Fight Crime: Invest in Kids 25th Anniversary - The Oregon Office

2004: Fight Crime: Invest in Kids opens its Oregon state office.

2005: Oregon holds its first press event, a report release event focused on home visiting and child abuse prevention, with members Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schrunk and Beaverton Police Chief David G. Bishop.

2005: After a large push from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids members, the U.S. House passes Head Start Reauthorization. On the Senate side, Oregon Senator Smith started a “Dear Colleague” letter in support of the bill, garnering support from other members of Congress. And by 2007, President Bush signed the bill into law. From this bill came critical changes in evidence-based quality standards, such as the requirement that lead teachers have BAs.

2005: Fight Crime: Invest in Kids members oppose Foster Care Caps with members in Iowa, Maine, Oregon, Minnesota, California, and Utah, ultimately preventing the passage of a bill.

2006: Fight Crime: Invest in Kids holds its first ever Cops & Tots event with Maine and Oregon law enforcement leaders reading to young children.

2006: Members support the Education Begins at Home Act passage through meetings with members of Congress and press events.

2008: The Oregon Legislature passes the largest state funding investment for Pre-K to date, a $39 million increase. To celebrate, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids held a press event at a new Head Start Center in Salem, featuring eight members and Attorney General Hardy Meyers.

2009: Montana members County Attorney John Parker, Sheriff Jim Cashall, and Police Chief Mark Muirmeet meet with Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus, where he agrees to put home visiting funding into the Affordable Care Act.

2011: Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg increases Head Start funding, per the request of four Fight Crime: Invest in Kids members–and the increase passes in Congress.

2013: Oregon members work with Youth, Safety, and Justice on the passage of H.B. 2192, a bill aiming to prevent K-12 suspension and expulsion. With Fight Crime: Invest in Kids’ support and report–Classmates not Cellmates–the bill passes through the Oregon legislature with no votes of opposition.

2017: The office is instrumental in limiting budget cuts to state pre-K programs by about $10 million.

2019: Oregon State Director Martha Brooks wins the Prevent Child Abuse Donna J. Stone Leadership Award.

2019: Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Oregon holds its 25th Cops & Tots event.