washington County
Leslie
Moguil
Senior Program Coordinator
Parenting Together
Washington County
Rebecca
Collett
Co-Director
Early Learning Washington County
Alessandro
Mastrorocco
Enrollment Senior Manager
Early Learning Washington County - United Way of the Columbia-Willamette
Johnathon
Pierce
Senior Program Manager
Early Learning Washington County - United Way of the Columbia-Willamette
Our Impact
Role of Hubs
Convener / Facilitator
We bring cross sector partners together and facilitate conversations around shared interests, measure and outcomes.
Partner
We host sector leaders on our boards and committees and represent the interests of early learning on local partner committees. We gather information about what is happening and adjust our efforts to partner and connect.
Catalyst
We listen to identify needs and analyze data in order to be a catalyst for change and improvements.
Capacity Builder
We use our resources to bring sector partners together to prioritized and enhance efforts through aligning and coordinating.
Funder or Conduit
We provide funding that expands and improves early learning efforts in our regions.
Advocate
We connect advocates to local early learning programs in order to improve programming and speak with one voice for policy and system changes that benefit young children & families.
Coordinated Enrollment
We create a locally centralized application and eligibility process for Preschool Promise with the intention of streamlining and assisting families in finding a program that best meets their needs. We work with partners across our communities with the goal that all publicly funded preschool opportunities are utilized.