About
Protect Kids Central Oregon
This website is a resource of resources—to help support families, and in turn, protect children.
If your family is under stress, you’re not alone. A 2018 needs assessment by United Way Central Oregon revealed that more than a third of households in Crook, Jefferson and Deschutes were living on the edge. High housing costs, lack of health insurance, a scarcity of affordable childcare, jobs that don’t offer paid sick days…these factors and many more can stress families.
And we know that stressed families can put kids at risk.
When struggling families can’t access resources in their community, they are at increased risk of experiencing or perpetrating child abuse and neglect. Many families simply don’t know how to get help, or that these resources exist.
KIDS Center and MountainStar Family Relief Nursery launched protectkidsco.org in April 2024 to help families find local resources—from medical care and childcare to clothing and housing. We’ve organized these resources by county, so families in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties can quickly find support in their communities.
How can I find help for my family?
Click “Get Help” in the main menu, and choose your county. You’ll find resources organized under categories such as Housing / Shelter, Food, Childcare and Medical / Dental. Each category lists programs and organizations that can help. Give them a call. Getting help makes your family stronger, not weaker.
About KIDS Center
Central Oregon’s Children’s Advocacy Center, KIDS Center leads our region’s response to child abuse. KIDS Center provides independent child abuse evaluations, family advocacy and therapy—at no cost. The nonprofit collaborates with law enforcement, child protection agencies, and medical providers to wrap children and families with services and support. KIDS Center has also trained over 16,000 adults in child abuse prevention and offers free child safety classes across Central Oregon, all year long.
About MountainStar Family Relief Nursery
MountainStar Family Relief Nursery prevents child abuse and neglect through community support and therapeutic services that help vulnerable children and families succeed. MountainStar is the only program in Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook Counties providing therapeutic classrooms, parenting education services, and family support targeted at protecting babies and toddlers who are at significant risk of abuse and neglect.
How can I get a Central Oregon program or organization added to your resource list?
Contact Rachel Visser, KIDS Center’s Prevention Education Manager at prevention@kidscenter.org