News Archive

The Colorado Early Childhood Leadership Commission and the Office of Lt. Governor Joseph A. Garcia just released an Early Childhood Needs Assessment report for Colorado.

The objective of this assessment was to identify counties with high levels of socio-demographic risk and high rates
of poor maternal, infant, and child outcomes.

The ECLC is a collaborative legislatively authorized group that is coordinating and establishing early childhood policy in Colorado. 

The ECLC is authorized by legislation until 2013. The purpose of Early Childhood Leadership Commission is to improve outcomes for young children ages birth to eight and their families by advancing the alignment, coordination, and efficiency of programs and services.

The Early Childhood Colorado Framework is the Commission's guide for developing a comprehensive, coordinated service delivery system for Colorado's youngest children.  This high-level leadership commission will accelerate and sustain Colorado's commitment to improving outcomes for young children.

Friday, January 20, 2012 the Early Childhood Leadership Commission presented their 2011 Annual Report before Governor John Hickenlooper, and the Senate Education, Senate Health and Human Services, House Education, and House Health and Environment Committees. The report highlighted Commission accomplishments and laid out the vision for future early childhood work. News of the report appeared in the Pueblo Chieftan, “State Ed Panel Wants More Early Programs,” and the Durango Herald, "Bill Aims to Help Kids".

Read more news in the Early Childhood Leadership Commission Newsletter

Impacts of the Recession and State Budget Structural Challenges Threaten Programs Supporting Colorado Kids and Long-Term Prosperity of State

According to a report released today by the Colorado Children’s Campaign, children have claimed a shrinking share of Colorado’s total state budget since FY 2009-10, despite a growing child population and increasing child poverty rates.  According to the Colorado Children’s Budget 2011, the portion of the state budget supporting children’s programs and services decreased from 45.3 percent in FY 2009–10 to 41.7 percent in the current fiscal year.  The Colorado Children’s Budget 2011 analyzes Colorado’s public investments in programs and services supporting children for the past five years, a period marked by a severe recession and weak economic recovery. 

“Budgets should reflect the priorities of the community,” said Chris Watney, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “Since children are our state’s greatest asset, adequately investing in them should be a high priority. These statistics are cause for concern.”

Over the five-year period analyzed in this report, Colorado’s investment in children’s programs grew at an average annual rate of 3.3 percent, just enough to keep pace with inflation and the growth in child population. However, the average annual growth rate was boosted due to the temporary infusion of federal dollars through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which has now been mostly spent.  Since the peak in FY 2009–10, investments in children’s programs decreased by 6.4 percent in FY 2010–11 and 4.7 percent in FY 2011–12, whentaking into account inflation and the growth in child population.

Based on initial FY 2012–13 state revenue projections, possible decreases in federal support for discretionary children’s programs, and continued structural imbalances in the state budget, children’s programs are likely to face additional cuts in the upcoming year.

“No population is at greater risk as a result of Colorado’s current fiscal crisis than children,” said Watney.  “More than 1.2 million Colorado children rely on the education, health and early childhood services they receive today to shape them into tomorrow’s adults.  The budget decisions made in the upcoming year will impact our kids and our state long after the economy recovers.”

The Children’s Budget 2011 is intended to serve as a resource guide for policymakers and advocates who are interested in better understanding how Colorado funds children’s programs and services and to help unravel the often confusing and complicated details of the state budget.  The report provides detailed information on appropriations and sources of financing for programs which help children across four domains: early childhood learning and development, health, K-12 education, and other support services.

Other key findings:

• When it comes to specific programs, appropriation data from FY 2007–08 through FY 2011–12 show that, overall, whether or not a program experienced growth hinged on one of three factors:(1) stateconstitutional protection;(2) dedicated cash fund revenue stream;or (3) ability to leverage substantial federal funding.  If none of these exist, investments usually failed to keep pace with inflation and child population growth.

• Colorado relies heavily on federal grants to deliver services and support for children and families and future flows of these funds are uncertain.  In the current fiscal year (after most ARRA funds were spent), federal grants account for more than one-quarter of state spending on children, with the level of dependence on federal funding varying greatly by domain.  Nationally, federal spending on children is projected to decline as a proportion of the federal budget. 

• Programs absorbing cuts during the five-year period covered in the report include K-12 education, Early Intervention Services, the Colorado Preschool Program, the Child Care Assistance Program, summer and after-school programs, public health and prevention programming, programs enhancing economic security for low-income families with children, child welfare services, and youth corrections.

• Colorado’s constitutional fiscal constraints and its reliance on a revenue system not capable of keeping up with state program commitments continue to pose challenges to lawmakers as they struggle to balance the budget and meet the needs of Colorado’s children in a recovering, but still sluggish, economy. 

“Our state cannot cut its way out of the serious fiscal challenges that it faces,” said Watney.  “We must work together to develop long-term structural solutions that will put our state’s budget and our future generations back on a path to success.”

