Frontier Early Learning Hub’s Strategic Plan
Frontier Early Learning Hub’s RFA
Frontier Early Learning Hub Supplemental Narrative
Frontier Early Learning Hub Operational Plan
Frontier Early Learning Hub Operational Plan
Contact
Patti Wright
Frontier Hub Coordinator
Phone: 542-542-5555
Email: wrightp@harneyesd.k12.or.us
The next advisory board meeting will be on xx, xxx at 12:00
at Silvies Valley Ranch.
Meetings are open to the public.
Vision
All Frontier Hub children, birth through age six, will have access to quality early care and education programs that meet the needs of families. All Frontier Hub parents of young children will succeed in their role as their child’s first teacher. All Frontier Hub children, birth through age six, will receive the necessary health, mental health, child care, early education, parent support, and resources to ensure they arrive at school with healthy minds and healthy bodies. All Frontier Hub early care and education providers will be appropriately trained in promoting and understanding school readiness; and the Frontier Hub will have an infrastructure that promotes, sufficiently funds, and holds accountable its school readiness efforts
Coverage Area
The Frontier Hub will coordinate the management of early learning efforts throughout Harney and Grant counties. The Burns Paiute Tribe has also joined with Grant/Harney for inclusion as part of the geographic and service community.
The region, which covers over 15% of Oregon’s geography and is one of the most isolated, most economically challenged regions in the state of Oregon is unique. Few people live in the region and due to geographic distances many families are isolated. Poverty is wide spread across the region and high rates of unemployment suggest this will continue for the foreseeable future:
- The poverty rate is 18.5%,
- The number of children eligible for free/reduced lunch is 52.9%.
- Close to one-third of all children birth to 5 are low-income, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty.
- Another one third are considered economically challenged.
The region is home to 1,032 children ages 0 through 6, 774 of whom are at risk of arriving at kindergarten unprepared. As part of their frontier culture, many at risk rural families work to stay under the radar instead of accessing services that they qualify for. The percentage of children age 0 through 6 in this region who fall into this population has increased relative to the overall population numbers during the ongoing, sustained economic challenges the region is facing. Without successful interventions involving parents, educators, and caregivers, many of these children, by kindergarten, fall behind other children in their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
Target Population
The Frontier Hub has identified two target populations for early learning investment in Harney and Grant Counties:
- Children of socioeconomic disadvantage.
- Children who live with multiple serious risk factors that could impact school readiness, including: children with special needs, families and children involved with multiple state agencies, parents with less than a high school education and children who are homeless or move more than once a year.
