Portland State U. teaches ‘anti-bias’ curriculum in its daycare

Portland State University’s daycare center has come under fire for its “anti-bias” curriculum that addresses “race,” “gender,” and “family diversity” as part of its “commitment to social justice.”

The Helen Gordon Child Development Center, which provides childcare for faculty, staff, and students, has received taxpayer-funded grants through the Child Care Access Means Parents in School program. The federal program is now under the scrutiny of the Trump administration due to ideological programming.

Just last month, the U.S. Department of Education announced cuts to over a dozen university-based childcare grants, citing concerns that these programs were veering into ideological territory at the expense of core developmental skills. 

Department spokesperson Ellen Keast told the Washington Post “that some of the rejected recipients would have taught children between the ages 2 and 5 about gender identity and racial justice.”

The Oregon university’s daycare hasn’t been explicitly named in the cuts, but its curriculum bears striking similarities to those on the chopping block.

“The core values in our program are grounded in shared respect for human diversity and commitment to social justice,” its curriculum webpage states, later adding, “We firmly believe children’s early experiences with diverse communities and playmates will ultimately lead to the development of cohesive, non-violent and accepting communities in our future.”

The university’s media relations team told The College Fix that it was looking into whether the daycare center was among the funding cuts, but “unfortunately, don’t have an answer … at this time.”

A closer look at the PSU daycare’s curriculum

Nestled on Portland State University’s urban campus, the daycare center enrolls over 200 children ranging from ages 4 months to 5 years. The center collaborates with PSU’s College of Education. 

It teaches an “anti-bias curriculum” that aims to create an environment where children explore differences in “race,” “ethnicity,” appearance, gender, and “family composition,” according to its website.

The curriculum is based on the work of Louise Derman-Sparks, a professor emerita of early childhood education at Pacific Oaks College, according to its website. 

Derman-Sparks described “anti-bias education” in an article published at the National Association for the Education of Young Children. According to the article, anti-bias education has four goals that relate to nurturing and self-identity, acceptance of diversity, the development of critical thinking about bias, and “justice” that empowers children to challenge “unfairness.” 

In practice, this might mean stocking shelves with dolls of various skin tones and genders or facilitating talks on “why boys can wear dresses, too,” all framed as extensions of children’s natural curiosity.

“We incorporate non-sexist, multi-cultural, and anti-bias learning experiences into our daily classroom life and curriculum,” the PSU daycare website states.

Yet, from a conservative perspective, this raises concerns about overreach. Are 3-year-olds ready to “explore” gender identity? 

“Daycare-age kids are not prepared to understand the complexities or implications of these topics, especially not from someone other than their parents,” Maggie McKneely, legislative strategist for Concerned Women for America, told The Fix in response to a query about the program and the Trump administration’s cuts.

Taxpayers foot the bill

Portland State’s daycare receives money from Child Care Access Means Parents in School grants, a federal initiative designed to help low-income student-parents balance college and childcare. 

The public university secured a $2.29 million award from 2022 to 2026, subsidizing tuition for eligible families and supporting the center’s operations.

The Trump administration’s rationale for cutting the program is that federal funds shouldn’t subsidize what it views as “radical indoctrination.” 

Executive orders issued early in the year, such as “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” and “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism,” have already axed hundreds of millions in grants nationwide. 

In childcare specifically, the moves echo the administration’s broader anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, with the Department of Health and Human Services terminating similar programs in states like California for incorporating gender-related content.

However, the cuts have been met with pushback by some Democrats.

Last week, U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark and Senator Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats, introduced legislation to expand the CCAMPIS program. This bill seeks to expand the program budget by more than six times what it is now: $500 million. 

“Whether by illegally withholding CCAMPIS funding or repeatedly calling to eliminate the program altogether, it’s deeply cruel that Donald Trump is working to rip yet another lifeline away from student parents across the country,” Duckworth stated in a news release.

However, the conservative Concerned Women for America, which has long championed family-centric policies, expressed concerns about the program. McKneely told The Fix these cuts are a necessary safeguard, stating that “the government has a role in protecting the rights of the family, which is the most important building block of society.” 

“Solid families lead to strong communities, which make a flourishing nation,” she told The Fix. 

“Not a single dime of taxpayer funding should go towards programs that undermine parents’ rights to choose how and when to have these kinds of conversations with their children. Young daycare-age kids should be learning the alphabet and how to count, not progressive ideologies,” McKneely said.

MORE: Ed Dept cuts child care grants to dozen universities over ‘racial justice’ curriculum