Possible move in the next 1-3 years, some questions :) (Portland: health insurance, daycare)

[AbbeysMama]

Hey! We are a young family, both 29, 2 kids, ages 5 and almost 3.We live in (please be kind, we aren't rich jerks! Actually on the poor side) The SF Bay Area! *hides under coat waiting for fruit to be thrown my way*
We are a single income family due to our little one having Cystic Fibrosis, a chronic illness which keeps me, Mommy, at home. (Yes, I could work, but I'd have to find a daycare that can properly administer several medications and breathing treatments daily, and that would cost as much as I would make at a job, given my past employment experience.)

We have yet to visit the Portland area but would like to within the next year, possibly making a move there in the next 1-3 years. I have a few questions, if some of you could be so kind to help us with them?

1. Rain and 2 small kids. Ages 5 and almost 3.
A. Do you just play outside anyway, is it mostly drizzle/sprinkle? I'm down with rain coats and boots.
B. Affordable, free/cheap indoor activities for kids? Or is everything expensive? Affordable would be under $10 a kid. Or maybe memberships? We have a wildlife rehabilitation center here that is also and educational museum and it is $8 per kid and has a $55 donation/annual pass. Things like that?

2. Mold. How bad is it? Only outdoors or inside homes? One child with cystic fibrosis, one with asthma, so it is a concern.

3. Schools. I am loving the smaller class sizes I'm seeing there on greatschools. (Our 5 year old is currently in a class of 32 kids! In pre-K! [4-5 yr olds]) What sort of standardized testing do they use in OR? Most importantly, do YOU as a parent like your child's school, teacher, environment, level of learning, etc.? Parental involvement? Kids fighting? (two 4/5 year olds got into a fist fight last week. I was surprised and it made me dislike her school even more)

4. My husband is a drywall taper. Any insight into this industry there would be helpful. He can transfer there because his union is also in Portland.

5. Health insurance/state/government coverage. (Please don't bash, we aren't abusing the system, read on) My almost 3 year old has cystic fibrosis. This is an incurable genetic illness. She currently has coverage through my husbands employer and supplemental state insurance for children with chronic illnesses. If you have any insight on this please share, or message me if it is a private/personal reply. For example, a 6 week stay that she had as an infant was over $400,000, and just one of her medications is $5,000 a month. We would be homeless without health coverage.

Thank you all so much. Very thankful that this site exists!

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by AbbeysMama

1. Rain and 2 small kids. Ages 5 and almost 3.
A. Do you just play outside anyway, is it mostly drizzle/sprinkle? I'm down with rain coats and boots.
B. Affordable, free/cheap indoor activities for kids? Or is everything expensive? Affordable would be under $10 a kid. Or maybe memberships? We have a wildlife rehabilitation center here that is also and educational museum and it is $8 per kid and has a $55 donation/annual pass. Things like that?

This page has a decent listing of various museums, with links to each museum's website. The big 3 would have to be the Zoo, The Children's Museum, and OMSI. Each have annual family passes, which look to be about $100. Many also have a "Family Day" when it's either free or reduced admission, once a month.

But there are lots of other things available. And lots of free things. A lot of it is how creative you can get, how much you keep on top of calendars, etc. to look for events, and what interests your children. Bottom line, you can keep as busy as you want to be. This page has a particularly good list (IMO). But you can google for many others. There are several great Portland Family websites.

As for rain and playing outside. It depends. Many kids play outside (what kid doesn't love a mud-puddle). I think it depends on the parents, and the physical situation of where you live. A covered patio always helps. And the rain usually isn't very heavy - you're right, it's mostly drizzle/sprinkle. Many years ago, when I was a child, we played outside. I grew up in the 'burbs, on acre or so lots. With lots of trees. If it rained very heavily, we retreated into the trees. And worst case, to a basement.

As for your health insurance question. Oregon does have the Oregon Health Plan, for those that qualify. I know back in the early days, a family member with a child with a chronic disease had difficulty signing up, with the old "pre-existing condition" claims. But they did eventually get signed up. After jumping through the usual hoops. I can't speak for how it is today, or from any personal experience. But the website should get you started.

[hamellr]

Let the kids play outside, most of us oldtimers did so as kids with no problem. Get a cheap rain coat if you're worried about it, but expect it to get lost.

There are a ton of things to do, the Oregon Zoo is a pioneer in quite a few areas. We have OMSI, the Children's Museum, History Museum, playgrounds galore, not to mention the plethora of outdoor opportunities that SF simply does not have on the same scale.

