Friends of Preschool for All

It’s actually incredibly straightforward. These are marginal tax rates that don’t kick in until your income qualifies. If you make $128k/year but can’t afford to pay the $2.48 you owe to MultCo to send kids to preschool, you should seek help, because something is very wrong with your finances

Black text on playful yellow backgrounds: “When we got into Preschool for All, my husband and I had both been laid off and we weren't sure how we would keep our daughter in school and if one of us would have to give up our careers and stay home. Because of Preschool for All we were both able to continue working and keep our daughter in her class that she LOVES. We also have been able to pay down debt, and even start saving to create our own safety net. - Kate C”

👉We know that the first 5 years are the most important in a child’s development.

👉We know that this economy is tough on young parents.

It's why we created Preschool For All, and why we fight to protect it! ⚔️

Webinar: Preschool for All Classroom Experiences This one hour webinar will provide information gathered from families and educators about their experiences in PFA classrooms.

At 2pm this Wednesday, join Preschool for All & Boston University's Center on the Ecology of Early Development (CEED) for a webinar presenting findings from the 2025 PFA family, site leader, and educator surveys.

Hear what nearly 1,000 PFA participants shared about their experiences. RSVP online ⤵️

Black text on playful yellow backgrounds: “As someone who has lived in the Portland metro area for over 25 years, I love the beautiful parks, libraries, and community events that Portland offers. My family and I have been renting for about 3 years in Portland and rents have increased significantly, utilities are increasing, the cost of groceries and essentials for people are increasing. Preschool for All is one of the main reasons my family and I have decided to stay in Portland. We considered moving to Washington County, but are thankful that Preschool for All makes it financially viable for us to stay here. As a middle school teacher, I know there is a difference in the academic success of students who have preschool and students who do not. If we want our students to be successful academically, then we need to make preschool accessible. With the increase in costs of basic needs, Preschool for All is essential for our communities to be safe places where our young people have tools for success.” - Lauren M"

Mayor Mamdani says about NYC: “For all the fearmongering about capital flight, there’s an exodus few want to talk about: working people. Sky-high rents and outrageous child-care costs are already pushing families out of the city they keep running.”

True for NYC, and true for Portland!

Black text on playful yellow backgrounds: “My foster child depends on Preschool for All! It is the only way I can afford to have her in my care. Threatening Preschool for All puts the most vulnerable families at risk. Without it, I am not sure how foster kids and foster families in the system would make it work!” - Lizz S. in Rose City Park, resource parent, social worker and teacher

(We now resume story time after pausing for the horrors over the weekend.)

📢 Preschool For All is critical infrastructure in the lives of the most vulnerable! Knowing that this support exists and is stably funded allows people like Lizz to welcome kids when they need it the most:

You can put in your dream income and see what you'd pay in dream tax here!

🧮PFA Tax Calculator - Friends of Preschool For All share.google/7UxlhOPt3SKe...

Preschool for All Tax Do I owe? Who pays the Preschool for All tax: • Single filers* with Oregon taxable income over $125,000 a year or joint filers** over $200,000 owe a 1.5% tax only on the income above those amounts. (Example: If you make $126,000, you may owe a 1.5% tax only on $1,000.) • Single filers with Oregon taxable income over $250,000 or joint filers over $400,000 owe an additional 1.5% tax (or 3% total) on the income above those amounts. Aaron touchle income means line 2026 updated Taxpayers owir required to ma can be remitte website. If you do not r should not file For a list of ta) Preschool for, portland.gov/

almost sad I am not income qualified to pay this particular Multnomah County tax

Black text on playful multicolored backgrounds: “In 2008, the Multnomah County Commission on Children, Families and Community—an agency charged with examining the full spectrum of issues affecting children and families across departments and social systems—embarked on a bold endeavor: to develop a six-year plan that would transform the landscape of child and family well-being. We were encouraged to dream big. And we did. Across every stakeholder group, every discipline, and every political stripe, one idea rose to the top with unanimous agreement: universal preschool. It was clear then, as it is now, that access to high-quality early learning would have the most profound and lasting impact on our children, our families, and our community. But back then, it felt like a dream too distant to grasp. Fast forward a decade, and after tireless advocacy, coalition-building, and community engagement, that dream became a reality. Preschool for All was born—not just as a policy, but as a promise. And it emerged even better than we had imagined. Equity and inclusion were not afterthoughts—they were the foundation. Families were not passive recipients—they were co-creators. This was not just a preschool program; it was a reflection of our values and our vision for a just and thriving Multnomah County. Yes, the road has been politically complex. Yes, implementation has faced challenges. But let us not forget the extraordinary achievement it represents: a community willing to tax itself for the public good, for the future of its children. That kind of commitment is rare. It is precious.” - Mary G"

🌈Preschool For All represents a dream long in the making.

Now we have to hold our elected officials accountable in making it into reality: actionnetwork.org/petitions/fu...

We can't let them.

Tell everyone you know to sign:
actionnetwork.org/petitions/fu...

Fully Fund Preschool for All When families are strong, Multnomah County is strong!

Show your support for providers like Hadiatu!

Sign the petition to fully fund Preschool For All: actionnetwork.org/petitions/fu...

