About PRO

OUR MISSION
"To provide opportunities, resources, and recognition for the professional development of family child care providers. This support encourages providers to strive for excellence in caring for children."

OUR STORY
PRO is a grassroots organization that started in 1985 by Family Child Care Providers just like you, to provide support for each other. It grew into a statewide, non-profit information and support organization of Family Child Care Providers in Oregon. And now is open to and supporting ALL child care professionals statewide, including center staff. Just like its beginnings, our goal is to encourage child care professionalism by providing and/or promoting provider training for quality child care, good business practices, and risk reduction. By actively cooperating with other public and private organizations, our goal is to increase the resources and opportunities for all Child Care in Oregon.

How It Started

One day in 1985 a parent showed up at a Family Child Care Program with her child and a basket of laundry. She wondered if the provider could do her laundry since she was JUST home watching kids anyway. This event led to the realization that there was a need to professionalize Family Child Care. This was the beginning of the grassroots organization that began to look at ways to do that, as well as support each other. This idea became the Provider Resource Organization, or PRO.