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Finding child care for any young child is a challenge, but children who experience disabilities are even less likely than their peers to have access to affordable, quality care.
Locally, one school district has been hard at work creating more opportunities for young children with disabilities to learn alongside their typically developing peers. Tigard-Tualatin Special Education Teacher Peggy Reilly says her “students learn that being different from one another is a normal part of life.”
 Children in the Metzger prekindergarten program learn how to walk in a line. Text says: Peggy Reilly has been a special education teacher for 17 years. Her son is autistic, and she says his diagnosis at age 3 led to her interest in early childhood education. "The preschool years are so integral to later school success," she says.
The movement toward inclusive preschools—a preschool that includes students with and without disabilities—has been gaining momentum in recent years.
The Astoria, Beaverton, Forest Grove, Gaston, Hillsboro, Knappa, Neah-Kah-Nie, Nestucca Valley, Seaside, Sherwood and Tigard-Tualatin, Tillamook and Vernonia school districts have each worked alongside our early learning team to create and expand the number of inclusive prekindergarten opportunities in their districts.
 Washington County representation at the ceremonial bill signing included from left: Steve Callaway (Mayor of Hillsboro), Melissa Haynes Pendergrass (Career and College Pathways Coordinator at NWRESD), Kristi Wilson (Workforce Development Manager, City of Hillsboro), Deanna Palm (President and CEO, Washington County Chamber of Commerce), Jonath Colon (Deputy Director, Centro Cultural), Travis Reiman (Assistant Superintendent, Hillsboro School District)
On Tuesday, April 5, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed her $200 million workforce spending plan into law. Senate Bill 1545, known as Future Ready Oregon, aims to train and equip people for high-wage, skilled jobs in careers such as technology, health care, manufacturing and construction.
The plan prioritizes people who have historically experienced barriers to well-paying jobs such as people of color, women, people with low incomes, people living in rural areas, people experiencing disabilities and others. It not only helps people get into classes, apprenticeships and educational programs, but it also helps support them with child care, housing, transportation and other costs so they can stay enrolled.
Northwest Regional ESD’s Career and College Pathways Coordinator Melissa Haynes Pendergrass and Hillsboro School District’s Assistant Superintendent Travis Reiman were both in attendance at Tuesday’s event. In her work supporting the bill, Melissa emphasized the importance of youth workforce readiness programs that would provide students with opportunities to engage with the local workforce through work-based learning opportunities, career readiness camps, paid internships, registered youth apprenticeships, and more.
“Senate Bill 1545 comes at a critical time in Oregon,” says Melissa. "Industry partners are in need of skilled workers across the state, and we are prepared to answer that call,” she says. NWRESD has recently redesigned its career and college readiness program and is working with partners to ensure youth workforce readiness programs offer accessible and diverse opportunities to young people across our region.
“Youth in our communities are eager for well-paying careers that offer opportunities for advancement. The funding provided by this legislation will help us ensure students participating in these programs reflect the diversity of our communities and have the in-demand skills employers need.”
The bill will be funded by the state’s general fund and the federal American Rescue Plan.Â
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