Hopefully you don't live in a place with mold indoors, that is a sign of a poorly maintained (or improperly constructed,) house. There is mold outdoors, but your much bigger concern is going to be allergens. You should have your kids tested using the Pacific Northwest tests available through your doctor. Despite similar climates there are quite a few allergy causing plants here you don't have down south.

In general, schools in Oregon are not as good as other states. Not the worse, but certainly lacking in places. There are private schools and a pretty huge home schooling community though that make up for a lot of that. Schools also vary drastically within the same district, so you need to be aware of that. Schools tend to be over crowded due to repeated budget cuts that have stripped teachers.

Construction jobs are coming back slowly, but from what I understand in the $10-$12 range. Maybe by the time you get here it'll raise back into the $15-$18 range. Portland isn't as expensive as SF, but all signs are pointing to it heading that way. The problem is that outside of Portland, Eugene, and Bend there just are not a lot of jobs in Oregon in general and even less for specialized skills. And worse of all, the cost of living outside of the Portland area is not significantly cheaper like you would expect.

Can't help you with health insurance other then to point you to CoverOregon.com

[Minervah]

Definitely have your children tested before you make a move. Allergies here can be bad and if your child has cystic fibrosis his or her condition might worsen. Just talk to your pediatrician about this. I have a severe respiratory illness, Pulmonary Sarcoidosis, which is aggravated by the damp weather but I am able to manage it with a nebulizer and inhaler.

I an not trying to frighten you, but caution you. A conversation with your doctor can put your mind at ease either way. Here is an example of a PNW allergy testing panel.

Allergens, Respiratory Panel, Region 17, Pacific Northwest (NW CA, W. OR, WA)

[Nell Plotts]

Drywall taper?? Is there any possibility that your husband could find another occupation that pays more?

[Twilighter]

Originally Posted by hamellr

There is mold outdoors, but your much bigger concern is going to be allergens. You should have your kids tested using the Pacific Northwest tests available through your doctor. Despite similar climates there are quite a few allergy causing plants here you don't have down south.

If the kids have not been exposed to the allergen tested, the test will come back negative. The immune system requires one or more exposures to form antibodies; these antibodies would later show up during testing. It's possible the kids could have been exposed to our local allergens through a visit or through landscape plants from here being planted in their area, but it is more likely they won't show symptoms or come back positive on tests until they have lived in the area for a couple cycles of seasons.

In our family, after moving from AZ: daughter's asthma got much better, seasonal allergies worse; son's asthma worse and seasonal allergies about the same; my allergies better and asthma the same. The changes seen in the kids can also be related to puberty, though, as that is a time when atopic disease can change. There is a much greater awareness of food allergies here than we experienced in AZ.

[AbbeysMama]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

Drywall taper?? Is there any possibility that your husband could find another occupation that pays more?

He makes over $25 an hour right now, he is union. But, we live in the bay area on one income, and that is not easy... He does have 10 years of towing industry experience, is the towing industry busy there? Id expect so with the rain, no?

He is a hard worker and a very nice man, I know he could do well in many industries.

[Nell Plotts]

To the best of my knowledge there are few (any?) union jobs in dry walling in the area.

A profession with high demand is diesel mechanic. Honest. He should make at least as much and can work either for trucking companies or at a small shop in any city. The new low emission, high efficiency engines use computers and the industry is in an upgrade mode.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Twilighter

If the kids have not been exposed to the allergen tested, the test will come back negative. The immune system requires one or more exposures to form antibodies; these antibodies would later show up during testing. It's possible the kids could have been exposed to our local allergens through a visit or through landscape plants from here being planted in their area, but it is more likely they won't show symptoms or come back positive on tests until they have lived in the area for a couple cycles of seasons.

In our family, after moving from AZ: daughter's asthma got much better, seasonal allergies worse; son's asthma worse and seasonal allergies about the same; my allergies better and asthma the same. The changes seen in the kids can also be related to puberty, though, as that is a time when atopic disease can change. There is a much greater awareness of food allergies here than we experienced in AZ.

Allergies are a funny beast though. When a friend of mine visited New Mexico she couldn't stop sneezing every time she went to a certain desert area. She had never been there before. There was something she was allergic to but never knew what. She had been raised in Ohio, lived and lived in LA and Portland.

My concern for this family is the asthma and Cystic Fibrosis. We are talking about more than just allergies here although they can play a role in the children's health. That's why I suggest she talk it over with her pediatrician. The child with CF must certainly be seeing a specialist who will be the most knowledgable on what's best for the kids.

[Hawk J]

Howdy AbbeysMama .

Over the years I've founds some good prices on gently used raincoats, clothing, household items, just about anything you might be looking for, etc......on www.craigslist.com &
General Class Ads - www.ifish.net in general class ads.

Best of Luck to you.