February 2025 Regional Coordination Partners Newsletter
Hello!
The team at the Oregon Infant Mental Health Association (ORIMHA) is excited to launch this first newsletter to support regional alignment and coordination as a component of the Every Child Belongs (formerly Oregon’s Early Childhood Suspension and Expulsion Prevention Program). You will receive new issues of this newsletter the second Friday of each month.
NOTE: For those that are serving as Regional Service Providers (RSPs) and that will be delivering Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) through a contract with the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC), you will see those newsletter now coming out once each month on the fourth Friday. You can subscribe to RSP Newsletters and access all previous issues HERE.
As we step into the new year, we’re reminded of the energy and dedication you bring to the regional alignment and coordination work each and every day. It’s an exciting time—full of possibility, collaboration, and that steadfast belief we all share: every child belongs.
In this month’s newsletter, you’ll learn about…
How does Regional Coordination and Alignment fit into Every Child Belongs (ECB)?
What do we mean by a Tiered System of Supports?
What activities are regions being asked to contribute to right now?
Why is ORIMHA creating a statewide baseline report on Regional Coordination and Alignment?
How does Alignment and Coordination connect with the launch of Regional Service Providers (RSPs)?
How can you connect with ORIMHA for additional support or to provide feedback?
How does regional alignment & coordination fit into Every Child Belongs?
Regional alignment and coordination in the context of Every Child Belongs is the process by which local partners (or networks)—such as early learning hubs, CCR&Rs, mental health providers, public agencies, and community organizations—come together to develop and carry out a shared plan to support young children and their caregivers. This approach helps ensure that universal, secondary, and tertiary supports are delivered in a coordinated and culturally responsive way, so that early educators, families, and communities can access a seamless system of high-quality services.
Communities have actually been committed to this work for decades—building partnerships, strengthening early learning structures, and finding better ways to serve children and families. In the same way ECB is not intended to be a brand-new program, neither is regional alignment and coordination through Regional Support Networks (RSNs). It’s a way to strengthen existing efforts and bring attention to the essential services and supports that are already available across Oregon. By shining a spotlight on these collaborative foundations, we can make even more progress—together.
By working together, regions can:
Identify Common Goals and Gaps – Pool information from child care providers, families, and local agencies to find both strengths and areas needing more resources.
Coordinate Services and Funding – Align funding streams, referral processes, and professional development opportunities so every family can quickly get the right level of support, no matter where they start.
Streamline Communication and Data Use – Share data and feedback across agencies and partners to tailor services to local realities, celebrate successes, and adjust what isn’t working.
Foster Equity and Inclusivity – Ensure that all children, especially those who have been underserved, receive the high-quality care and consultation they need to thrive and stay in nurturing settings.
In short, regional coordination and alignment under ECB is about building a responsive, integrated ecosystem of supports—where partnerships, policies, and practices work together so every child in every community truly belongs.
What activities are regions being asked to contribute to right now?
We know you have many responsibilities. Still, we’re deeply grateful for your efforts to complete three important activities in this Exploration Phase of Regional Alignment and Coordination by the end of February. Each activity captures what’s happening in your region and what you envision for the future:
Partner Contact List in the Regional Implementation Tracking Spreadsheet
Initial Partnership Agreement in a format that works for your region (we’ve provided a template for reference)
SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) Analysis
Why is ORIMHA creating a statewide baseline report on regional coordination & alignment?
The stories and data you share will help us during the Exploration Phase and will ensure we deliver a statewide report in early March that showcases where communities are starting from and how Every Child Belongs can help strengthen those amazing foundations. The goals of the report are to:
Document Statewide Progress: We’ll gather updates on your partner contact lists, shared agreements, and SOAR analyses to show where each region stands. This allows us to celebrate forward motion—even though not everyone’s starting from the same place.
Summarize Each Region’s Realities: Each community has its own blend of strengths, challenges, and needs. By combining your SOAR details (and any other info you want to share), we’ll highlight what makes your region unique—and how flexible policies could serve you better. You’ll have a chance to review any paragraphs we draft and make sure your region’s story is accurate.
Highlight Your Vision of Success: Using your SOAR and meeting notes, we want to capture your hopes for effective infant and early childhood mental health consultation. We’re shaping the data collection and evaluation plan to work for you, not add extra burdens. We’ll polish the final language so we’re measuring the factors that truly matter to you and your families.
In the end, this report is far more than a list of numbers—it’s a snapshot of your innovation, determination, and commitment to your community. Your input helps ORIMHA push for more flexibility and help where it’s needed most.
How does alignment & coordination of the tiered system of support connect with the launch of Regional Service Providers (RSPs) of IECMCH?
A completed plan for how your region will manage coordination is a required element of the Regional Service Provider’s (RSP) Implementation Plan. The plan will include MOUs with each of your region's coordination partners. If you’re an RSP—or work closely with one—visit the Oregon Infant Mental Health Association (ORIMHA) website and check out the tab titled, ‘For Regional Service Providers,’ for the latest resources and answers to frequently asked questions about Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation. We update this information often, so check back regularly to stay informed.
Closing message.
Thank you for all you do—your leadership, openness, and unwavering focus on what children and families need to thrive. Please forward this newsletter to partners in your community—including parents, providers, and anyone interested in early childhood education—who would benefit from learning more about Every Child Belongs.
Subscribe to the Regional Coordination Partners Newsletter HERE
Cara Copeland
Supporting Blue Mountain, Central Oregon, Frontier, Lane County, Linn, Benton, Lincoln, South Central, and Southern Oregon
Molly Day
Supporting Clackamas County, Eastern Oregon, Four Rivers, Multnomah, Northwest, South Coast, Washington County, and Willamette Valley
Susan Fischer-Maki
Supporting connection of Regional Support Networks to the Every Child Belongs Advisory Committee and its Work Groups