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"It's been a really challenging couple of years for many reasons and a lot of youth have behavioral health challenges and we need to find the solution," said Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, from Oregon's 1st Congressional District. "There's a lot of issues weighing heavy on the minds of our youth today. The isolation that came from the pandemic, it's been really tough and a lot of students feel like they don't have a place to reach out or someone they can talk to."
Across Multnomah County, 492 preschoolers are on waitlists for four Head Start and Oregon Pre-K providers, according to the state's Early Learning Division. It's part of what makes Oregon a "child care desert." But the issues aren't space or money. The issue is a lack of staff. To highlight the shortage, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici in April toured a Neighborhood House Head Start program in Northwest Portland.
Small business owners and local leaders gathered last week with Rep. Suzanne Bonamici to celebrate the start of Columbia County's first small business resource center and discuss the challenges facing local businesses. Bonamici said she was "really excited to be here to learn more about this project and to support this wonderful project here in Columbia County." She secured $175,000 for the center as part of an omnibus spending package last month.