BuildUp Oregon

09/03/2026

Incredible to see this dream come to life for The Montessori House of St Johns! Thanks in part to a BuildUp Oregon grant, the Montessori House was able to purchase the property they had been renting, preserving 50 dedicated PFA seats. The space will serve children and families for years to come.

Thank you so much to everyone who has commented, texted, called, and sent congratulations and well wishes. ❤️

This has been a looooong journey to secure this property as our forever home, and seeing how many people are excited for us has made finally getting here feel even more special.

And while I may have been the one obsessing over every detail of this process for the past several months, there is absolutely no way I could have done it without an incredible team of people around me.

First and foremost, the amazing Montessori House staff, who stepped up in a MAJOR way and kept everything moving while an increasingly ridiculous amount of my time and attention was consumed by making this purchase happen. I am so grateful to work with people who believe in what we're building and who gave me the space to do what needed to be done to get us here.

Preschool for All (PFA) has also been such an important part of this chapter, allowing us to expand access to Montessori House and offer free preschool while continuing to offer the authentic Montessori environments that are at the heart of who we are. Our participation in PFA gave us eligibility to grant funding through Build Up Oregon (BUO). Audrey at BUO worked alongside me to secure grant funding that helped make purchasing the building possible.

Diana at Craft3 helped me navigate the lending process and all of the MANY pieces involved in financing a project like this.

Nat at Keller Williams was beside me through months of negotiations, unexpected twists, inspections, repairs, title surprises, and all the other things I now know far more about than I ever intended to.

Patrick with the SBDC helped me build a strong business plan and budget so I could understand the numbers, advocate for what we needed, and shop confidently for competitive financing.

And Lindy and the team at Rational Unicorn, our attorneys, because every strong organization needs a good lawyer. I understand why now. 😂

There are so many other people who answered questions, made introductions, listened to me process the latest crisis, offered advice, moved things forward behind the scenes, or simply kept believing that we could make this happen.

And we did. ❤️

I am so incredibly grateful.

And this is just the beginning. Stay tuned! We have so much in store for this beautiful old building!

08/31/2026

Good news!🎉 Interest forms for BuildUp Oregon's Preschool for All Multnomah County Facilities Fund are now open — and we've made updates to the program.

As Multnomah County moves closer to universal preschool access through Preschool for All, we've worked with the Preschool & Early Learning Division to evolve the program to better meet the community's changing needs.
Want to learn what's new?

Join our webinar on September 3 at 5pm PT to hear about the program updates, including funding eligibility and the types of projects we're prioritizing.

➡️The webinar will be recorded, and live interpretation will be available in Spanish and Russian.

➡️Learn more and sign up for the webinar:

Interest forms have reopened. Learn about BuildUp Oregon program updates by joining our informational webinar.

08/31/2026

Elm Park is creating a place where families can live, access child care, and build community all in one location.

This project will create 32 affordable homes and 60 child care seats, addressing two essential needs. Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care Director Alyssa Chatterjee said in a press release, "When those two essentials are separated, it creates daily barriers that make it harder for parents to work, continue their education, or simply stay afloat."

Along with community impacts, co-locating child care and affordable housing can create design efficiencies, help leverage additional private investments, and support statewide economic growth. The project was funded in part by Childcare Infrastructure Funds administered by Business Oregon and the Oregon Housing and Community Services Co-Location Fund administered by BuildUp Oregon.

As a BuildUp Oregon partner, Craft3 is proud to be part of an innovative model that addresses multiple needs at once and shows what can happen when public and private partners invest in that vision together.

What's more incredible is seeing the investment at work. Elm Park resident Jesus Gutierrez said: “For my 8-year-old and 1-year-old to have other children around to be friends with and have a safe place to play has been incredibly impactful for their development."

08/28/2026

An exciting and momentous moment! We're so proud to have supported Elm Park Learning Center with the OHCS Co-Location Fund. This fund is the first of its kind in Oregon and pairs construction funding with high-touch technical assistance to deliver modern, safe, and inviting child care facilities co-located with affordable housing.

Significantly increasing Florence's child care seats, Elm Park Learning Center shows the impacts of innovative models, like bringing affordable housing and child care together, and what can happen when public and private partners invest in that vision together

08/25/2026

Good news! Interest forms for BuildUp Oregon's Preschool for All Multnomah County Facilities Fund are now open — and we've made updates to the program.

As Multnomah County moves closer to universal preschool access through Preschool for All, we've worked with the Preschool & Early Learning Division to evolve the program to better meet the community's changing needs.

⭐ Want to learn what's new? ⭐
Join our webinar on September 3 at 5pm PT to hear about the program updates, including funding eligibility and the types of projects we're prioritizing. The webinar will be recorded, and live interpretation will be available in Spanish and Russian.

Learn more and sign up for the webinar by checking out our latest blog post: https://bit.ly/4y5bnu4

08/19/2026

¡Reserve la fecha! BuildUp Oregon ofrecerá un seminario web informativo sobre el Fondo para instalaciones de Preschool for All Multnomah County.

Únase el 3 de septiembre a las 5 PM para conocer los cambios que hemos realizado al programa. El seminario web incluirá información sobre:

⭐ Las subvenciones disponibles
⭐ Quiénes son elegibles para recibir financiamiento
⭐ Los tipos de proyectos que están siendo priorizados
⭐ Cómo es el proceso de solicitud con BuildUp Oregon

Los formularios de interés para el Fondo de Instalaciones de Preschool for All de BuildUp Oregon se abrirá a finales de agosto. Este seminario web puede ayudarle a prepararse.

La sesión será grabada y contará con interpretación en vivo en español y ruso. Regístrese hoy mismo: https://bit.ly/3TUy5GB

08/19/2026

Mark your calendar! BuildUp Oregon is hosting an informational webinar on the Preschool for All Multnomah County Facilities Fund!

Join this webinar to learn about the changes we’ve made to the program. The webinar will include information on:

🌻What grants are available
🌻Who is eligible for funding
🌻What types of projects are being prioritized
🌻What the BuildUp Oregon application process looks like

Interest forms for the Preschool for All Facilities Fund will open at the end of August. This webinar is a great opportunity to learn more and prepare to apply.

The webinar will be recorded, and there will be live interpretation in Spanish and Russian. Sign up: https://bit.ly/3RYCVlz

07/28/2026

The BuildUp Oregon team is excited to attend the ZERO TO THREE LEARN Conference, which will take place in Portland this year! This conference is a great opportunity for early learning educators and providers to connect with others in the field, from researchers to policymakers. We hope to see you there in October!

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4awhH4t

07/21/2026

DID YOU KNOW? 💡 Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care has a ton of free resources for providers! Check out their self-paced courses on learning principles, inclusion, instructional design, and more.

This summer, they expand their resources with a series on understanding and responding to challenging behaviors in early learning settings, as well as building strong relationships to support children and their families.

Check it out: https://bit.ly/4avTtau

07/16/2026

⭐ Calling all Childcare Providers! ⭐

APANO childcare team will host a free, beginner-friendly series to help market your childcare business! July 2nd and 9th. Scan the QR codes to register and learn more or visit the link through our bio under the 'Upcoming Events/Workshops' tab. 🎨