The full report can be downloaded at www.coloradokids.org/facts/childrensbudget2011.html

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The Colorado Children’s Campaign is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization committed for over 25 years to creating hope and opportunity for all of Colorado’s more than 1.2 million kids.  As the state’s most trusted source for data and research on child well-being and backed by an extensive, statewide network of dedicated child advocates, the Children’s Campaign champions policies and programs that help lift children out of poverty, improve child health, early childhood learning and development, and K-12 education, and provide all of Colorado’s children the opportunity to reach their full potential.  For more information, please visit www.coloradokids.org. 

Even as federal and state policymakers consider cutting back programs that boost the incomes of working-poor families, two researchers report evidence that poverty among young children not only slows them in school but also shrinks their earnings as adults.

This suggests that while cutting programs like Earned Income Tax credits (EITCs) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) may produce short-term budget savings, it also could generate significant costs for the nation down the road.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Prevention Services Division  releases a summary of the 2011 Colorado Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Report that includes a thorough review of the literature supporting risk and protective factors for early childhood obesity, and prevention practices during the preconception and prenatal periods, and the first 5 years of a child’s life. For more information contact Tracymarie.Miller@state.co.us.

Parents and the High Cost of Child Care: 2011 Update
This update from the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) reports on the results of a recent survey on the costs of child care, revealing that the cost of center-based care for two children exceeds annual average rent payments in every state.

The latest quarterly newsletter for the Early Childhood Councils Initiative is available at  http://www.cde.state.co.us/early/eccnewsletters.htm

National Award Tied to Best Plans for Improving Third Grade Literacy

A coalition of Denver civic leaders has agreed to target early literacy as an urgent priority, recognizing that children who don’t learn to read well by the end of third grade are more likely to struggle academically and less likely to finish high school.

Denver joins more than 150 other cities, counties, and towns in at least 36 states to address what is clearly a national crisis: A full two thirds of U.S. students fail to become proficient readers in the early grades, and schools cannot fix this problem without community support.

The communities—ranging from big cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Baltimore to smaller places like El Dorado, Kansas—are developing strategies to tackle three underlying issues that have consistently kept children from learning to read well:

• school readiness— too many children are entering kindergarten already behind
• school attendance— too many young children are missing too many days of school
• summer learning— too many children are losing ground academically over the summer

The cities and counties (read the list here) have signaled their intent to apply for the 2012 All-America City Awards, which will go to those that develop the most comprehensive, realistic, and sustainable plans to deal with these three challenges.

A pact between the National Civic League and the foundation-led Campaign for Grade-Level Reading allows these communities to join the Campaign’s network, which will provide assistance throughout the application process and help cities develop community-wide plans for improving reading achievement by the end of third grade. These localities will also be on the radar screen for the Campaign’s 80 foundations and philanthropic donors, who fund early childhood and early learning and literacy projects.

The concerted local action comes at a time when states and the federal government are paying particular attention to early education through legislation and grant programs. It also complements efforts underway by United Way Worldwide and the National League of Cities, both key partners in the Campaign.  Other major partners include the United States Conference of Mayors, America’s Promise Alliance, and the Council for a Strong America, whose Mission: Readiness affiliate brings a strong national security message to the Campaign and other efforts to improve the prospects of the nation’s youngest children.

“We’ve put a stake in the ground to cut the number of high school dropouts in the U.S. by half, and we know that boosting reading proficiency by the end of third grade is critical to meeting our goal,” said Brian A. Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way Worldwide.

The national movement focusing on grade-level reading responds to a “call to action” issued by a special Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT report, Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters. The 2010 report underscored the troubling data on student achievement and poverty: Only 17 percent of low-income children scored proficient in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Half of them hadn’t even mastered basic reading skills.

Children who don’t read well by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers, 2011 research shows. Poverty compounds the problem: Poor children who don’t read proficiently early on are 13 times more likely not to finish high school than good readers who have never lived in poverty, according to Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation.

“Those numbers are catastrophic and they bode ill for those children,” said Ralph Smith, the Casey foundation senior vice president who is managing director of the Campaign. “They bode ill for their families. They bode ill for our communities, and they bode ill for the nation as a whole.

“Clearly, we must hold schools accountable for helping all children achieve. But schools cannot succeed alone. We need to bring together communities to help solve these problems.”

The All-America City Award is given annually to 10 communities recognized for outstanding civic accomplishment, with an emphasis on innovation, inclusiveness, and collaboration among community leaders. It does not come with a cash prize, but cities have touted it to attract new businesses and seek higher credit ratings. The Campaign will provide assistance to cities to develop their final applications, which are due in March. Finalists will be selected by April, and the winners will be announced in June.

“Any community that works collectively and passionately to get all children reading and succeeding in school will see tremendous benefits,” said Gloria Rubio-Cortes, president of the National Civic League. “Regardless of whether a community wins, this process will allow places across the country to develop ambitious, doable, and coherent plans that can help close the academic achievement gaps, improve graduation rates and guarantee a better future for our children.”

