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 […]
Early Childhood
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 […]