As we look forward to the opportunity to serve the community of Portland this year during our annual conference, we are excited to highlight Clackamas County Children’s Commission as our Community Partner.
With their mission to serve families, focus on holistic development and further their education, Clackamas County Children’s Commission currently has an existing partnership with Clackamas Community College where they provide free preschool and child care services on campus to students, many who are non-traditional and parents.
With this connection to the higher education sector, we believe this provides perspective to further our transition and retention efforts through our work with community partners, and we are excited to impact the community of Portland.
Clackamas County Children’s Commission
The Beginning of the Clackamas County Children’s Commission
Established in 1966, the Clackamas County Children’s Commission (ClackCoKids) began by providing Head Start services to families in our community from at-risk backgrounds. In 1973 we were incorporated as a non-profit and since then, we have expanded our programs to include Early Head Start and Oregon Healthy Families. We have grown so much since those early years, but our commitment to continuous improvement and providing the highest quality services remains unchanged.
Our Work and Goals
Our vision is to create a community where ALL children have the best possible opportunity to succeed. We strive to accomplish this through our mission of supporting the growth of healthy children and families, positive parenting, and school readiness. We serve pregnant people and families with children from birth through age five.
Our Services Include:
- Early Head Start and Head Start preschool centers and home visiting services in Clackamas County
- Supporting the unique needs of families through services delivered in the home environment
- Parenting education opportunities, resources, and trainings throughout the county
- Connecting families to the local and community resources they need
Connect with ClackCoKids
How You Can Support Our Work
When you give to ClackCoKids, your support can help us meet the needs of families that grant funding can’t, such as new beds for a family that gains safe and stable housing, or a car battery for a family to help them get to work and get their child to school.
More About Us:
We offer multi-generational services because we know the best way to serve a child is to support the whole family. Our goals are to help families feel empowered and self-sufficient. Our programs have individualized services to meet the unique needs of each child and family. We also connect families to other services and programs that help with essential needs like housing, food insecurity, domestic violence, mental health, and substance use. Economic mobility is also a focus, so we connect families to services and programs to help them reach their goals such as going back to school or getting a new job.
We prioritize our parents in our hiring process and assist them with skill-building and professional development to help parents begin their careers in early childhood education. We partner with local community colleges to support parents in furthering education and the ongoing professional development of our staff.
Children in our program receive comprehensive services including nutrition, dental, health, vision, hearing, social emotional, and cognitive skills like math and literacy. We meet each child where they are in their development and offer support for children with special needs.
Our parenting education programs not only support positive parenting experiences for adults and children but also help to prevent child abuse. Our programs strengthen parenting skills and help foster deeper bonds with their children.
NODAC Highlight Session
Partnerships that Make a Difference for Students and the Community
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the benefits of collaborative partnership between college programs and community organizations. They will learn practical strategies for improving partnerships, enhancing professional development, and supporting student success, ultimately contributing to the development of a highly-skilled and professional workforce.
Presented by: Briana King, Professional Development Manager, Clackamas County Children’s Commission
Session time and location will be released with along with the educational session block schedule.