LarimerThrivebyFive

Over the past five years, the number of states with registered apprenticeship programs in early childhood education has soared from around 12 to 35. This growth stems from increased federal funding and a heightened awareness of the critical challenges facing the early care and education sector. Discover more about apprenticeship program criteria and their positive impact on early childhood education from EdSurge.

The inaugural Northern Colorado Child Care Innovation Summit, hosted by the early childhood councils of Boulder, Larimer, and Weld counties, gathered over 200 participants, including Colorado Department of Early Childhood Director Lisa Roy, family policy analyst and child care advocate Elliot Haspel, and Early Childhood Council of Larimer County CEO Christina N. Taylor, MPH. The event focused on addressing the ongoing child care crisis and exploring collaborative solutions to improve accessibility and affordability for families in Colorado. Learn more about the summit from Longmont Times-Call below.

Early Milestones Colorado, a nonprofit, recently awarded $2.5 million across seven grants to address prenatal and birth-to-three issues in the state. This funding, provided by billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, aims to support families, child care providers, and the early childhood workforce. Learn more from The Colorado Sun about how these grants will benefit infants and toddlers in Colorado.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a record 69,000 Americans missed work last month due to childcare challenges. This figure highlights the urgent need for increased investment in childcare to ensure greater access to affordable care and early learning opportunities nationwide. NBC News has more below. #childcarecrisis #childcare #childcaresolutions

Investing in child care benefits children, families, and the economy. Children with access to quality early learning are less likely to face achievement gaps and more likely to enjoy better health outcomes. It also allows families to stay in the workforce, driving economic success. Learn more about the advantages of investing in early learning and care from the Heckman Equation below. #childcare #earlylearning #earlychildhood #investinchildcare #larimerthrivebyfive

The cost of child care keeps climbing. According to the 2024 KIDS COUNT annual report from the Colorado Children's Campaign, the average cost of center-based infant care in Colorado is nearly half the median income for single-parent families and nearly 16% for married-couple families. Learn more about the latest data and what’s needed to make quality care more affordable for Colorado families from Colorado Children's Campaign below.

The latest KIDS COUNT annual report from the Colorado Children's Campaign highlights how limited access to child care significantly impacts early childhood literacy and kindergarten readiness. Explore more key findings in the KUSA-TV, 9NEWS report below.

Child care costs in the US are rising almost twice as fast as overall inflation. Many families, especially women, are being forced to cut back on work hours or leave their jobs to care for their children. ABC News reports on how the child care crisis is impacting families and the economy. Learn more below. #childcarecrisis #childcareissues #larimercounty #larimerthrivebyfive

According to the Federal Reserve’s 2023 Survey of Household Economics and Decision-making, families spend nearly half as much on child care as they do on housing each month, with the average individual paying $867 monthly. As child care costs rise, more families are being forced out of the workforce, affecting families and the economy. Learn more from U.S. Department of Commerce’s findings below. #larimerthrivebyfive #larimercounty #childcarecosts

This month, the Senate Appropriations Committee proposed a $2.3 billion increase in funding for federal child care and early learning programs. These investments are crucial for supporting working families with young children nationwide. Learn more about the proposed funding from First Five Years Fund below. #childcare #childcareissues #larimerthrivebyfive #firstfiveyearsfund