Parent Child Preschools of Oregon

Irvington Cooperative Preschool is a member of Parent Child Preschools of Oregon (PCPO), a nonprofit organization of more than 73 cooperative preschools and kindergartens with an aggregate membership of 3,000 families and teachers.  Founded in 1956 by the members of eight Portland preschools, PCPO’s mission is to promote the exchange of ideas among schools and to help parents form new cooperative preschools.  Schools must pass annual certification to belong to PCPO, meeting standards in parent involvement, decision-making, non-discrimination policies, communication, and safety.  PCPO is an affiliate of Parent Cooperative Preschools International (PCPI), an organization which spreads the concept of cooperative preschools across state and national boundaries.

PCPO provides member schools with the following services:

Advice and Guidance
Parents with cooperative preschool experience and education professionals offer advice regarding administrative matters, internal problems, in the member schools and the formation of new preschools.  Limited legal and accounting advice is also available.

Insurance
PCPO offers optional insurance packages at group rates including liability, accident, and fire.

Education
PCPO holds an annual conference for parents and teachers, orientations for board members and teachers, regularly scheduled speakers, and other events.  The organization also maintains a resource library for teachers.

Publications
PCPO publishes a Resource Directory, a President’s Handbook, a Kindergarten Checklist, Guidance for a Cooperative Preschool, and quarterly newsletters.

Last updated by lpaulson on Nov 27, 2007 at 11:26 AM