The Colorado Lab will serve as the coordinator of Family First rigorous evaluation efforts on behalf of the State to ensure strategic investments in evidence-building for services/programs positioned to meet the needs of Colorado’s children, youth, and families.
A warm welcome to Sara Bayless as she partners with the Colorado Lab in support of our work with the Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families (Partnership). Dr. Bayless, who serves as a Director at the OMNI Institute, is skilled in conducting research and evaluation that helps organizations advance the evidence for their social programming.
The Office of Early Childhood at the Colorado Department of Human Services is dedicated to evaluating stimulus-funded activities to ensure the goals of the funds were met and to assess their influence on providers, families, and the workforce supporting young children. OEC is partnering with the Colorado Lab to support evaluation planning of the stimulus-funded activities so the best possible evaluation strategies are pursued.
To advance Colorado’s vision that all children are ready for school when entering kindergarten, the Office of Early Childhood in the Colorado Department of Human Services launched the Home Visiting for Home Child Care Providers pilot program in 2019.
A new Colorado Lab report features diverse and insightful learnings from community listening sessions that were held with parents/caregivers to better understand how social connections and support can help families thrive. Research shows that strong social connections support parents and caregivers in experiencing fewer stressors, buffer the negative experiences of stress when it does occur, and promote resilience.