State Rep. Jules Walters told Gov. Tina Kotek on Friday, Oct. 23, that Oregon's childcare system needs urgent repair, drawing on her own experience as a mother of four who left the workforce because she could not find affordable care.

Walters, who represents the Tualatin and West Linn area, joined the governor's Early Childhood Care and Learning System Roundtable at Harmony Montessori in Gresham. The gathering brought together participants to share stories and propose ideas while Kotek took notes, Your Oregon News reported.

More than 20 years ago, before entering politics, Walters faced the same bind many local families know: childcare costs that force impossible choices. She said she was able to step away from her career only because of fortunate circumstances.

"I know how hard it is to find affordable childcare," Walters said. "Our system is struggling and these are not new issues."

She added that Oregon families should not be forced to leave the workforce.

Kotek sets 2031 target

Kotek's office has stated 2031 as the deadline for implementing universal childcare in Oregon. The plan would not replace existing programs but instead let parents move between various care models more easily, according to Your Oregon News.

Kotek said the state has the building blocks for a supported early learning system but has not assembled them. She called childcare "a lifeline," not a luxury.

The governor pointed to Multnomah County's Preschool for All program as a model. That program provides free preschool to 3- and 4-year-olds and funded more than 3,800 seats in the current school year, with a goal of serving all interested families by 2030. Kotek said it should not be the only place in Oregon with that kind of access.

Federal cuts add pressure

Funding remains an open question. The Trump administration published a proposed rule in August 2026 that would cut Head Start program performance standards, according to the Center for American Progress. The center reported that potential Head Start losses could leave an estimated 213,000 additional rural children and 441,500 additional urban children without access to child care nationally.

Oregon is one of five states where Head Start makes up more than 20 percent of rural child care capacity, according to the First Five Years Fund. Statewide, about 14,200 children receive Head Start services, reaching 50 percent of eligible Head Start children and 19 percent of those eligible for Early Head Start.

The average cost of child care in Oregon runs $19,500 a year, or about $1,625 a month, according to the First Five Years Fund. The organization estimated that child care challenges cost the state's economy $1.9 billion annually in lost earnings and productivity.

No Washington County- or Tigard-Tualatin-specific enrollment or cost figures were available.

Kotek said her focus is on designing the system before solving the funding question. Roundtable participants called for programs in multiple languages with cultural components, regardless of where families live or how much they earn.