Multnomah County's Preschool for All program is set to introduce approximately 240 new preschool seats for the 2025-26 school year. These additional placements will become available in January 2026, offering a midyear entry point for families seeking early childhood education.
The expansion involves both new and existing preschool providers. While this move provides relief for some families, it also highlights the program's ongoing efforts to balance capacity with overwhelming demand as it works toward its goal of universal access by 2030.
Key Takeaways
- An estimated 240 new preschool seats will open in January 2026.
- Families can begin applying for these midyear spots starting Monday.
- The expansion is part of a strategy to make the system more flexible, not for large-scale growth twice a year.
- A waitlist of 940 applicants underscores the continued high demand for preschool services in the county.
- Placements are not first-come, first-served; a prioritization process is used to serve children with the least access first.
A Step Toward Flexibility
Multnomah County officials have announced the creation of about 240 new midyear seats within its Preschool for All (PFA) program. This initiative allows children to enroll starting in January 2026, partway through the standard academic year. Applications for these new positions are scheduled to open this coming Monday.
Rachel Pearl, the interim director of the county’s Preschool and Early Learning Division, emphasized the importance of this development. “This mid-year expansion is an important part of making high-quality preschool accessible for every family in Multnomah County,” she stated. Pearl added, “We are thrilled to add hundreds of additional seats with both new and trusted partners, bringing us closer to our goal of universal preschool by 2030.”
The addition of these seats represents an increase from the previous year, when the county reported adding approximately 150 midyear spots. This gradual increase reflects the program's evolving strategy in its early years of implementation.
The Goal of Midyear Expansion
County officials clarify that the primary objective behind adding midyear seats is not to conduct massive enrollment drives twice annually. Instead, the focus is on creating a more agile and responsive system. According to county spokesman Ryan Yambra, this approach allows the program to “utilize new PFA facilities as soon as they are ready, rather than having them wait for the next full enrollment cycle.” This strategy aims to prevent newly available facilities and providers from sitting empty for months.
Navigating High Demand and Long Waitlists
Despite the positive news of more available seats, the Preschool for All program continues to face a significant challenge: demand far outstrips supply. The program, which is funded by a tax on high-income earners and holds substantial financial reserves, has been under scrutiny for the pace of its rollout.
The 240 new seats, while helpful, will not be enough to clear the existing backlog of families seeking placement. As of the announcement, there are 940 applicants who have been waiting for a placement offer since the last enrollment period opened in April. These families will be notified about the new availability, but a spot is not guaranteed.
By the Numbers: Demand vs. Supply
- 940: The number of applicants currently on the waitlist without a placement offer.
- 240: The approximate number of new midyear seats being added for January 2026.
- 150: The number of midyear seats added in the previous year, showing a modest increase.
This gap between applicants and available slots has been a consistent feature of the program's early years. The situation has previously led to tensions with some preschool providers who felt the county was not moving quickly enough to approve new seats and expand capacity.
How the Placement Process Works
Securing one of the new midyear seats is not a matter of applying first. Multnomah County employs a specific prioritization system to ensure that placements are offered to the children who need them most.
Prioritization Over Speed
County spokesman Ryan Yambra explained the methodology. “Our prioritization process is consistent, regardless of when a family applies,” he said. “The system is designed to prioritize children who currently have the least access to high-quality early learning experiences.”
This means that when the number of applicants exceeds the number of available seats, offers are first extended based on this established priority status. For applicants within the same priority group, a randomly assigned lottery number is then used to determine the order of offers. This system is designed to promote equity rather than reward those who can apply the quickest.
“When there are more applicants than available seats, offers are made based on priority status, followed by a randomly assigned lottery number.” - Ryan Yambra, Multnomah County Spokesman
Looking Ahead: The Path to Universal Preschool
The addition of midyear seats is a tactical adjustment in the broader strategic plan to achieve universal preschool access in Multnomah County by 2030. Officials indicate that they will continue to evaluate the program's needs and capacity annually.
The county plans to create projections for midyear seat availability each year to better inform budget planning. The projections for the next fiscal year are expected to be released in February. This forward-looking approach will be crucial as the county navigates the complexities of scaling a massive public service initiative.
For now, the 240 new seats represent both progress and a reminder of the significant work that remains. For hundreds of families, the wait for affordable, high-quality preschool continues, placing continued pressure on county officials to accelerate the program's expansion and meet the community's urgent needs.