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.