Better Beginnings Gary Community Ventures

Colorado and Denver residents: Childcare and preschool are on your ballot in 2023. All Coloradans will vote on Proposition ii, which would increase universal pre-k funding, and Denverites will vote on Question 2P, which would extend the Denver Preschool program. Listen to learn more about both.

How hard is it to find childcare and preschool in Colorado? Brooke Byrd has been advised to "start searching before you even know you're pregnant." In Episode 1 of our 4-part podcast, we'll meet the Byrds, and join their search for childcare. We'll also examine how our early childhood system got so wonky, what it means for you, and House Bill 22-1295, which aims to improve this system for kids, families and providers.

Childcare and preschool providers have some of the hardest, most important jobs in the U.S. In this episode, we’ll take you on a tour of one provider’s facility. We’ll explain the options families have in the early childhood space and what to look for in a provider. We’ll also explore an ongoing overhaul of Colorado’s early childhood system, which aims to offer better experiences for families and providers. But before that, we’ll examine some ugly truths and revelations about our current system.

If our early childhood care and education system offers a bad experience for all—families and providers included—why haven’t lawmakers done more to fix it? Brooke asks Colorado State Sen. Brittany Pettersen that question, and Sen. Pettersen offers a frank assessment in this mom-to-expecting mom conversation. We explore a major roadblock Sen. Pettersen believes has impeded legislative progress, and several legislative solutions that could improve our childcare and preschool system.

We’ll wrap up our show by discussing a forthcoming technology platform aiming to simplify the process of finding, enrolling in and paying for childcare and preschool in Colorado. Simple, right? The only problem is that our early childhood system is incredibly complex, and efforts to simplify it have eluded us for at least 100 years. Despair not, though. There’s hope. We’ll also wrap up with the Byrd family. After months of searching, have they found a childcare solution that works for them?

Colorado's early childhood system places unnecessary burdens on families looking to access quality childcare and preschool options. But one bill is about to change everything, and it could become a model for the country. Join us for this 4-episode podcast, beginning April 25, 2022, with new episodes released every Wednesday. We'll follow one family's search for childcare, give you tips on navigating our existing early childhood system and tell you how this new bill means for you and your family.