Metro Parenting Education Small Grant Program

The Oregon Community Foundation is pleased to announce a new grant opportunity intended to expand the availability of proven and promising parenting education programs for parents of young children in Clackamas, Hood River, Multnomah and Washington counties. 

This new program is being offered as part of the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative, and is a special project of the Metro Portland Regional Action Initiative. The deadline for proposals was February 8, 2013. Grant awards will be announced in May 2013.

Programs and Initiatives

Ready to Learn supports:

• Early literacy and parenting programs
• Scholarships for early childhood training and education
• Initiatives to improve child care quality
• Research on key early childhood issues and strategies
• Forums for sharing information

To learn about specific programs, please click the links below.

Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative

The Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative supports parents in their critical role as children’s first and most important teachers by helping communities to expand access to proven programs and to build stronger, more coordinated parenting education services. 

Boomers and Babies

This cross-generational program supports efforts by early childhood care and education organizations to engage baby-boomer volunteers in activities that contribute to children’s readiness for school.

P-3 Alignment

To foster school readiness and ensure greater consistency in childhood learning environments, OCF awards grants to public school districts that wish to explore strategies for creating an aligned P-3 (prenatal to grade 3) system in their communities. 

Reach Out and Read

This national, evidence-based program promotes child and family literacy during well-child checkups. With a grant from Ready to Learn, Oregon Pediatric Society (OPS) has launched a statewide Reach Out and Read initiative, with the goal of expanding the number of participating clinics and strengthening existing local programs. 

OCF Early Childhood Scholarship Programs

Betty Gray Early Childhood Community College Scholarship Program

Scholarships are available through all 17 of Oregon’s community colleges for students who are pursuing a degree or certificate in early childhood education and are committed to a career in that field. This 10-year, $150,000-per-year program assists 160 to 170 Oregon early childhood students each year. Scholarship amounts and eligibility requirements vary by institution. Information about the Gray scholarships is available through the early childhood education department or scholarship office of each community college. For a list of community colleges and their locations, visit the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development.

Betty Gray Early Childhood Training and Certification Scholarship Program

Portland State University’s Oregon Center for Career Development in Childhood Care and Education (OCCD) administers this statewide program, which provides financial assistance to family childcare providers and center-based providers for training; conference attendance; accreditation; credentialing; translation and verification of out-of-country early childhood degrees; and other professional development activities. This is Oregon’s only statewide scholarship program supporting professional development for childcare providers. For more information, contact OCCD at centerline@pdx.edu or 877.725.8535.

Staff Assistance

To learn more about OCF's early childhood scholarship programs, please contact:

• Mary Louise McClintock, early childhood program director: mlmcclintock@oregoncf.org or 503.227.6846

Staff Assistance

For more information about Ready to Learn, please download our information sheet or contact:

• Mary Louise McClintock, early childhood program director: mlmcclintock@oregoncf.org or 503.227.6846