‘The Evergreen’: Childcare crisis pushes some Oregonians to the edge

Natalie Kiyah holds her baby in a carrier strapped to her chest and kisses the baby on the forehead while holding back some hair. She stands in front of a white tarp tent that has a blue sign in front of it. The sign says, "Don't hang families out to dry. #FundChildCareNow." There are baby onesies strung up on and around the sign. — In this file image, Natalie Kiyah kisses her 5-month-old baby while standing on the Oregon Capitol Mall with fellow advocates on Jan. 11, 2024. Kiyah is a single mother of four who previously became homeless when she couldn't afford child care.
*Natalie Pate / OPB*

You might have a lot of different ideas in your head about what could drive a family into homelessness, but one thing you might not think of: childcare.

On today’s episode, we’re talking about Oregon’s childcare crisis: how expensive it is for parents and guardians, how hard it can be to find and how providers are struggling with staffing shortages and limited space.

Featuring:

Natalie Pate, education reporter at OPB

Listen to all episodes of The Evergreen podcast here.

‘The Evergreen’: Childcare crisis pushes some Oregonians to the edge

OPB’s First Look newsletter