Multnomah Early Childhood Program

Parent and Caregiver Involvement

Research shows that parent/caregiver involvement is the most important factor in determining a child’s success in school. Therefore, at MECP, we believe that you are your child’s best teacher. Together, we look forward to working with you to help ensure your child enters kindergarten ready to learn.

How can you be involved?

• Try the ideas and suggestions recommended by your child’s providers.
• Read to your child every day.
• Talk to your child often. Describe, comment and ask questions.
• Play with your child.

What to do if your child is sick

If your child is sick and/or you need to cancel your appointment, please contact your service coordinator as soon as possible. If you are unsure of whether or not to keep your child home, you can refer to the helpful Illness Guideline Charts with school instructions provided by The Oregon Health Authority. The Illness Guidelines are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chuukese, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic.

(With that in mind, please note that these charts are not medical advice, and you should contact your health care provider with any health concerns.)

Tax Exemption for Parents of Children with Disabilities

The Oregon Tax Code provides an additional tax exemption for parents of eligible children with disabilities in Oregon. The Oregon Individual Tax Return Instruction Booklet explains the procedure for claiming an exemption for the 2025 tax year. The Office of Enhancing Student Opportunities provided a memo available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Somali, that helps provide more information about who qualifies for the exemption and the documentation needed.

For further information and assistance in completing Oregon tax forms, please consult a tax professional or contact the Oregon Department of Revenue at 1-800-356-4222.

Volunteers

At MECP, we use visual supports for routines, schedules and transitions with children. Visual supports can help children learn new skills and prevent challenging behaviors. Visuals help young children learn and follow routines by helping them understand what is happening “now” and what is happening “next”. In addition, they serve as reminders for verbal directions and help children understand what is expected of them. As a result, children are better able to navigate daily activities with greater independence and confidence.

Because we provide special education services for so many children across Multnomah County, we use many visuals each day. That’s why we’re asking for your help! Specifically, we are looking for volunteers to come to our offices to help create visuals for children all over the county. You would not be working in our classrooms or directly with children. Instead, you would be in our offices printing, gluing, laminating, and cutting out different visual materials. If this sounds like something you would be interested in helping with, please download and fill out a volunteer packet. After you fill it out completely, please email it back to: mecp_volunteers@ddsd40.org

Peer Preschool Program

Multnomah Early Childhood Program has a PEER Preschool Program for children 3-5 years of age. This is an integrated preschool for children with identified learning challenges and their non-disabled peers.