Colorado Children's Campaign: New Head Start Rule Should Protect Kids, Not Put Them at Risk (08/12/26)
DENVER — The Colorado Children's Campaign is calling on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to withdraw newly proposed rule "Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs” and engage in an authentic stakeholder process to identify changes that will actually cut red tape and improve the program.
The proposed rule would weaken the standards that keep Colorado's youngest and most vulnerable children safe and undermine a program that has improved the lives of thousands of children and families. For instance, it would roll back long-standing protections for group sizes and staff-to-child ratios, staff qualifications, background checks, and safe transportation.
More than 10,700 Colorado children attend Head Start and Early Head Start each year. That includes more than 1,500 children experiencing homelessness and more than 400 children in foster care. The program employs 1,629 education staff across the state and brings more than $165 million in federal funding into Colorado communities every year.
For many families, Head Start is the only safe, affordable care they can find. But Head Start is more than child care. It provides early learning, health and developmental screenings, nutrition, and support for families and children who are facing some of the state’s greatest challenges.
Research shows that every dollar spent on high-quality early childhood programs returns an estimated $7 to $13 over time, through better health, stronger outcomes in school, higher earnings, and lower public costs down the road.
"Every Colorado child deserves a safe, strong start, and for thousands of Colorado kids, that start begins at Head Start," said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children's Campaign. "Qualified teachers, safe class sizes, real background checks, and safe transportation aren't red tape. They're the protections that let a parent go to work knowing their child is safe.
“If we're going to change the rules for our youngest kids, it should be in service of helping more children and serving them better – not undermining the effectiveness of a proven program that helps children and families work toward their dreams,” said Tritten.
The Campaign is urging Coloradans, especially parents, Head Start educators, and families who have relied on the program, to submit a public comment before the comment period closes on October 6, 2026. Comments can be submitted at regulations.gov by searching "Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs." The Campaign is also asking Coloradans to contact their members of Congress and invite them to visit a local Head Start program to see its impact firsthand.
Head Start programs remain open, and services continue as usual. The proposed rule is not final and does not change how programs operate today.
Read more:
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About the Colorado Children’s Campaign: At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well‑being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K‑12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long‑term impact. For more information, please visit ColoradoKids.org.
Statement: New Childhood Vaccination Recommendations Puts Health of Children and Communities at Risk (08/11/26)
DENVER – A federal executive order recommends changes to the childhood immunization schedule that would put the health of Colorado children at risk. The new guidance recommends that children be routinely vaccinated against fewer diseases; splits up the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine; and spaces immunizations over a longer period of time.
“Vaccines are one of the safest and most effective tools we have to keep children healthy,“ said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “This executive order creates confusion and new barriers to health – especially for parents juggling work and child care, families who live in rural areas, and others who already struggle to get to the doctor’s office or afford the cost of care. Colorado’s state leaders, providers, public health professionals, and families must work together to protect access to the vaccines that keep our kids safe.”
“These recommendations raise serious concerns,” said Dr. Edwin Asturias, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Colorado Anschutz and a member of the board of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “Delaying or further spacing vaccines means delaying protection during infancy and early childhood – the years when children may be most vulnerable to serious complications from vaccine-preventable diseases. And advising families to split the MMR vaccine is not currently a practical alternative because no separate, single-antigen measles, mumps, or rubella vaccines are approved and available for use in the United States.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) immunization schedule is grounded in the strongest available scientific evidence and decades of real-world experience. It is carefully designed around when vaccines are safest and most effective and when children need protection most. Decades of evidence and monitoring have demonstrated that this approach safely protects children from serious and potentially life-threatening infections. Colorado state law supports a vaccine schedule that is built on this strong scientific research.
Changing this evidence-based schedule would require families to make more visits to get the same level of protection while eliminating or delaying key vaccines. The result would be unnecessary barriers for families, longer periods when infants and children remain susceptible to preventable infections, and an increased risk of disease and outbreak in our communities.
The Colorado Children’s Campaign encourages families to rely on the guidance of their health care providers and organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics. We will work alongside families, providers, and policymakers to ensure that every child has the chance to grow up healthy.
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About the Colorado Children’s Campaign: At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well‑being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K‑12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long‑term impact. For more information, please visit ColoradoKids.org.
