Daycare Cost in Washington County, OR

Childcare in Washington County, OR

Washington County, west of Portland, is home to 610,000 residents and serves as Oregon's Silicon Forest — Intel's Ronler Acres and Jones Farm campuses in Hillsboro employ over 20,000 workers, and companies like Lattice Semiconductor, Synopsys, and Tektronix add to the tech employment base. The county spans from affluent Beaverton and Lake Oswego-adjacent areas through Hillsboro to rural agricultural land in the western reaches. Infant care averages around $15,652 per year, somewhat less than Portland but still substantial, with tech-sector families driving demand for quality programs near the Intel campuses. The county has a large and growing Hispanic/Latino community, particularly in Cornelius, Forest Grove, and parts of Hillsboro, creating demand for bilingual childcare.

Finding Care

Beaverton, Tigard, and the Orenco Station area of Hillsboro have the densest childcare center networks, with many programs positioned along the MAX light rail line that connects to Portland. The Intel campus areas have seen targeted childcare development, though demand from tech workers keeps waitlists long for infant care. Rural western Washington County (Banks, North Plains, Gaston) has very limited licensed childcare, and families in these areas typically commute to Hillsboro or Forest Grove. Oregon's Spark quality rating system rates participating providers.

Local Resources

Community Action of Washington County operates the CCR&R, providing referrals, subsidy navigation through Oregon's ERDC program, and quality support. The Metro-area Preschool for All initiative is expanding into Washington County, funded by the same voter-approved tax as the Multnomah County program. Washington County Head Start and Early Head Start, operated through Community Action and Adelante Mujeres, maintain sites in Hillsboro, Beaverton, and Forest Grove, with culturally responsive programming for the county's Hispanic/Latino families.