OCF's ‘Go Kids’ Initiative Surpasses $2M in Funding for Oregon’s Underserved Children and Families

Oregon Community Foundation’s ‘GO Kids’ Launched in Service to Community-Led Arts, Education, Literacy and Childcare Throughout Oregon

Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) announced today that it has granted $904,220 to 30 Oregon-based nonprofits that are working to close the ‘opportunity gap’ for children from low-income families, communities of color, and rural areas.  OCF research illustrates where and how place, race and family circumstances can determine the future success and mobility of Oregon’s kids - at home, in school, or in their communities. In total, GO Kids has distributed over $2 million in funding from 2019-2022.

“Oregon Community Foundation’s investment in arts, education, literacy and childcare programs for underserved children clearly affirms that we can work together to establish innovative, community-led solutions and build momentum to help close the opportunity gap for low-income families in Oregon,” said Ruby Buchholtz, Community Engagement Coordinator, Oregon Community Foundation.

Following is a snapshot of just a few of the community-based organizations that Oregon Community Foundation supports through GO Kids 2-year grant funding:

Families Connected/Familias en Conexion | The Arc Lane County (Parent Education and Support) $72,000

To support The ARC of Lane County in providing parent support to 300 families raising a child with an intellectual and/or developmental disability in rural Lane County (including the more rural areas of Oakridge, Blue River, Cottage Grove and Florence), also known as the Families Connected/Familias en Conexion program.

Families Connected/ARC of Lane County

“Oregon Community Foundation’s GO Kids grant allows us to do targeted outreach to parents living in rural areas of Oakridge, Florence and Cottage Grove,” says Nancy Berge, The Arc of Lane County’s program director for Families Connected/Familias en Conexion program. “We are bringing services and resources into these communities that are helping parents in their journey of raising children with a disability and helping families chart a course for a positive and possible future. With better access to supports and services for their children and the camaraderie of other parents, parents are feeling less isolated and less overwhelmed.”

Juntos Aprendemos | Better Together Central Oregon (Early Literacy) $45,000

To support Juntos Aprendemos, a culturally and linguistically specific program that invites Latinx parents and their children, ages 3-5, throughout Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties to work together on early literacy skills prior to entering kindergarten.

“Juntos Aprendemos is a program supporting families with 3–5-year-old children to help them prepare for Kindergarten in Spanish so they all have the fundamental skills to enter Kindergarten,” said Gabriela Peden, Juntos Aprendemos Program Manager. “Our model supports both the child and the participating adult (parent, guardian grandparent, etc.) Oregon Community Foundation GO Kids funding supports the growth and expansion of the Juntos Aprendemos program into Jefferson County and neighboring areas. Our goal is to reach all of the communities in Central Oregon so it can be more accessible to the Latinx- Spanish speaking families who live here.”

Ready for Kindergarten | McMinnville School District (Early Literacy and Out of School Time Activities) $20,000

To support the Ready for Kindergarten (RK4) program of the McMinnville School District which provides teaching, learning, academic enrichment and family engagement for students and families in Yamhill County. RK4 engages with families historically underserved with children ages birth to five (60% native Spanish speakers).

 “Our priority is to enable parents to become their child’s first and best teacher through child development instruction and materials resources,” said Laurie Fry, Communications Manager, McMinnville School District. “Using a research-based curriculum, the workshops teach age-appropriate activities that show parents how to talk, sing, read and play with their child in simple ways that foster essential pre-literacy, pre-math and social-emotional skills.”

See the comprehensive lists of current GO Kids grantees (organized by geography) in the OCF Press Room online at: oregoncf.org/press-room/.

About OCF’s GO Kids Project

Learn more about OCF’s GO Kids project here. 

About the Opportunity Gap

Learn more about the opportunity gap.

Also see: TOP Report 2020: ‘Cornerstones: Economic Mobility and Belonging in Oregon'