Updated Regulations Will Strengthen the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program Starting in August (07/23/26)
DENVER — New rules adopted by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) this summer aim to increase access to critical child care subsidies for low-income families and child care providers.
CDEC has adopted new rules for the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), putting stronger financial safeguards in place to proactively manage spending and creating processes to enroll families from waitlists and lift enrollment freezes in order to make sure as many eligible families and child care providers as possible have access to the CCCAP. The rules take effect in August.
As of this spring, nearly 14,000 children in Colorado were on waitlists or subject to enrollment freezes for CCCAP, which provides subsidized child care for families with low incomes.
The Colorado Children’s Campaign advocated for the rules throughout the review process. The changes give the state a more sustainable way to manage CCCAP’s budget while continuing to prioritize the families who need help most.
“With these changes, we’re putting CCCAP on stronger financial footing so that kids can keep learning, parents can keep working, and child care businesses can keep their doors open,” said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “For too long, families and providers have faced uncertainty about whether this program can keep its promises. This is an important step toward stabilizing access to child care in Colorado.”
Reliable child care allows parents to pursue jobs and career growth that can enhance their economic stability and gives children a foundation for lifelong success through quality early learning.
The rules focus on protecting Colorado’s most at-risk families first, ensuring the program’s limited resources reach those who need them most urgently, including unhoused families and those who participate in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The new fiscal framework is also expected to shore up the broader child care sector: Many providers rely on CCCAP reimbursements simply to remain in operation.
“Child care is core infrastructure that our whole state depends on,” Tritten said. “When we invest in getting it right, everyone benefits.”
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About the Colorado Children’s Campaign
At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well-being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K-12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long-term impact.
Colorado Children’s Campaign Releases KIDS COUNT in Colorado! 2026 Data Book (06/10/26)
Too Many Colorado Children Cannot Access or Afford What They Need to Thrive
DENVER — The Colorado Children’s Campaign today released the KIDS COUNT in Colorado! 2026 Data Book, the state’s annual accounting of how more than 1.2 million Colorado children are faring. This year’s report includes child welfare data for the first time, and arrives at a moment when federal funding cuts are threatening the programs Colorado families depend on most.
Students need an education system that helps them reach their academic potential. And families need to be able to afford and access basic needs like housing, health care, and child care. Programs and policies that meet those needs will help kids today and build a stronger Colorado for the long term.
— Heather Tritten, President & CEO, Colorado Children’s Campaign
Among the report’s key findings:
- Access and affordability gaps are wide across services: Licensed child care seats are available for just 13% of the state’s infants. About 70% of children live in communities without enough pediatric providers. And the uninsured rate for low-income children doubled in a single year.
- Public programs are filling critical gaps — and are at risk: Nearly 1 in 4 children are economically disadvantaged. Many of these kids rely on federal programs to get their basic needs. More than 616,000 children rely on Medicaid or CHP+ for health care. Over 350,000 depend on SNAP. Nearly 28,000 receive child care assistance through CCCAP.
- Academic gaps run deep: 58% of third graders are not reading on grade level. Proficiency rates were lower among low-income students and Black and Hispanic students, reflecting unequal access to resources and opportunities that support student learning. Nearly 245,000 K–12 students — 28% — are chronically absent.
- Child welfare: Just 45% of foster youth graduate on time, compared to 86% of all students. That’s the lowest graduation rate of any group tracked by the state.
The Colorado Children’s Campaign is calling on state leaders to expand access to affordable child care, restore and protect health coverage, support strong public schools, and ensure economic supports reach families facing the greatest barriers.
The report complements the national KIDS COUNT Data Book, released June 8 by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. That report ranked Colorado 14th in the nation for overall child well-being.
The full state report is on the KIDS COUNT in Colorado! webpage.
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About the Colorado Children’s Campaign
At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well-being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K-12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long-term impact.
Colorado’s Child Well-Being Rank Drops From 12th to 14th in Nation as Affordability, Education Challenges Increase (06/08/26)
DENVER — Colorado ranks 14th in the country for child well-being, according to the 2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how kids are faring nationwide. The data show Colorado leaders must do more to support children’s academic outcomes and families’ economic stability, particularly their ability to afford housing.
