The Colorado Partnership for Thriving Families (Partnership) is made up of state and county human service, public health, health care, and early childhood systems that have the shared goal of significantly reducing child maltreatment and promoting family well-being in Colorado. Their work is critical with Colorado seeing a 12% increase in the number of children […]
Early Childhood
Strategy to Build Knowledge in Colorado’s New Department of Early Childhood
The Colorado legislature passed a monumental bill during the 2021 session that approved the launch of a brand new state Department of Early Childhood in the Executive Branch. This makes Colorado one of a handful of states that has an entire agency dedicated to early childhood policies and programs. The development of this new agency […]
Colorado Home Visiting Investment Plan
Benefits of Home Visitation Home visiting services are a crucial element of the support system available in Colorado to families with young children. Evidence shows home visitation provides multiple, sustained benefits for children, caregivers and families: Colorado’s Home Visiting Investment Task Force was formed by the Early Childhood Leadership Commission (ECLC) and charged with developing […]
Establishing a Baseline: Substance Use and Infant and Maternal Mortality
Substance use during pregnancy impacts people of all races, incomes, education and employment levels, across geographic regions, with young women and those living in poverty most deeply impacted. In Colorado, the state health department reported a 98% increase in newborns exposed to opioids prenatally between 2012-2018, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration […]
2021 Legislative Review
Several significant bills passed this legislative session, strengthening opportunities to improve the lives of Colorado residents across the lifespan, from prenatal care to early childhood development to adult services. The Colorado Lab worked together with state and local government agencies, legislators, the Governor’s Office, research colleagues, and subject matter experts to inform this suite of […]
Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program Expands to Address Growing Pandemic-related Need
The Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Early Childhood (OEC), which administers the Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) Consultation Program, announced funding for 47 consultants statewide, an increase of nearly 38% from 2019 (34 consultants). The free and confidential program pairs mental health consultants with the adults who work directly with infants and young […]
Governor’s Budget Seeks Boost to Wages for ECE Workforce
Colorado Lab Snapshot Report and Linked Information Network of Colorado key to request The Colorado Lab is dedicated to creating actionable research. A recent effort to create a snapshot of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce, funded by the Piton Foundation and the Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation, was no exception. The Snapshot Report demonstrated that […]
State-wide dashboard for Colorado ECE workforce launches
The Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab, working in partnership with the Colorado Department of Human Services, announces the launch of the Colorado Early Care & Education Workforce Data Dashboard. This interactive portal provides access to data demonstrating the size, breadth, and expertise of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECE) workforce in Colorado. News Release: […]
Critical Data Ensures Child Care for Essential Workers
In the early days of the pandemic, many child care centers and other educational institutions temporarily shut down, while essential workers, particularly in the health care industry, desperately needed care for their own children. Countless early childhood educators lost their jobs in the closures, yet centers that remained open to care for the children of […]