In this episode of The West Steps, we’re discussing efforts to improve language access and language justice in Colorado by making sure that critical resources and information are available in languages that are prevalent in our state. Earlier this year, Colorado’s legislature passed a bill to make sure that child care licensing resources in our state are available in Spanish as well as English. Lauren Corboy, Senior Policy Analyst at the Colorado Children’s Campaign and Angelica Prisci...

In this episode of The West Steps, we’re discussing maternal health and maternal mortality in Colorado. Unfortunately, large regions of the state have been dubbed maternal care deserts because of their very limited access to perinatal health care. Pregnancy-associated deaths in our state are becoming more common. And many of these deaths are preventable. But Colorado has taken steps to address this situation in recent years – and in the 2024 legislative session, there are new efforts t...

In this episode of The West Steps, we’re discussing Colorado’s school funding formula, which is used to allocate billions of dollars annually to educate kids across the state’s 178 school districts. For the first time in 30 years, the state legislature is seriously considering updating this formula. If they can pull it off, Colorado will have a more equitable, student-centered approach to funding its schools. Madi Ashour, Director of Youth Success at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; Lo...

In this episode of The West Steps, we’re discussing the Family Affordability Tax Credit (HB24-1311), a new proposal in the Colorado legislature that has the potential to reduce child poverty in Colorado by half. Sarah Barnes, Senior Director of Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign and Reilly Pharo Carter, Director of Policy & Advocacy at Gary Community Ventures join us to talk about how this credit, which is projected to reach 45% of Colorado families, could make a particular...

Since May 2023, more than 100,000 kids and nearly 550,000 Coloradans have lost Medicaid coverage. In this episode of The West Steps, we’re exploring why so many Coloradans are losing health coverage and why it matters. Hunter Nelson, Senior Policy Analyst at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; Bethany Pray, Deputy Director at the Colorado Center on Law and Policy; and Shoshi Preuss, Policy Manager at Colorado Community Health Network join us to talk about how people who are still eligible...

In this episode, we’re diving into an effort to create a State Income Tax Credit for Careworkers, which would credit $1,500 to child care workers and caregivers, direct care workers, home health aides, and other people who work in the caring economy. Melissa Mares, Director of Early Childhood at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; Perrine Monnet, Policy Analyst at the Bell Policy Center; and Emily Sirota, Colorado State Representative join us to talk about how this tax credit would...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado invested about $20 million relief dollars in out-of-school time programming, which supported 45 grantees and 60 programs across the state. But those dollars are running out, and many programs face uncertain futures. And even with this investment, the supply isn’t meeting the demand – by one estimate, nearly 400,000 Colorado kids are on a wait list for out-of-school time programming. Kaycee Headrick, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs ...

National research shows that families with children are more likely to experience an eviction – and that evictions can be extremely disruptive for kids’ education, health, and overall well-being. But data about what is happening across Colorado is inconsistent and hard to access. The Colorado Children’s Campaign and Enterprise Community Partners join us to talk about a new bill that would improve our state’s eviction data collection – an important step toward creating policies to prevent unne...

The second part of our legislative preview focuses on early childhood and child and family health. Melissa Mares, Director of Early Childhood, explains why preschool and infant and toddler care are so important to child development. Then, Toni Sarge, Director of Child and Family Health, talks about trends in health coverage and how supporting maternal care makes a big impact on kids. You can contact Melissa at [email protected] and Toni at [email protected]. Learn more about ...

Welcome to The West Steps! We’re excited to return as your resource for all things kids and families during the 2024 Colorado legislative session. In the inaugural episode of Season 6, Colorado Children’s Campaign policy directors discuss what they’re anticipating and prioritizing at the capitol this year. Part 1 of our legislative preview features Sarah Barnes, Senior Director of Policy and Director of Family Economic Prosperity, with a brief overview of the economic challenges ...