For the first time this year, states receive a comprehensive score (from 0 to 1,000) in the Data Book, not just a ranking. The scores track 16 indicators in four domains — economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors — over a five-year period from 2019 to 2024. The new scoring system shows whether policies and public investment are actually improving children’s lives, not merely how states compare to each other. Colorado received a score of 636, above the national score of 547. The state’s lowest score was in the education domain.
How Colorado Compares
Category: Ranking (Score)
Overall: 14th (636)
Economic Well-Being: 21st (635)
Education: 8th (510)
Health: 24th (638)
Family and Community: 13th (762)
Colorado’s ranking in this year’s Data Book (14th), based on data from 2024, is unchanged from 2019. However, using the new scoring system, the state’s score decreased by 27 points between 2019 and 2024, and several measures point to concerning trends in children’s well-being.
For instance, Colorado’s score in economic well-being (635) was 78 points lower in 2024 than in 2019, driven in part by an increase in the share of children in households that are housing cost burdened. In 2024, 32% of children lived in households spending more than 30% of their income on housing, up from 30% in 2019. The state’s economic well-being score saw the biggest drop between 2019 and 2024.
Colorado’s score in education (510) also dropped: It was 55 points lower in 2024 than in 2019. The share of Colorado 4th graders who were not proficient in reading increased from 60% in 2019 to 64% in 2024, part of a national decline in student performance on standardized tests.
The rankings included some bright spots across issue areas. The teen birth rate declined from 14 births per 1,000 teen girls ages 15 to 19 in 2019 to 11 births per 1,000 teen girls in 2024. And the state’s high school graduation rate improved, with 16% of students not graduating on time in the 2023-24 school year, compared with 19% in 2018-19. These have been areas of policy focus at the state capitol and in communities across Colorado.
“When we invest in policies and programs that support children’s well-being, we allow them to just be kids,” said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign, Colorado’s member of the Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT network. “This year’s KIDS COUNT rankings highlight the positive impact of Colorado’s policy work in the past decade, including efforts to improve access to health care and the graduation rate at the state and district level.”
The results also point us toward areas that need more attention. “Students need an education system that helps them reach their academic potential. And families need to be able to afford and access basic needs like housing, health care, and child care,” Tritten said. “Programs and policies that meet those needs will help kids today and build a stronger Colorado tomorrow.”
In its 37th year of publication, the national KIDS COUNT® Data Book provides reliable statewide numbers to help leaders see where progress is being made, where greater support is needed and which strategies are making a difference. The Colorado Children’s Campaign encourages lawmakers and officials to use this detailed information to unite across party lines and respond with initiatives that invest in young people. The Data Book equips policymakers, advocates and communities with the information they need to make decisions that help kids and young people thrive.
“Behind every number in this report is a child who is either hungry or fed, housed or homeless, progressing academically or falling behind. No state is consistently getting this right,” said Lisa M. Lawson, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “The Data Book challenges us to follow the evidence and do what delivers results.”
The Colorado Children’s Campaign will also release the 2026 KIDS COUNT in Colorado! Data Book on June 10. The 2026 KIDS COUNT in Colorado! Data Book will include additional data and county fact sheets to help policymakers and community members understand trends in their local areas.
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RELEASE INFORMATION
The 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book will be available at www.aecf.org/databook. Journalists interested in creating maps, graphs and rankings in stories about the Data Book can use the KIDS COUNT Data Center at datacenter.aecf.org.
ABOUT THE ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION
The Annie E. Casey Foundation creates a brighter future for the nation’s young people by developing solutions to strengthen families, build paths to economic opportunity and transform struggling communities into safer and healthier places to live, work and grow. For more information, visit www.aecf.org. KIDS COUNT is a registered trademark of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
ABOUT THE COLORADO CHILDREN’S CAMPAIGN
At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well-being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K-12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long-term impact.
Statement on SB26-125, Disability Rights Protections in Public Schools (06/01/26)
Colorado children with disabilities will have stronger protections for their rights in school thanks to SB26-125, Disability Rights Protections in Public Schools, which was signed into law by Governor Polis last week.