The local push complements what state and federal leaders are doing to improve early learning:  

• This week, U.S. Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Michael Enzi (R-Wyoming) will begin mark-up on a plan to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary School Act (ESEA). The draft plan includes provisions for early learning.
• On Wednesday, as many as 43 states will submit applications for $500 million in grants from the federal Early Learning Challenge Fund. The program, administered jointly by the U.S. Education and Health and Human Services departments, will reward states with the best plans to improve learning in the years before a child arrives at kindergarten.

“City leaders are uniquely positioned to champion local efforts to boost early reading proficiency, which can not only bridge the achievement gap and reduce dropout rates, but will also strengthen a city’s workforce and advance its broader economic development agenda,” said Clifford Johnson, executive director of NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education and Families. “We are excited to lend our support and resources to cities participating in the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.”

The Campaign for Grade-Level Readingis a collaborative effort by dozens of funders across the nation to: close the gap in reading achievement that separates many low-income students from their peers; raise the bar for reading proficiency so that all students are assessed by world-class standards; and ensure that all children, including and especially children from low-income families, have an equitable opportunity to meet those higher standards. For more information, visit www.gradelevelreading.net.

The National Civic Leagueis the home of the All-America City Award,  an honor achieved by more than 600 communities across the country. NCL is a 117-year-old nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that strengthens democracy by increasing the capacity of groups and individuals to participate in and build healthy and prosperous communities.  NCL publishes the Model City Charter and the National Civic Review, and conducts programs, research and technical assistance on topics like fiscal sustainability, transportation-oriented development, environmental stewardship, racial equity and immigrant integration. www.ncl.org  www.allamericacityaward.com

The National League of Citiesis the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans. 

United WayWorldwideis a worldwide network in 40 countries and territories, including more than 1,200 local organizations in the U.S. It advances the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all by focusing on the three key building blocks of education, income and health.  United Way recruits people and organizations who bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done.  LIVE UNITED® is a call to action for everyone to become a part of the change. For more information about United Way, please visit: LIVEUNITED.org.
 

DENVER - Colorado's Lieutenant Governor has boarded a "literacy bus" to begin a listening tour in hopes of boosting up childhood literacy in our state.

The Literacy Bus will visit 18 Colorado cities between October 17th and 21st and on November 7th. The focus of the tour will be on hearing from local education and community leaders and parents on how to support their efforts on early literacy.

"Governor Hickenlooper and I share the belief that early literacy is one of the education cornerstones to building a strong workforce for Colorado's future," Garcia said. "We're joining with communities across the state in a dialogue about what we can do to help ensure every child is a successful reader by the end of third grade."

The tour, which kicks off October 17 in Steamboat Springs, will feature a series of community conversations with educators, leaders, teachers and parents. All of the forums are open to the public. The objective is to exchange ideas and information on ways to ensure every third-grader reaches literacy proficiency.

Mile High United Way is a lead partner with the Lieutenant Governor on the effort to strengthen early literacy in the state. 

Garcia says the emphasis of the tour will be on identifying and implementing programs that foster literacy from birth through age 8. He says data from across the United States consistently show that literacy skills evolve from birth, and the intervention and education at the earliest stages of life are critical to literacy development.

"By engaging in this week-long dialogue, we will learn how communities foster early childhood literacy and what state leadership can do to support their efforts," Garcia said. "Governor Hickenlooper has proven that this kind of community engagement is the right way to build a movement of support toward a common goal. I'm excited to get started."

1 NATIONAL KIDS COUNT DATA BOOK REVEALS IMPACT OF THE RECESSION ON CHILDREN IN COLORADO AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY

New Data Looks at Impact of Foreclosures and Unemployment on Children
(Denver, CO, Aug. 17, 2011)

According to national data released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its annual KIDS COUNT® Data Book, there has been a significant decline in the economic well-being of American children and families over the last decade. The U.S. child poverty rate increased 18 percent between 2000 and 2009, effectively wiping out the gains made on this important measure in the late 1990’s. This increase means that 2.4 million more American children are living below the federal poverty line ($21,756 for a family of two adults and two children). Data also reveals the impact of the job and foreclosure crisis on children. In 2010, 11 percent of American children had at least one unemployed parent and 4 percent have been affected by foreclosure since 2007.

Please visit the Data Book home page to download the report and create maps, graphs and charts at the national, state and local level.

The Application for Initial Funding for the Early Learning Challenge has been released.  The executive summary is attached for your review.  The full application can be downloaded at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-earlylearningchallenge/index.html.  Colorado will be now moving into officially launching the grant production using the process outlined in the  attached document.  

The grant application outlines five selection criteria: 

(A)  Successful State Systems

(B)  High-Quality, Accountable Programs

(C)  Promoting Early Learning and Development Outcomes for Children

(D)  A Great Early Childhood Education Workforce

(E)  Measuring Outcomes and Progress

Selection Criteria areas A and B are Core Areas – meaning Colorado must respond to all criteria.  The other areas are “Focused Investment Areas” – meaning we can be selective in how we respond.   

The deadline for submission for the application is October 19^th.  This email list will continue to be used to share updates and opportunties related to this grant.