Prior to the pandemic, Central Oregon was considered a child-care desert. With one slot available for every three children, Bend was a hard place to work as Child Care was just not available. Early in the pandemic, Bend Preschool applied for a grant to help make child care more accessible. That grant was approved, and in September 2020 the school opened a new location. There are preschool spots available at the brand new location in West Bend, right by 10 Barrel. With 49 slots, families who are searching for child care while they work now have some choices.
In addition, the grant allows the school to provide free preschool to non-working families who financially qualify. This is great for families affected by the pandemic or those who have a stay-at-home mom. Visit the website at bendpreschool.com/free-preschool for more information and links to these programs.