At a time when federal civil rights enforcement is actively being dismantled, this bill enshrines the rights of students with disabilities into state law and gives families a state-level process to address complaints when discrimination occurs.
“We commend and celebrate the state’s decision to step up as the federal government has stepped back from enforcing laws that ensure students’ civil rights," said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign.
The Colorado Children’s Campaign is committed to making sure every Colorado student, including those with disabilities, can learn and thrive in a school that respects and protects their rights.
More information and resources are available from Disability Law Colorado, including a guide to the rights of students with disabilities and K-12 dispute resolution options.
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About the Colorado Children’s Campaign: At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well‑being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K‑12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long‑term impact. For more information, please visit ColoradoKids.org.
Colorado Lawmakers Deliver for Kids Despite Tight Budget — But More Work Remains (05/14/26)
DENVER – Despite significant fiscal constraints and federal uncertainty, Colorado’s legislators delivered progress for children and families who need it most in the 2026 legislative session, including a landmark update to the state’s public benefits system; sustained funding for public education; and improvements to the state’s child care system.
"This was not an easy session," said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. "But our policymakers showed up for kids in important ways. They maintained public education funding in a tight budget year. They made essential, long overdue changes to make sure our safety net is meeting children’s needs. And they supported bills that will improve access to child care and support health coverage for kids."
The Colorado Children’s Campaign released its 2026 Legislative & Budget Impacts publication today. Key wins for children include:
- Economic Security: A landmark overhaul of the public benefits system (HB26-1429) will make programs like SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and child care assistance work better for the families who rely on them.
- K-12 Education: Students with disabilities gained stronger state-level protections (SB26-125) at a moment when federal oversight has weakened. A new youth mental health funding stream (HB26-1418) will expand access to prevention, crisis response, and peer support—without added pressure on the state budget. And for the first time, state law defines the "Opportunity Gap," grounding future education policy in a shared commitment to equity (SB26-170).
- Early Childhood: The Child Care Contribution Tax Credit was extended for an unprecedented 10 years (HB26-1004), preserving upwards of $80 million annually for providers. And new legislation streamlined local early childhood infrastructure, consolidating overlapping organizations to cut bureaucracy and put more resources directly into services for kids (SB26-019).
- Health: Colorado preserved coverage for more than 270,000 undocumented children and pregnant adults through the Cover All Coloradans program, even as the budget required difficult tradeoffs. Lawmakers also stabilized private insurance markets through the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise (SB26-178): and strengthened vaccine access to protect children from preventable disease (SB26-032).
This year also included several missed opportunities for kids, including a comprehensive package of tax reforms that would have closed loopholes and allowed the state to invest in families’ economic stability (HB26-1221 and HB26-1222) and a bill that would have created the state’s first-ever independent state fund for child care for families with low incomes (SB26-180).
The Colorado Children's Campaign will continue to monitor implementation of the measures that passed and advocate for the long-term, sustainable investments Colorado's children deserve.
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Media contact: Jackie Zubrzycki, Vice President of Communications
Email: Jackie@ColoradoKids.org
About the Colorado Children's Campaign
At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well-being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K-12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long-term impact.
Colorado Bill Would Redesign the State’s Safety Net to Better Serve Kids and Families (05/01/26)
DENVER – A new bill introduced in Colorado’s General Assembly this week — HB26‑1429 — would make immediate improvements to the state’s safety net while laying the groundwork for a redesigned, modern system that delivers essential services more effectively to kids and families.
“Children in every part of our state are thriving with the support of Colorado’s investments in public benefits like health coverage, food benefits, and child care,” said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “When these systems are working well, kids and families have what they need to live their lives with confidence that their basic needs will be met. When they are not, kids and families face unnecessary stress and struggles. This bill is an important step toward making sure our public benefits are run as efficiently and effectively as possible at a time when they are facing unprecedented threats and scrutiny.”
Changes to the federal budget and increased uncertainty about funding for public benefits have threatened access to child care assistance, food assistance, health coverage, and temporary cash support in Colorado. But Colorado’s safety net is also facing longer-term challenges, including state budget barriers, increasing need, outdated technology, and a fragmented approach to administering programs that can create inefficiencies and barriers for families.
