Every Child Belongs

A new service designed to support educators to help keep young children in care.

Every Child Belongs is Oregon’s initiative to help early learning educators keep children in care by offering timely, responsive support when challenges arise.

Three young children sit with arms around each other, smiling

Through a statewide system of professional development, technical assistance, and Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC), educators can access culturally responsive help tailored to their needs.

This effort aligns with a new law effective July 2026 that prohibits suspensions and expulsions in early learning settings. Every Child Belongs helps keep children connected to safe, supportive environments where they can grow and thrive.

ECB Connect: Early Access Pilot Expands This November

Oregon’s new Every Child Belongs (ECB) Connect system launched in select regions in July 2025 and is expanding to additional areas November 2025. Co-developed by DELC and the Oregon Infant Mental Health Association (ORIMHA) with feedback from early learning partners, ECB Connect offers a centralized way for child care providers to request support when a child is at risk of suspension or expulsion.

The second phase of the ECB Connect Early Access Pilot will expand in November 2025, bringing services to more regions across Oregon. New regions include Lane; Four Rivers (Gilliam, Hood River, Sherman, Wasco, Wheeler); Clackamas; Eastern (Baker, Malheur, Wallowa); South Central (Douglas, Klamath, Lake); and Southern (Jackson, Josephine).

Request ECB Connect Support

If you are an early learning provider in one of the early access pilot regions and need support with navigating challenging behaviors, keeping children enrolled, or finding help when working with young children, ECB Connect will help you access the right supports.

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Russian

If you need Every Child Belongs assistance in another language, please email us at delc.ecb@delc.oregon.gov and let us know which language you need support in. We will arrange our Language Line service to help you.

If the ECB Connect system is not yet available in your region of the state, no problem! Even if your region isn’t part of the ECB Connect Early Access pilot, you can still connect with your local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agency for available supports.

Find Your CCR&R