Summit County Receives 2021 Achievement Award for Summit County Pre School Program

Summit County Colorado | Nicole Valentine The National Association of Counties awarded Summit County the 2021 Achievement Award for its preschool program. The Summit County Pre-Kindergarten Program (SPK) also received Best in Category in Children and Youth. The Summit County Pre-Kindergarten Program (SPK) is determined to provide high-quality preschool for all 4-year-old children in Summit…

Can Colleges Help Early Childhood Teachers Go Back to School?

EdSurge | Rebecca Koenig “A decade from now, if that mission succeeds and that vision becomes reality, there will be high-quality early education available in every part of D.C. There will be more people of color working as lead preschool teachers. There will be more kids ready to thrive in kindergarten.”   In Washington D.C., two…

Which Countries Have the Most Generous Child-Care Policies?

The Economist  “Tiny Luxembourg tops the table. America is among the meanest.”   The Economist has generated a chart that measures and ranks nations based on their child-care policies. The rankings reflect five main categories: Leave, Access, Quality, Affordability, and Overall. The United States places among one of the lowest countries with generous child-care policies. Read…

Connecticut Becomes First State in Nation for Baby Bonds

Early Learning Nation | Bryce Covert “For us to be the first in the nation to tackle generational poverty and advance racial equity with the enactment of CT Baby Bonds is powerful and a testament to our values and our shared belief that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the American Dream.”   On June…

CU Denver Will Spearhead Group to Reform Early Childhood Teacher Preparation

Chalkbeat Colorado | Ann Schimke The University of Colorado Denver is launching a statewide effort to make it easier for new and existing early childhood teachers to earn college degrees. The statewide effort aims to make Colorado’s degree programs more accessible and affordable to early childhood teachers. The grant program comes at an exciting time…

What Changes Families Need to Recover from the Past Year

The Hechinger Report | Jackie Mader  “These are families who were living paycheck to paycheck before the pandemic and now suddenly have six, eight, ten months of rent or utilities to pay.”   While there are still policy discussions surrounding federal and state support that could help families recover, many community organizations, child care centers, and…

New Law Will Help Colorado Employers Build On-Site Child Care Facilities

Denver Business Journal | Ed Sealover “Last year was a wake-up call on how important but fragile our child care system is. This helps families get safe, accessible and affordable high-quality learning. Today’s bill is a big darn deal.”  said Michelle Barnes, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Human Services.  Colorado Senate Bill 236, sponsored…