Early Milestones Colorado welcomes the expertise, insights, and latest research from across the early childhood system. We are thrilled to share guest blogs with our audience to advance critical knowledge and share vital perspectives. If you are interested in contributing a guest…
A Partnership to Expand Ideal Learning Environments in Colorado
Over the past five years, Trust for Learning, a philanthropic partnership dedicated to expanding ideal learning environments for underserved children, and Early Milestones Colorado have worked together to scale up these learning environments across the state. Ideal learning approaches are models t…
New Findings on Head Injury vs. Early Stress: A Sobering Game of “Would You Rather?”
If you’re reading this, you probably already know that some stressors in early childhood are useful and important for children’s development. But you also know that certain types of stress in infants and toddlers can lead to a host of issues later in life. The latest findings presented a…
Transformative Gift: MacKenzie Scott’s $2.5 Million Fuels Early Milestones Colorado’s New Impact on Equity Fund
Este comunicado de prensa está disponible en español. Early Milestones Colorado (Early Milestones), a statewide nonprofit organization that works to ensure Colorado leads the way as the best place to be a child, is honored to announce a $2.5 million unsolicited donation from philanthropist MacKenz…
Elevating Voices, Igniting Change: The CIRCLE Grant Program’s Impact
I’ve witnessed remarkable changes in the early care and learning field in my role as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Director for the Community Innovation and Resilience for Care and Learning Equity (CIRCLE) Grant Program. This grant was funded by federal stimulus dollars and administer…
Creating Inclusive Early Learning Environments: Lessons from the CIRCLE Grant Program
Colorado’s young child and family populations have become more diverse in recent years, representing various cultural and linguistic backgrounds and disabilities.[1] As such, early care and learning providers acknowledge the need to create inclusive early learning environments to serve the needs o…
Study Release: Community Projects Strengthened Early Childhood Field
Local grantees used federal stimulus funding to design innovative and equitable solutions to early childhood challenges worsened by the pandemic Children and families across Colorado have greater access to quality, affordable child care and other early childhood programs after the completion of a $2…
CIRCLE Grantees Overcome Barriers and Increase Access to Child Care
From Phillips County on the eastern plains to Montezuma County in the southwest, rural grantees from the Community Innovation and Resilience for Care and Learning Equity (CIRCLE) Grant Program implemented innovative projects to address child care challenges. Grantees supported and expanded the early…
Building a Stronger Community: CIRCLE Grantees Empower FFN Child Care Providers
Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care providers are a critical part of the early childhood workforce. They make it easier for parents to work, support their families, and contribute to the economy. FFN providers face similar struggles as those providers in licensed early care and education s…
CIRCLE on the Road: Reflecting on the Grant’s Impact Across the State
After nearly a year of virtual meetings and calls, Early Milestones hosted seven in-person events across the state to meet with recipients of the Community Innovation and Resilience for Care and Learning Equity (CIRCLE) Grant. Our team also met with grantees along the way at their sites near Broomfi…
CIRCLE Grantees Expand Access to Outdoor Learning Spaces
Spring brings longer days, warmer weather, and the chance to enrich young children’s education through outdoor play and learning. Time spent in outdoor learning spaces supports a child’s physical, social-emotional, and mental development. Research shows that young children with access to outdoor…
Some Colorado Families Squeezed by Child Care Needs, Financial and Social Stress
In 2021, Colorado families dealt with social and economic hardships. These hardships were more pronounced for families of color, and those headed by single women.[1] A year later, the economy had shifted, with more job opportunities but also more inflation. To learn how Colorado families were doing,…
Child Care Costs Strain Families’ Finances
In 2022, many Colorado families were still financially stretched. Several boosts from earlier in the pandemic ended in 2021, such as stimulus checks and the expanded Child Tax Credit.[1] In our April 2022 survey, families were still not prospering financially. Forty-four percent of survey respondent…
