Bright Ideas
Two States Have Introduced Legislation to License Outdoor Preschools
This legislative session has been a busy one for outdoor preschool advocates. Two states have introduced legislation to begin pilot programs to license outdoor preschools, building from the experience from Washington’s outdoor preschool licensing program. Big congratulations to Maryland and Oregon!
Maryland
Advocates in Maryland learned valuable lessons from their legislative efforts last year, and building from that momentum, were thrilled to see legislation introduced again this year. HB 525 was introduced earlier this month with an impressive 13 co-sponsors and had a favorable hearing. To learn more about these efforts, see https://www.erafans.org/OPL-MD.
Oregon
After several years of organizing, advocates in Oregon were thrilled to see outdoor preschool licensing legislation introduced this year with HB 2717. The bill was introduced in January and a hearing is scheduled for March 1st. To learn more about these efforts, see https://licensingoutdoorpreschoolsinoregon.org/.
Natural Start is working to track all of the advocacy work around outdoor preschools in the US, whether it’s introducing legislation, working with a state agency, or simply organizing advocates. This map (click to download) provides a snapshot of work around the country in all of its various stages. If you are currently engaging in or thinking about outdoor preschool advocacy and would like to learn more, contact Kit Harrington at [email protected].
