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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 March

Oregon’s new Every Child Belongs (ECB) Connect system launched in select regions in July 2025 and is expanding to additional areas March 2026. 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

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ECB is now available statewide, with all phases of the ECB Connect Early Access Pilot complete. This final expansion extends services to every region in Oregon, including Multnomah; the North and South Coasts; the Blue Mountain region; Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties; and Grant and Harney counties.

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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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.

ECB Connect is now available in every region across Oregon. If you’re looking for support, you can connect directly with your local Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agency for assistance.

Find Your CCR&R