Black text on playful red background: "For me personally, Preschool for All has meant stability—financially and emotionally. I no longer live in a state of constant uncertainty about whether I can keep my doors open or meet payroll. This stability has given me the ability to focus on what truly matters: nurturing the growth of children, supporting my staff, and being fully present for my own boys. Beyond the walls of my preschool, the program has had a profound impact on our community. Families who might not have been able to afford preschool are now bringing their children into an environment where they feel seen, respected, and celebrated. Watching these children blossom and seeing parents relieved of financial pressure has been one of the greatest rewards of my career. ” - Hadiatu Lima J, parent and preschool provider"

Hadiatu from Pikin Dem continued:

Black text on a playful red backgrounds: “As the founder of Pikin Dem, I carry both my Sierra Leonean heritage and my deep commitment to education into everything I do. The name “Pikin Dem,” meaning “children” in Krio, reflects my roots and my belief that every child—regardless of race, culture, or economic background—deserves a strong educational foundation. With a Master’s degree in Education and years of experience working with children, my dream was always to create a space where learning is joyful, culturally inclusive, and accessible to all families. But as a single mother of two, turning that dream into a sustainable reality was a constant struggle. The Preschool for All program changed that. Its support allowed me to employ two dedicated and talented teachers who not only bring professional expertise but also represent the cultural diversity of the children we serve. This has strengthened our curriculum, improved our teacher-to-child ratio, and allowed us to offer a more individualized approach to learning. Our classrooms now feel even more vibrant and responsive, blending early childhood best practices with the rich cultural perspectives we value."

While getting young kids ready for the classroom, Preschool For All also develops our local economy and builds bonds in our community.

✨Hadiatu explains how:

(Reposting with ALT description because this is great stuff!)

The business class has it backward.

It’s programs like Preschool for All which make the Portland area ‘competitive’ for the workers and families of the future.

😍 Hearing this from an expert like Katie means a lot to us!!

Black text on playful multicolored backgrounds: “It was a long held dream of my working class mom’s (with seven kids) and myself (a single working mother) to have this help. No help was ever available. Thus, we had to pay the outrageous cost ourselves. In this day and age my daughter does not! The kind of economy we have requires both parents to work to get by. It was and is thrilling to me to know that ALL parents, including my daughter, will have this needed help from our community. They and my daughter will also have peace of mind that the workers are qualified to teach and care for their children. It is important these workers continue to be compensated well for work that will impact our community in the future.” - Mary S, Portland grandparent

🔥Preschool For All is a feminist victory! Caregiving has been undervalued for so long and the true costs of care made invisible. Ask any grandparent!

Or listen to Mary S:

"Oregon’s biggest economic challenge is not anemic growth or insufficient 'prosperity' as defined by Governor Kotek and the big business lobby. It’s the fact that the economic gains of the past several decades have mostly flowed into the hands of the wealthy few." 🔥

📢 WE REPEAT: JUICE NOT WORTH SQUEEZE!

Keeping PFA full day options universally available regardless of income maximizes economic impact and accessibility for all families.

Let all families choose up to 10 hours of free preschool Free, expanded-day preschool increases parent earnings by 22%. While means-testing seems straightforward, it ironically makes PFA harder to access for our lowest income families. All families struggle to afford preschool or make enough to pay the PFA tax. Everyone should be offered full PFA.

The Board heard from Preschool and Early Learning (PEL) staff that PFA means-testing and limiting access to 10-hour days will not save money and will hurt low-income families. In addition, the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) considered but declined to recommend this policy for the same reasons. They also noted that PFA taxpayers would not receive the full day PFA benefit for their own children.

They can! Parents want to have lots of choices for the setting with their younger kids, so it makes sense to bring in the existing provider landscape and build out from there. The city could too!

This is the kind of thing I wish more people understood about PFA. It's not just vouchers for preschool, it is a robust system of support for families and providers.

The no-expulsion policy in PFA is load bearing. In a well-funded program that includes every child and supports every teacher, learning journeys set off on the right foot!

😍 We love ALL this! Preschool for All, Certified Blazed Jr, and trees!

Preschool for All is rapidly growing. Soon tuition-free preschool will be available to every 3 and 4 year old in MultCo, saving families an average of $18,600 per child.

We stand ready to provide our expertise so the success of PFA can expand to all of Oregon’s current and future young families.

looking at the track record of Preschool Promise funding cuts... it's not looking good

👀 Let's see some details.

But first: welcome to the movement to give all kids free, high quality preschool with well-paid teachers, Gov Kotek!

"Black text on playful yellow backgrounds: “As a parent who relies on child care to go to work, I depend on Preschool for All to cover the cost of child care which is now more than the cost of my mortgage. I cannot simply stay home to care for my child, and have no family in the area who are able or willing to aid in childcare. With the upcoming budget cuts the livability and affordability of Portland is outpacing many families. The mounting financial pressures on parents in Multnomah county are growing exponentially. I spend my days working with other people’s children, providing free classroom and field trips in the Portland area. Our children need more support and the earlier the better. Paying for Preschool for All allows parents to have a break from childcare so they can go to work and pay for all the other increased taxes and costs the current political climate has been heaping on us all. Early intervention is key and desperately needed. If I could pay the staff more, I would - they do amazing work and deserve a living wage and full benefits packages.” - Christa S, parent and educator"

“If you can get to the coffee shop within 15 minutes, but the barista who makes your drink can’t afford to live closer than a half-hour away, then you live in a theme park.”

This is also true for child care workers! Read what Preschool For All means to Christa, both as a parent and an educator:

Donate to Rallying for Olivia's Lung Transplant and Recovery, organized by Theresa Sizemore Her soul dances and shines through her eyes and makes the whole wo… Theresa Sizemore needs your support for Rallying for Olivia's Lung Transplant and Recovery

Olivia is an incredible organizer who unionized the preschool she worked at. Let's help her get some new lungs!
gofund.me/acc8ab045