Oregon child care investigations
In 2023, I was awarded a Chauncey Bailey Journalist of Color Investigative Fellowship by Investigative Reporters and Editors. The fellowship sent me on a year-long journey investigating child care and early learning access across Oregon. The following stories were supported by the fellowship and my wonderful team of mentors.
Badly needed infant and toddler care investments aren’t reaching Oregon’s North Coast (Oct. 14, 2023)
Plans for long-sought Tribal Early Learning Hub collapse three years after Oregon lawmakers mandated its creation (Feb. 15, 2024)
“But in October — after 14 months of meetings and nearly $2 million in state and federal funds allocated — the committee scrapped plans for the early learning hub entirely, saying they’ve found no way to structure it in a way that would honor each tribe’s sovereignty. The committee put its funding toward grants distributed among the tribes, but those decisions were made in meetings that were not open to the public, possibly in violation of Oregon’s open-meetings laws, InvestigateWest found. And Atanacio, who said she received little support in her role leading the early learning division’s work with tribes, was demoted suddenly in July 2023 and then resigned. For six months after, all three of the early learning department’s tribal affairs positions remained vacant.”
Inequity, mismanagement beleaguer Oregon’s early learning agency, employees say (March 26, 2024)
“The examination revealed:
(Oregon Governor Tina) Kotek’s office never responded directly to Lowells’ warnings that the early learning agency was a “racist environment” that was causing managers of color to leave. The governor’s staff instead referred the matter to the state’s main Human Resources office. Kotek’s office declined an interview request for this story.
At least two staff members who left the early learning department told leaders that their failure to listen to families’ and providers’ needs contributed to high-profile instances of dysfunction, including spots going unfilled in Preschool Promise, the state’s publicly funded preschool program.
The agency’s missteps have contributed to staff turnover: At least five managers and directors, including three who are people of color, have chosen to leave the department in the past 18 months, citing their frustration. Other directors were dismissed without warning during their probationary periods, they said.”
This reporting had impact. In response to this last investigation, the Oregon Secretary of State probed staff allegations of inequity and a toxic work environment in an audit of the agency.
Oregon Secretary of State probing staff complaints about racism, mismanagement at early learning department (April 29, 2024)
Auditors’ findings aligned with the issues staff raised in InvestigateWest’s reporting and recommended more training and oversight to address them. Agency leadership implemented trainings and internal surveys in response to the reporting and audit.
Audit of Oregon early learning department highlights ongoing need for equity training, oversight (Aug. 12, 2024)
