When James Hunter walks into a preschool classroom at Family Cares, he is often greeted by a chorus of excited voices.
“Mr. Jay!” dozens of children shout as they rush to welcome him.
For Hunter and his wife, Anita, moments like those are reminders of why they entered the childcare field and why they have continued investing in early childhood education across Multnomah County.
“Preschool builds social-emotional skills, routines and school readiness,” Hunter said. “It’s an investment in kids and community.”
That investment is growing.
Preschool for All will offer more than 7,000 tuition-free preschool seats to Multnomah County families for the 2026-27 school year, nearly doubling the program’s capacity as providers expand locations, hire more educators and serve a record number of children.
On June 3, a record number of families who applied during the program’s initial application period received placement offers for the upcoming school year. County officials say the expansion means the program has capacity for every family that applies and will continue working to place all eligible children.
The growth represents a major milestone for Preschool for All, the voter-approved initiative launched in 2022 with a goal of providing universal access to preschool by 2030.
Preschool for All grew out of a two-year community planning process that brought together more than 100 community members to create a vision for Multnomah County children and families. In November 2020, voters overwhelmingly approved Measure 26-214, with 64% support, directing the Department of County Human Services to administer the program. Preschool for All connects 3- and 4-year-olds with free preschool opportunities and expands the number of children and families served each year as it works toward making preschool available to every interested family by 2030.
Among the providers helping drive that growth is Family Cares, a Preschool for All provider that now operates seven locations throughout Multnomah County.
The Hunters launched Family Cares eight years ago and joined Preschool for All during the program’s pilot year in 2022. Since then, they have expanded every year.
This fall, Family Cares will be one of 35 continuing Preschool for All providers expanding into at least one additional location. Out of the program’s 124 providers, those expansions have played a significant role in creating thousands of new preschool opportunities for local families.
“Preschool for All has made preschool affordable and allowed us to expand,” Hunter said.
The program’s growth has not only increased access for families, but also created opportunities for childcare providers and educators.
Under Preschool for All requirements for the 2025-26 school year, assistant teachers were required to earn at least $22.22 an hour, while lead teachers at Oregon Registry Step 7 earned a minimum of $22.67 an hour, with a goal wage of $29.42.
Those wages exceed the Portland-area average childcare worker wage of $19.13 per hour reported by the Oregon Employment Department in 2025.
The standards will increase again for the upcoming school year. Assistant teachers must earn at least $23.16 per hour, while lead teachers must receive a minimum of $24.86 per hour, with a goal wage of $33.15.
Hunter said the funding structure has helped providers strengthen their operations while offering more competitive wages and benefits.
“Because of Preschool for All’s funding and standards, we were able to professionalize operations, hire staff, pay good wages, and offer benefits like insurance,” Hunter said. “That helped us retain staff and expand from four locations to seven, and we’re working on an eighth.”
For many childcare providers, workforce stability has historically been one of the industry’s biggest challenges. Preschool for All’s program evaluation found that providers consistently identified stable and timely funding as one of the program’s most significant benefits.
That stability has allowed providers not only to maintain services, but to grow.
The fact that dozens of participating providers are expanding into new locations demonstrates how predictable funding can help small businesses thrive while increasing access to early learning opportunities for children and families.
The expansion comes as demand for affordable childcare remains high throughout Multnomah County.
County officials say family choice remains a key component of Preschool for All. Families can select up to eight preferred preschool options when applying. Because some individual schools are more popular than others, certain locations may reach capacity even though seats remain available elsewhere in the program.
The program expects to offer immediate placements to approximately 88% of applicants this year. Families whose preferred schools are full may be placed on waitlists while remaining eligible for other placement opportunities. Others may be waitlisted if all of their selected schools are at capacity or if residency requirements prevent enrollment at certain district-operated sites.
Families receiving placement offers have two weeks to accept or decline them. They may also update their applications to include additional preschool options.
After the initial placement period closes, Preschool for All will reopen enrollment beginning June 16. The secondary application period will remain open through winter 2027 and will help fill available seats while providing opportunities for families who missed the original application deadline. During that period, the program will highlight preschools with available openings.
Families complete enrollment directly with their preschool provider throughout the summer, and final enrollment figures for the 2026-27 school year will not be available until October.
For county leaders, the program’s continued growth represents more than an increase in available seats. It is part of a long-term effort to ensure that every child, regardless of family income, has access to high-quality early learning opportunities before entering kindergarten.
For the Hunters, however, the numbers only tell part of the story.
Every new classroom, teacher and preschool seat represents another child gaining access to early learning opportunities and another family receiving help with one of the most significant household expenses.
Family Cares plans to continue growing alongside the program and is already working toward opening an eighth location.
“Preschool for all is a wonderful program that not only changed my life, but will be able to change kids’ lives, family lives by making childcare affordable,” Hunter said.
