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PROGRAMS
Squishtivities
Join us for Squishtivities fun! Best for families with children ages 2-5. Monthly, on the 2nd TUESDAY of the month, held at the ALSEA COMMUNITY LIBRARY, after school, from 4:00pm-5:00pm. Free, snack included.
Create, play, and learn with sensory play, exploration & crafts. This program promotes the parent-child relationships and results in growth in creativity, individuality, cooperative play, problem solving and more! For parents and/or caregivers and children of any age, adults must attend with their youth.
Tuesday, October 13– Foil Leaves An exploration of the senses! Collect different sizes and colors of fall leaves. Create an impression on foil and mount it on colored paper. Take home artwork!
Tuesday, November 10– Sensory Dough Sensory doughs are a great way to learn, play, and explore. Get creative and squeeze and play with this fall scented dough.
Tuesday, December 8– Winter Wonderland Kids create their own beautiful hanging ornament. Using plastic cups and winter toys, kids can set their own scene and have it forever.
Contact Krysta at the preschool, email Jasmine at jasmine.srf@ruralfamilies.org or call the Strengthening Rural Families office (541) 929-2535 for more information.
ALSEA PUPS PRESCHOOL
The Alsea Pups Preschool is a licensed, certified childcare center located in Alsea, Oregon currently with 12 preschool slots. It is a collaboration between Strengthening Rural Families (SRF), the Alsea School District, and Alsea Pups Preschool families.
Strengthening Rural Families is a non-profit agency serving rural communities within the Linn-Benton-Lincoln region. SRF supports the preschool administratively and financially by raising funds (e.g. grant writing, requesting donations), licensing and certification, employing all the preschool staff, providing training and professional development opportunities, and paying all expenses. Since 2011, Strengthening Rural Families has provided administration and staffing for the Alsea Pups Preschool.
The Alsea School provides school support, including the site and facilities, along with the opportunity for families to sign up for transportation and food services. The Pups’ families provide support via involvement, modeling behavioral and learning goals at home, volunteering, or volunteer work sessions, and fundraising efforts.
The Alsea Pups Preschool could not exist without these combined funding sources. We need your active involvement to keep things running for all families. If the Alsea Pups Preschool was strictly fee for service, without the shared funding, tuition would exceed $18,000 per year per student.
In 2020, SRF applied for and received a Preschool Promise Program (PSP) grant from the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC). PSP is a publicly funded program that offers free preschool to families who meet certain eligibility requirements. The funding provides an increase in resources to address the current gaps in access to affordable, high quality, culturally relevant preschool opportunities for families. There are eligibility requirements. Families must live in Oregon and have a child/ren who is at least 3 years old but not yet eligible for kindergarten and whose income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). This year and in past years, SRF applied for and received an Income Eligibility Exception for Geographic Areas with Low Access to Preschool (GALA) waiver, which allows all families with age-eligible children to apply for enrollment, regardless of income level. Families must still meet all eligibility requirements. ENROLLMENT: Families who meet the requirements need to fully complete the PSP application process through Coordinated Enrollment. This is a mandatory part of the program registration. The Early Learning Hub (EL HUB) determines eligibility of applicants using state metrics from DELC, places the eligible children in the Preschool Promise programs and communicates those placements to us. When we receive our placements, staff at the Alsea Pups Preschool communicate to families so you can complete our registration process. Your child will not be able to attend until all these steps are complete.
WE ARE FULL! YOU MAY BE PLACED ON A WAITING LIST IF YOU APPLY NOW. Preschool Promise Application link: 2026-27 Preschool Promise Application
The questions on the application about where you live and what your income level is may be confusing and make it seem like your child will not be eligible to attend, so please contact EL Hub staff or preschool staff or Lauri (lauri.srf@ruralfamilies.org) with any questions about it. We will happily walk you through the process.
The funding provides an increase in resources to address the current gaps in access to affordable, high quality, culturally relevant preschool opportunities for families experiencing challenges. High quality preschool is one of the most effective strategies for closing opportunity gaps, preparing children for kindergarten and ultimately raising school achievement.
This is a Preschool Promise classroom and has eligibility requirements.
Please contact Lauri at lauri.srf@ruralfamilies.org or Ms. Mirium at mirium.srf@ruralfamilies.org IF YOU ARE INTERESTED in attending Alsea Pups Preschool so we can make sure you complete the forms you need to and we can connect you to the coordinated enrollment specialist if necessary.
1. Complete the preschool application.
2. Once accepted, LBCC Coordinated Enrollment will email you. From there, you will hear from the staff at Alsea Pups Preschool so you can complete a registration packet for your child before preschool starts in September.
3. You do not need to fill out a new PSP application if you have already done one for a previous year. We will ask you to update your information and complete a new Alsea Pups Preschool registration packet. As a member of our preschool, your child:
will be encouraged to be safe and respectful to others and to the classroom learning environment
will be encouraged to create habits of listening, sharing, concentration and pride in their achievements
has the chance to establish a foundation of reading, writing, mathematics and science through well-chosen stories, songs, rhymes and games
will leave better prepared for kindergarten and elementary school
is in a preschool that views you as a partner helping your child and the classroom succeed
Mirium Ulm, Preschool Director mirium.srf@ruralfamilies.org
Krysta Hart, Preschool Co-Director, krysta.srf@ruralfamilies.org
Alsea Pups Preschool Phone: (541) 487-3106
Please leave a message and we will get back to you.
Preschool Address: 178 S. 3rd St., Alsea, OR 97324