Colorado’s public benefit programs help ensure hundreds of thousands of children’s basic needs are met. Of the state’s 1.2 million children, in the 2024-25 state fiscal year:
- More than 615,000 children got their health coverage through Medicaid or the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+).
- Nearly 355,000 children participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
- More than 50,000 children received basic cash assistance through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
- About 27,600 children were supported by the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP).
These programs are vitally important for children’s well-being. Every day, they help children get to the doctor when they need to; have healthy food on the table; and have a safe place to go while their parents are in school or at work. Yet families often face long delays, duplicative paperwork, and inconsistent processes to access these benefits — barriers that can prevent children from getting timely care, nutritious food, and financial stability.
“Families need high-quality assistance delivered better and faster so kids can focus on being kids,” said Sarah Barnes, Vice President of Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “HB26‑1429 cuts red tape, strengthens accountability, and puts Colorado on a path toward a safety net that actually works for children and families.”
About the Bill: HB26‑1429
HB26‑1429 delivers the changes Colorado needs, without sacrificing our values. The product of intensive work by county, state, and nonprofit partners, the bill centers children and families and ensures long-term sustainability.
HB26‑1429:
- Establishes a continuous quality improvement system to track metrics and identify and fix eligibility and benefits errors statewide
- Strengthens transparency and accountability with standardized performance contracts and monthly public reporting
- Creates a plan to transition to a statewide case integrity centralized service
- Creates an integrated policy committee to increase alignment and improve service delivery across programs
- Sets a clear path to launch a redesigned public benefits system by July 2028
Media Contact:
Jackie Zubrzycki, Vice President of Communications, Colorado Children’s Campaign
Email: Jackie@ColoradoKids.org
About the Colorado Children’s Campaign
At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well‑being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K‑12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long‑term impact.
Colorado Bill Prevents Premiums From Skyrocketing, Secures Affordable Health Coverage as Federal Funding Dries Up (04/30/26)
DENVER, CO — At a moment when many Colorado families are already struggling to afford health insurance coverage and medical care and when federal support for people buying insurance on the individual marketplace has been cut, Colorado’s legislators are considering a bill that would sustain critical state programs that have kept insurance more affordable and accessible in recent years.
SB26-178, Health Insurance Affordability Measures, extends funding for the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise (HIAE) for another year. That will allow the state to continue supporting reinsurance, OmniSalud, and the Colorado Premium Assistance program, which help Coloradans afford and access health coverage on the individual marketplace.
Without the HIAE, premiums for some Colorado families could increase by hundreds of dollars a month and the insurance market will face increased instability. Coloradans who are immigrants without documentation would lose access to OmniSalud, which allows them to compare and enroll in health coverage. For many families, that will mean going uninsured and hoping their kids do not get sick.
“When families don’t have health insurance, children often don’t get to the doctor’s office when they need to. They go without needed prescriptions. And their families can be forced to take on debt when they do need health care,” said Toni Sarge, Director of Health Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “Colorado needs to sustain the Colorado Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise so that families who buy insurance through the state marketplace do not see their monthly premiums increase beyond what they can afford."
Last August, the Colorado legislature passed temporary, one-year funding for the HIAE to protect Coloradans from a predicted average 174% increase in premiums resulting from the expiration of federal enhanced Premium Tax Credits at the beginning of 2026. This extension was estimated to save Coloradans $75 million on their premiums in 2026.
Without long-term funding, thousands of Colorado families will lose coverage and the protections that make it affordable, meaning more kids will miss check-ups, go without prescriptions, and wait to get care until a minor illness becomes an emergency.
The bill will be heard in the Senate’s finance committee today, April 30.
About the Bill
Health Insurance Affordability Measures (SB26-178):
- Establishes sustainable long-term state funding for the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise
- Continues reinsurance, which helps bring down premiums, especially in rural Colorado
- Preserves OmniSalud, protecting coverage for eligible immigrants who have no other affordable option
- Maintains the state Premium Assistance program, which offsets the expiration of federal enhanced premium tax credits
Quotes From Bill Sponsors
This bill is sponsored by Senators Kyle Mullica and Iman Jodeh and Representatives Kyle Brown and Lindsay Gilchrist.
