The Upstream Initiative is a program designed to improve the primary prevention system that supports families and children during the first 1,000 days of life. It is a collaborative effort between the Oregon Health and Education Collaborative and various communities.

The co-imagined Child Success Model will outline an intentional, coordinated system that is culturally appropriate, integrating supports and services for children, families, communities, and our workforce in an
asset-based, whole-person, trauma-informed, and culturally specific way.

The work of CSM Design Pilots will center on systems change to impact the way communities support children and their families during the first 1,000 days of life (from conception to the childʼs second birthday).

The objective is to identify the key elements of a reimagined system, including an estimate of how much it would cost to ensure that every child has the best possible start in life, and define the kind of community-based workforce that would be needed.

The design process will require addressing the conditions of poverty, injustice, systemic racism, and rural disparities that undermine success and lead to structural social and health inequities.

The Design Pilots will create partnerships between health, education, and social service sectors, in collaboration with local community leadership to create conditions where all children, families, and communities are afforded an equitable opportunity to succeed.

The work of the Design Pilots will be grounded in community wisdom, weaving together lived experience and research, using both existing and new sources of qualitative and quantitative data to generate community-driven solutions designed to create long-term transformative and structural change.

No, the Design Pilots will not be “demonstration projects,” but rather contributors to a “blue sky” or “if anything were possible” design effort.

The Learning Collaborative is an expertly facilitated forum where Design Pilots can share best practices, collaborate on challenges, and identify opportunities for improvement. The Design Pilots will participate in the Learning Collaborative to learn from other communities' experiences, share their own proof points and successes, and help co-construct a state-level Child Success Model Strategy.

Client journeys refer to the experiences of families and children during the first 1,000 days of life. The Design Pilots will work to develop community-specific scenarios of these journeys based on real-world experiences. These scenarios will help identify key touchpoints, opportunities for intervention, and areas for improvement in services, such as perinatal home visiting, social-emotional metrics, asset mapping, and specific programs to address roadblocks to success.

A Child Success Model is a comprehensive system designed to support children and their families during the first 1,000 days of life. The Design Pilots will work to develop a model that outlines the roles and responsibilities of cross-sector partners, strategies for implementation, methods of evaluation, and connections to other efforts already in motion. The model will be responsive to community-specific scenarios and will aim to create
long-term transformative and structural change.

The Design Pilots will work to develop a detailed budget and narrative for the 5-year implementation of the Child Success Model. They will be responsible for identifying expenses, sources of funding, and how the funding will be used to support the implementation of the model. The budget and narrative will provide a roadmap for the implementation and sustainability of the model.

The legislation and funding recommendations will provide the resources needed to implement and scale the Child Success Model statewide. The Design Pilots will use learnings from their communities to help develop concepts for legislation and funding recommendations for the 2025-2026 biennium. They will work to ensure that the recommendations are evidence-based, feasible, and grounded in community wisdom.

The Letter of Interest (LOI) process is the first step in applying to become a Design Pilot in The Upstream Initiative. It is an opportunity for communities to demonstrate their readiness to participate in the program and to highlight their qualifications.

Any community or organization that is interested in impacting the way communities support children and their families during the first 1,000 days of life is eligible to apply.

No, a funding match is not required to apply for the program. However, you are encouraged to include any in-kind resources that your community can contribute to the Design Pilot to ensure its success in your LOI.

The Readiness Criteria are five areas that have been identified as essential for demonstrating readiness for participation in The Upstream Initiative. These areas are Established Staff, Infrastructure, and Governance; Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging; Character, Competence, and Communication; Alignment with Established Community Momentum; and Established Relationship with Outside Consultant and/or Facilitation Firm.

The Scoring Rubric is a guide that is used to evaluate the quality of LOI submissions. The rubric assigns a score of 0 to 4 to each submission, with 0 indicating that the applicant is not yet prepared and 4 indicating that the applicant is extremely well-prepared.

It means that the applicant has a group of staff members with relevant experience and expertise, exceptional qualifications, and a clear plan for staff development and training.

The applicant should have a board of directors or steering committee, a clear plan for engaging with and reporting to these structures, and a plan for regular communication, evaluation, and improvement.

Diversity and inclusion are highly valued. The applicant should demonstrate evidence of valuing and prioritizing the voices and experiences of diverse individuals and communities and have a comprehensive plan for addressing the needs and challenges faced by children and families from diverse backgrounds and communities.

Applicants should have a detailed plan for building partnerships with multiple stakeholders and organizations, a clear strategy for engaging with them throughout the project, and specific organizations and stakeholders they intend to collaborate with.

This track record is very important. Applicants should be a recognized leader in the field with a long-standing and exemplary track record of success, innovation, excellence, and a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. The applicant should have a proven track record of achieving measurable outcomes and making a positive impact on the lives of children and families.

After the initial review of the LOI submission, the Application Review Committee will select a group of applicants to move forward to a round of Appreciative Site Visits. During these visits, Committee members will meet with the applicants, their key partners, community members, and project leaders to learn more about each applicant's proposal.

The Appreciative Site Visits serve two purposes. First, they allow the Committee members to learn more about each applicant's proposal and to assess their readiness for participation in The Upstream Initiative. Second, they provide an opportunity to begin building relationships between the Oregon Health and Education Collaborative team and the prospective communities.

The learnings from the Appreciative Site Visits will inform scoring adjustments before the final selection of Design Pilots. The goal is to ensure that every community has a fair and equal opportunity to participate in The Upstream Initiative, and that the final selection is based on a thorough assessment of each applicant's readiness.

You can direct your questions about the LOI process to upstream@oregoncollaborative.org.

All parties will be notified no later than June 30, 2023, about the results of their submission.