About Us
It Takes A Village...
Our mission & vision
ReVillage works to ensure that all Central Oregon families— across income, race, language, orientation & identity, and background — have the care and opportunity they need to thrive in work and in play by cultivating affordable, accessible, equitable childcare cooperatives; empowering parents; cultivating community; and advocating for system-wide, family-friendly practices and policies.
We imagine (and work toward) a world in which all families have the community support and access to care they need in order to thrive in work and play.
Founders of ReVillage—
Becca, Erika S., Joslyn, Casey
Our Story
ReVillage is a collaboration between two faith communities in Bend: First Presybterian and the Storydwelling community. Our vision is that no family would have to do the hard and beautiful work of raising their children alone. We seek to cultivate nurturing, relationship-centered childcare that utilizes the care and talents of parents and volunteers. We imagine a world in which all might have access to the care they need and deserve.
In short, we want to ReVillage our city.
ReVillage started pre-pandemic with a hope for families and children to radically flourish and experience wholeness in every area of their lives. With each adult having their own wisdom and set of talents, we encouraged the sharing of those gifts through play based learning. The gifts of the community created good for the community. We offered a co-op model for families to “give” childcare once a week in exchange for receiving childcare the rest of the week using church nurseries as our location. We wanted to lower childcare costs, provide time for adults to work and create, and cultivate a community that feeds the whole family in body, mind, and spirit.
We are now thrilled to be able to offer full-time, low-cost, equitable childcare within a co-operative model.
Our Philosophy
ReVillage’s philosophy is built upon an image of children as curious and creative members of our society. We have the understanding that children learn through their time in play. We honor each child’s right to have a voice, to be heard, to feel, to try again and again, to develop relationships, to have ownership over themselves and the right to be in a caring, supportive environment. Our classroom community serves as a safe and secure environment for children to develop a sense of belonging. We allow children to act creatively and independently in play experiences daily. We strive to maintain an environment conducive to uninhibited play. In accordance with our foundational belief in play, we consciously choose to avoid direct academic instruction and prioritize play and exploration every day.
We strive for inclusivity for all children by recognizing racial, ethinic and cultural diversity and seeking to accommodate children with all abilities.
Our Co-Op Model
Now, as a full time program, we are a “co-op lite” with both paid, licensed facilitators & daily parent / caregiver participation. Co-oping allows the parent / caregiver to be involved in their children’s care on a regular basis. By working in the classroom, family members, immediate and extended, contribute their special skills to our community, opening a completely new range of expertise to the children
Families will be scheduled for two 4 hour shifts each month, from 8:30am to 12:30pm for a total of 8 hours per month, per child. We realize that some families have daily tasks that make it challenging to give 8 hours at the center. In these situations, families ask grandparents, aunts and other relatives to become a part of our trained program to be able to give time in lieu of the parent / caregiver. All parents and caregivers that are “giving” time must complete a background check, CPR & First Aid training, other mandatory safety training and a day of orientation prior to starting the program.
Health & Safety
Health and safety are among our top priorities in the classroom, and we have guidelines in place to reflect that. Though illnesses are inevitable, we work diligently to maintain the health of our classroom, students, and staff by following strict sanitizing and disinfecting procedures.
