Bend Recognizes NeighborImpact Child Care Resources Ahead of Provider Appreciation Day
The Bend City Council recognized NeighborImpact’s Child Care Resources program Wednesday evening during a Provider Appreciation Day proclamation honoring the child care providers, teachers and early educators who support children, families and the local economy.
The proclamation declares Friday, May 8, 2026 as Provider Appreciation Day in Bend and highlights Central Oregon’s progress expanding child care access, along with the continued need to support local providers. Provider Appreciation Day is observed annually on the Friday before Mother’s Day and recognizes the essential role child care providers play in the lives of young children and working families.
NeighborImpact Child Care Resources staff Brittany Seale and Hannah Kuehl attended the City Council meeting to receive the proclamation on behalf of the program and Central Oregon’s child care provider community.
“Today, we honor child care providers—not just for the care they provide, but for the futures they help build,” Seale said. “High quality child care is one of the strongest foundations we can offer our children. It supports their development, nurtures their curiosity and prepares them to succeed in school and in life.”
The proclamation recognized the importance of early childhood experiences, noting that the first 2,000 days of a child’s life are crucial for development and that approximately 85 percent of brain growth occurs by the time a child reaches kindergarten.
It also highlighted child care as an essential service for Bend families and the broader economy. Accessible child care helps families find care that is affordable, available, close to home and aligned with their needs and values.
“Child care is workforce infrastructure,” said Rachel Haakenson, Marketing and Communications Director for NeighborImpact. “Since 2023, NeighborImpact has helped create more than 1,500 new child care slots, supported the opening of 82 new child care businesses and trained and placed 77 educators through a pilot Fast Track program. Those gains matter for children, families, employers and the regional economy. At the same time, Central Oregon still faces serious gaps, especially for infants. Continued support for child care providers is essential to meeting the need that remains.”
The proclamation acknowledged NeighborImpact Child Care Resources for its work to expand child care capacity across Central Oregon. In 2025 alone, the program added 273 new child care slots across Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson and Warm Springs through partnerships with local providers.
In the same year, the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care announced that Central Oregon is no longer considered a child care desert for children ages 3 to 5, a milestone the proclamation attributed to the work of nonprofit partners and local providers.
“Tonight is a celebration, but it is also a reminder that we must continue building a child care system that works for all of our families and that we must value the professionals who make it possible,” Seale said.
NeighborImpact Child Care Resources helps recruit, train, professionally develop and retain child care providers and businesses throughout Central Oregon. The program offers fully funded college degree programs, fast track teacher qualification pathways, business coaching, expansion grants and a variety of other provider supports to improve the availability, quality and accessibility of child care for local families.
The Bend City Council encouraged community members to recognize the child care providers and educators who invest in children and families across the region this Friday.
About NeighborImpact: NeighborImpact is a private nonprofit organization serving Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. NeighborImpact supports people and strengthens communities through programs that address food security, housing, energy assistance, early childhood education, child care resources, financial empowerment and emergency services. To learn more about NeighborImpact please visit www.neighborimpact.org.
By Rachel Haakenson, Director of Marketing & Communications