Summary
Police, payroll, and internal documents reviewed by Salem Business Journal show that the Oregon Childcare Coalition (OCC) — the nonprofit operator of Amiguitos & Family Child Care Center in Salem — is under an active criminal investigation and facing deep internal conflict over finances, leadership authority, and communication with families. This organization was just recently awarded a grant in the amount of $393,616 from the state of Oregon.
The Salem Police Department report #SMP25089544 (Police Report) confirms that the case remains open and active, involving complaints of bounced paychecks and disputed management of organizational funds.
Meanwhile, OCC President and Interim Executive Director Ramiro “RJ” Navarro sent an email on October 20, 2025, announcing that the nonprofit was laying off all employees and halting childcare operations. Parents — many of whom had already paid tuition for the month — demanded answers. Within hours, OCC’s Board of Directors issued a public letter contradicting Navarro, saying he did not have the authority to make such a decision and that the board was not closing the center.
Internal correspondence, police reports, and follow-up emails obtained by Salem Business Journal illustrate how payroll disputes, governance confusion, and personal conflict combined to destabilize one of Salem’s most visible childcare programs. In the name of transparency we have included all of our supporting documents at the end of this article.
RJ Navarro did not respond to requests for comment.
Payroll complaints and a police case
The conflict began when employees discovered that paychecks were being returned for insufficient funds. On October 14, Salem Police received a report from Tyler Swain, whose partner Alesha Forsythe worked at OCC. Swain told officers that Forsythe’s paycheck for $1,975.53 had bounced and that other employees had reported the same issue.
Several employees have come to us and provided evidence of the same thing happening to them. One girl (age 14) began working for the daycare as her first job in May and hasn’t had a single paycheck on time. Several employees complained about a lack of communication in the month of October, saying that they went weeks without communication about when they were going to be paid. This situation went on long enough that several employees and their loved ones began to protest the daycare and their Director.
The police narrative identifies Ramiro Navarro Jr. as the issuer of the check and logs the complaint as “Negotiating a Bad Check.” Forsythe provided bank records and photos of the check, which were entered into evidence.
A supplemental report filed on October 17 documents a follow-up interview with Navarro, who told police that OCC had been experiencing “various financial struggles” and that a Department of Justice (DOJ) review earlier in the year “found nothing shady about the financial issues.” Navarro also alleged that former employees had made unauthorized payroll promises that caused overdrafts.
As of October 21, 2025, the Salem Police Department confirmed that the case remains under active investigation by the Criminal Investigations Section (CIS).
Tensions inside the organization
Emails and official records show months of escalating tension between Navarro and Elizabeth Aldis, the director of the Amiguitos program.
In her September 27 executive complaint to OCC’s board, Aldis alleged that Navarro’s actions — including an $818.12 deduction from her August paycheck and the revocation of her payroll and Brightwheel system access — constituted retaliation and harassment. She wrote that Navarro’s dual role as board president and interim executive director was a “conflict of interest” that allowed him to “weaponize governance, payroll, and licensing compliance”.
Her complaint requested an independent investigation, preservation of all evidence, and clarification of the chain of command.
On October 10, Aldis followed up with a written response to her probation notice, reaffirming her adherence to state regulations and requesting confirmation that her statement would be added to her personnel file. That letter emphasized her compliance with OAR 414-300-0030, Oregon’s childcare rule requiring verified background checks and safe staffing ratios.
Administrative leave and board questions
On October 16 at 6:41 p.m., Navarro sent Aldis an email informing her that she was being placed on two weeks of paid administrative leave, effective the next morning. He cited “an internal review of ongoing conflicts” and ordered her not to contact staff or families or access OCC systems during that time.
Aldis replied the same evening, warning that without her and the co-director, “there will not be enough qualified staff to operate legally.” She also informed state licensing officials copied on the email thread that parents should be notified about possible closure.
Minutes later, board member Shanna Aldis questioned why the leave decision had not been made by a board vote. On October 17, OCC secretary Brittany Kimzey responded that “employee management is not a responsibility of the Board of Directors, with the exception of the Executive Director,” citing board duties of care, loyalty, and obedience.
Because Navarro was both executive director and board president, there was effectively no separation between the person implementing the leave and the board responsible for reviewing it.
October 20: Layoff announcement and board pushback
Four days later, Navarro sent an all-staff email declaring that “all employees will be laid off effective immediately” and that the center would close for restructuring.
The message alarmed families who had already paid tuition for October. Several parents contacted Salem Business Journal and confirmed that they received no clear explanation about refunds or reopening. “We were told one day the daycare was shutting down, and the next day the board said it wasn’t,” said one parent, who requested anonymity to protect her child’s privacy. “It was chaos.”
That same day, OCC’s Board of Directors issued a written response clarifying that no layoffs had been authorized and that Navarro did not have the authority to make that decision. The board said it was “reviewing finances and working to maintain compliance” with the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care.
