IRCO Early Beginnings

No-cost early learning services for local families

Culturally Specific, Co-Located Preschool Services

In the next 20 years, 30,000 more childcare slots are needed in Oregon to meet base demand. Matching this is a related need for representation of multi-background educators in early childhood education.

Early Beginnings is IRCO's solution to this need: a culturally specific preschool co-located with affordable housing to increase access to early education, provide workforce development opportunities, and support immigrant and refugee communities through wraparound residential services.

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Culturally Specific

  • IRCO preschool services provide a welcoming, multicultural community incorporating childrens' home languages and cultures into the classroom. 
  • Cultural sharing is encouraged, with stories, traditions, meals, and celebrations from around the world.
  • Parents are engaged in their child's education via our Kindergarten Transition and Parent Education Programming services.
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Co-Located

IRCO Early Beginnings is co-located with our affordable housing development, Aldea at Glisan Landing, adding tremendous value for families by addressing the need for both kindergarten readiness and wraparound service support. Households residing there, as well as IRCO families living in the Gresham area, will have on-site access to these preschool services.

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No-Cost

  • As a Preschool For All qualified vendor, Early Beginnings will be available at no cost to our clients.
  • With successful preschool services already available in Washington County, our expansion to Multnomah County will bring these incredible resources to even more families in Oregon.   

IRCO Early Beginnings Locations

exterior photo of irco early beginnings preschool

Glisan Landing

Construction in progress; opening 2026

385 NE 75th Ave, Portland, OR 97213 

CLASSES STARTING 2026

Glisan Landing is a brand-new affordable housing development designed for low-income families in Portland, with 96 of the units being designated for immigrant and refugee families.

Located on-site, Early Beginnings Glisan Landing adds tremendous value for families by addressing the need for both kindergarten readiness and wraparound service support for households in the housing development, as well as IRCO families living in East Multnomah County, with two classrooms serving 40 preschoolers in total.

Located in a neighborhood thriving with immigrant and refugee-owned business, Early Beginnings Glisan Landing is also nearby Vestal Elementary (an IRCO Schools Uniting Neighborhoods partner) for further support in kindergarten transition and beyond.

Developed in partnership with Related Northwest

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Gresham Civic Drive

Groundbreaking 2025

  • $3.4 million goal

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IRCO’s new Early Beginnings preschool at Gresham Civic Drive will provide both culturally specific preschool and workforce development opportunities for immigrant and refugee families in Gresham and its surroundings.

Co-located with 60 units of affordable housing—similar to Glisan Landing—the Early Beginnings preschool in Gresham will serve 80 children each day from ages 3–4. The programming will build on the same IRCO 2018 Early Learning Community Needs Assessment (CNA) that guided the development of our pilot early learning program in nearby Washington County and our first Early Beginnings preschool in NE Portland, which is fully funded and currently under construction.

Developed in partnership with Home Forward

Our Partners

related northwest logo
home forward logo
lmc construction logo
metro logo
portland housing bureau logo
preschool for all logo
citi logo
us bank logo
we all rise logo
miller nash logo
oregon housing and community services logo
pacific power logo
portland clean energy fund logo
buildup oregon logo
holst logo
business oregon logo
full potential fund logo

Support IRCO Early Beginnings

Contributions to this campaign support design and construction, ensuring preschool services can begin as soon as possible.

Thank you for giving immigrant and refugee children a bright future!

Glisan Landing

Gresham Civic Drive

About IRCO

Welcoming

IRCO welcomes new arrivals to the Pacific Northwest, providing immigrants and refugee families with housing, clothes, furniture, and more.

Serving

IRCO works through our cultural centers to provide culturally-specific services to clients, with staff that speak the native languages of immigrant and refugee communities in the area. Our programs are specifically tailored to the needs of the cultural groups they serve, with drop-in centers placed nearby the neighborhoods that need them most.

Empowering

IRCO provides wrap-around support services to clients, meeting them in whatever stage of life they may be. Through immigration legal services, employment assistance, resettlement services, mom & baby support groups, human trafficking support, and many, many more programs, IRCO is able to provide comprehensive services to tens of thousands of clients annually.