Typically, the process should take about 10 minutes.

Yes, if you apply through our online application, you will need to create an account. If you need assistance, email nwelhub@nwresd.org or call 503-614-1699 or text preschool to (541) 313-1222.

You can submit the application from a mobile device or you can contact the Northwest Early Learning Hub staff for help. If you need assistance, email nwelhub@nwresd.org or call 503-614-1699 or text preschool to (541) 313-1222.

Yes. To request a paper application, email nwelhub@nwresd.org, call 503-614-1699, or text preschool to (541) 313-1222. However, we do recommend that you apply electronically because it will expedite the process and provide you with updates. If you need support accessing the internet, please contact us for additional support.

Proof of residency (living in Oregon) can be documented with the following documents in the parent/guardian's name: 

• Current utility/service bill
• Lease or rental agreement
• Identification card
• Oregon driver’s license

Age eligibility can be documented by: 

• Copy of birth certificate
• Copy of hospital record
• Copy of child’s immunization record
• Legal document that shows child’s date of birth 

Income eligibility: Income eligibility must be verified over either the previous calendar year or three most recent concurrent pay stubs at the date of application. Families are encouraged to use the time period that best describes their current circumstances.  

Income includes:

• Wages or salary (gross income)
• Net income from self-employment
• Payments from Social Security or other retirement
• Payments for unemployment, workers’ compensation, veteran’s benefits, public assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income and similar money payments)
• Training stipends
• Alimony, child support; private pensions, government pensions and regular insurance or annuity payments 
• College scholarships or grants; dividends, interest, net rental income
• Other periodic income sources

Once the application is completed online, you will receive a generated message based on the email address you provided when you created an account.

Northwest Early Learning Hub staff will review applications for completion. If additional documentation is needed, staff will attempt contact for 10 days, making at least two contacts during those 10 days. Once contact is made, we will need any additional documentation within 10 days. Next, we send your application and documents to our eligibility team to verify your eligibility, and our enrollment committee will review your programs of choice with available openings in the community.  The enrollment committee will meet twice a month during April, May and June, once in July, twice in August and September, then monthly from December through March. Please visit the free preschool webpage for more information.

No. The great thing about becoming eligible for Head Start or Preschool Promise is that there is no need to reapply for the next year. Age-eligible children may participate in the program until they are eligible for kindergarten.

Applications will open April 1, 2025, for the 2025-26 school year.

You can find more information on each program under Free Preschool and your county pages (Clatsop, Columbia, & Tillamook). If you have questions specific to individual programs, you can contact the program directly. If you need support finding the right program, email nwelhub@nwresd.org or call 503-614-1699 or text preschool to (541) 313-1222. .

Some school districts and private programs offer limited no-cost preschool options for families in their elementary school communities. To find out if your school offers this option, you can search in your county page or contact 211. 

•  Visit the 211 website. 
• Text keyword "children" to 898211.
• Email children@211info.org.

The Employment-Related Day Care program (ERDC) helps working families pay for child care, including registration fees. ERDC is a subsidy program. This means families might need to pay part of the child care cost, which is called a copay. ERDC works with partners to help families find quality child care. To find out more about ERDC and how to apply, visit the ERDC website.

Please contact the Northwest Early Learning Hub either by email nwelhub@nwresd.org, call 503-614-1699, or text preschool to (541) 313-1222 with any questions or concerns.

If you'd like to visit a Preschool Promise program, please let us know and we will look into accommodating this request. Due to the nature of privacy, confidentiality and COVID-19 restrictions , a site visit request would need to be approved prior to enrollment. 

No, the intent of the Preschool Promise Program is not to enroll students on a first-come, first-served basis. In order to support our equity goals, our program aims to focus public funding toward communities of people who have been historically underserved and who might not have had ready access to services. The Oregon Early Learning Division expects that Early Learning Hubs such as ours give highest priority to the following groups of children:

• Children who are currently enrolled in a Preschool Promise Program who wish to transfer to a different site.
• Children who are enrolled with a Preschool Promise provider (i.e., toddlers who are now age-eligible for Preschool Promise, including children funded through Baby Promise or Early Head Start with a dually funded Preschool Promise Program-provider, private-paying eligible families, etc.).
• Siblings of children currently enrolled in a Preschool Promise Program.
• For school district site vacancies only, children living within the school catchment area.

 

Once you are verified as eligible, you will be emailed and called with a placement offer in a program based on the providers who you selected in your application and the availability in the community. You will have five business days to accept your placement offer. If an opening is not available in the community, you will be placed on a waitlist until there is an available opening.

When you are offered placement, you will receive in writing (by email or mail) a letter that will include the name of the program the child has been placed in. At the same time, we will inform the program of the placement of the child. Within 10 business days, the program will follow up with families to complete enrollment and provide the start date information. You may have to complete additional enrollment paperwork for the provider. If you do not hear from the program, you can email nwelhub@nwresd.org or call 503-614-1699 or text preschool to (541) 313-1222 and we will make sure to get you connected to the program.

You can request to be placed in a different program, however, the option to transfer to a different program will depend upon the available slots at that time. We will do everything possible to accommodate your request. If you move to a different location within the state of Oregon, please inform us, so we can arrange a transfer to a Preschool Promise program near you.