Colorado must respond to the federal government’s end of the enhanced premium tax credits by renewing a funding commitment for the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise. Without this support, hospitals across Colorado, strained by high levels of uncompensated care, will face greater financial pressure. Ensuring the HIAE remains fully funded is one of the most effective tools we have to stabilize our health‑care system and keep health coverage within reach.
-Senator Kyle Mullica
Federal shifts are putting new pressure on families who already struggle to afford care, and this economic impact will fall hardest on communities that have historically been left out of our healthcare system. I believe that health care is a human right, not a privilege, and preserving funding for the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise is essential. It’s one of the few tools that directly shields Colorado families from rising health costs and helps ensure that Colorado families don’t lose access to the coverage they rely on.”
-Senator Iman Jodeh
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise is a cornerstone of Colorado’s progress toward a more equitable health system. Sustaining this funding means more people can access preventive care, more communities can thrive, and more Coloradans can participate fully in school and work. This is about building a healthier future for the entire state.”
— Representative Kyle Brown
Affordable health coverage is one of the most important tools we can offer Colorado’s working families and small businesses. Continued funding for the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise helps keep premiums down and expands access to health care so people don’t have to choose between their health and their financial security.”
-Representative Lindsay Gilchrist
Media contacts:
Jackie Zubrzycki, VP of Communications, Colorado Children’s Campaign. Email: Jackie@ColoradoKids.org
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About the Colorado Children’s Campaign
At the Colorado Children's Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well-being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K-12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long-term impact.
Colorado Bill to Raise Revenue to Address Child Care Access, Affordability Crisis (04/28/26)
DENVER – Legislation introduced in Colorado’s General Assembly this week seeks to mitigate Colorado’s child care crisis by creating a new permanent fund for child care assistance for low-income families. SB26-180 is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Sen. Bright, Sen. Marchman, Rep. Garcia, and Rep. Taggart.
In Colorado, child care is both unaffordable and unavailable. Colorado is one of the most expensive states in the nation for child care, and the state does not have enough licensed child care seats to meet the needs of working parents.
These problems can be addressed through public investment. This bill would create a new mechanism for generating revenue to subsidize the cost of child care for the state’s most economically under-resourced families. Eligible entities, such as enterprises, would opt into the program, allowing a portion of the interest generated through their investments to be used to support families in affording child care.
INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE AUTHORITY (SB26-180) provides the state with the ability to raise funds for services during a budget shortfall by:
- Uses a portion of investment returns to restore child care access to priority families and establish a state fund for child care
- Directs funding to economically under-resourced families, serving those with the highest need
- Caps administration costs, maximizing dollars funneled to direct services
“Child care is a public good. Investing in our youngest children sets them up for academic and social success throughout their lifetimes and also gives families the flexibility and peace of mind they need to pursue financial security,” said Dr. Mathangi Subramanian, Director of Early Childhood Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “This bill provides the economic infrastructure we need to let kids be kids.”
Children who attend high quality child care programs have higher graduation rates, higher earning potential, and better socioemotional outcomes. Providing more parents with the opportunity to work could generate over $2 billion in potential revenue for our state’s economy.
“No family should have to choose between going to work or school and finding safe, quality care for their child. But that’s exactly the impossible situation thousands of Colorado families are facing right now,” said Christina Walker, Senior Director of Policy at Healthier Colorado. “This bill won’t solve the child care crisis overnight, but it will reduce the harm of these freezes for the families who need help the most. And at a moment when Colorado’s budget is under serious strain, it does so without tapping the general fund, making this a lifeline that doesn’t come at the expense of other critical priorities.”
Media contacts:
Alexandra Eliot: alexandra@eliotstrategies.com, Healthier Colorado
Jackie Zubrzycki: Jackie@ColoradoKids.org, Vice President of Communications, Colorado Children’s Campaign
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About the Colorado Children’s Campaign
At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well-being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K-12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long-term impact.
About Healthier Colorado
Healthier Colorado advocates on behalf of everyday Coloradans to change laws and systems so that everyone has a fair shot at living a healthy life. We work to improve the physical, mental, and social health of Coloradans through lobbying, state legislative campaigns, research, policy development, and advocacy.
