Portland's Children's Investment Fund

In November 2002, Portland voters approved the Children’s Levy which created the Children’s Investment Fund. Six years later in Fall 2008, the city electorate renewed the Children’s Levy for another five years. In 2013 Portland voters again supported a five-year renewal of the Levy.

The Levy generated $12 million annually in fiscal year 2014-15 through a property tax of $0.4026 per $1,000 assessed valuation, or about $60 a year for a home with an assessed value of $150,000. 95 cents of every dollar goes directly into proven children’s programs throughout the city. In 2015 Levy programs reached thousands of children and families through 69 programs supported with an annual $13 million.

The goals of the Levy are to:

Prepare children for school;
Support children's success inside and outside of school; and 
Reduce racial and ethnic disparities in children's well-being and school success.

One of the Investment Fund’s focus areas is early childhood. Drawing on public input, local data and research, the adopted PCL Strategic Direction for Early Childhood programs is:

1. Intensive Home-Visiting for children prenatal “ 3 years old;
2. Preschool, Head Start, or structured preschool-like experiences for children 3 “ 5 years old ; and
3. Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation.

Learn more about the http://www.portlandchildrenslevy.org/about-portland-childrens-levy

Updated February 2016