The contradiction underscored the organization’s governance problems: an executive acting independently of his own board while controlling payroll and communication.
Escalation through email: October 22 exchange
On October 22, internal emails show the dispute spilling into a direct confrontation between Navarro and Tyler Swain, the partner of an OCC employee.
At 9:02 a.m., Swain emailed Navarro, disputing statements made online and writing:
“This agreement doesn’t remove any rights to seek injury compensation … especially for the 2nd bad check you wrote Alesha on 10/20 that also won’t clear due to insufficient funds.”
Swain alleged that Navarro had made false statements about employees, retaliated against staff, and “flipped off” a teenage employee during a dispute over pay.
At 9:10 a.m., Navarro responded, writing that public criticism could “cost the organization hundreds of thousands of dollars … going towards improving access to childcare.” He urged Swain to remove posts criticizing OCC and said the issue was affecting grant funding. Navarro also included personal remarks unrelated to OCC’s finances, which recipients described as unprofessional and threatening.
The tone and content of the emails show how personal the conflict had become. What began as a payroll issue had escalated into direct accusations and counterclaims that merged personal, legal, and financial concerns.
OCC’s official response
After repeated requests for comment, Salem Business Journal received a written statement from the Oregon Childcare Coalition:
“We recently became aware of theft coming from an employee which placed us in a position where a couple employees had their checks returned. As soon as we were notified, we replaced those checks and to date all those employees have been paid. However, the theft had a significant impact on our organization and while the Salem Police Department is involved, we unfortunately had to shutter operations to make sure we don’t incur any additional debt.”
“It’s devastating that our organization with the mission to provide affordable, accessible, and quality childcare was a victim of theft. While our executive director is doing everything he can in a volunteer capacity to make everyone whole, he has come under attack for simply trying to repair an issue where we were wronged.”
OCC declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing police investigation. Navarro did not respond to multiple direct inquiries from Salem Business Journal.
Community and parent impact
The Amiguitos center served working parents across South Salem who relied on state childcare subsidies and predictable scheduling. Its closure, even temporarily, left families scrambling.
Parents interviewed said they were frustrated that tuition had been collected for a month of care that never fully happened. “No one from OCC has told us if we’ll get our money back,” one mother said. “It’s hard to find another daycare in Salem on short notice.”
Childcare advocates in the area noted that Amiguitos’ suspension compounds existing shortages, with long waitlists at nearby centers and few programs offering bilingual care.
Governance breakdown
Documents show that the board had been aware of potential conflicts for months. In her September complaint, Aldis explicitly warned that Navarro’s dual position as both board president and interim executive director posed a governance risk.
By October, those concerns had become reality. Navarro’s administrative leave notice, layoff announcement, and email exchanges all came from his OCC executive account, yet he invoked his authority as “Board President.”
Governance experts consulted by Salem Business Journal noted that Oregon nonprofit law expects boards to supervise executive directors, not be led by them. When the same person holds both titles, “it removes the firewall meant to protect staff, beneficiaries, and the organization itself.”
Where the investigation stands
According to Salem Police, case SMP25089544 remains open and under review by detectives. Evidence includes the original bounced check, supplemental interviews, and records of communication among OCC staff.
The Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC), Oregon’s licensing agency, was copied on Aldis’s leave notice and is monitoring the case but has not announced enforcement action.
OCC’s board has not said whether operations will resume or whether Navarro will remain in his dual role. The organization’s website and social media have been inactive since mid-October.
Conclusion
The Oregon Childcare Coalition’s records portray a nonprofit in crisis — one where payroll shortfalls, blurred authority, and conflicting communications collided with the realities of state oversight and community trust.
Police continue to investigate financial irregularities. The board maintains that layoffs were never approved. And parents who prepaid for October childcare still await clarity about refunds or reopening.
Until the investigation concludes and OCC’s leadership structure is resolved, Salem’s Amiguitos & Family Child Care Center — once a reliable resource for working families — remains silent, its doors locked, and its future uncertain.
Supporting Documentation:
Bounced Paychecks
– Screenshot 1
– Screenshot 2
– Screenshot 3
– Non Sufficient Funds
– Email Screenshot
– Check Issue
Police Report:
– Incident SMP25089544
Elizabeth Aldis:
– ElizabethAldis_ProbationResponse_ToMadi
– Executive_Complaint_Packet_Elizabeth_Aldis.docx – Google Docs
– Exhibit 1
– IMG_5056
– Master_Addendum_093025
– Paid leave OCC by Ramiro Navarro
Accounting Error
– Narrative
– Screenshot
– IRS
Internal Conflict
– image000000
– IMG_4435
– IMG_4436
– IMG_4437
– IMG_4968
– IMG_4978
– Text about grant
