Grants in Action

Early Childhood Education

**We Can’t Not Succeed**

“It’s such an exciting time for early childhood in the state,” says Jennifer Stedron, executive director of Colorado’s Early Childhood Leadership Commission (ECLC). “All the major elements needed for a really strong system are in place right now,” she says, citing an interested governor and lieutenant governor, the possibility of federal funding and an engaged group of 35 ECLC commissioners.

The ECLC was established in mid-2010 to advance the coordination of the early childhood system, and already has several projects well underway. One is to develop state guidelines for early learning so professionals and families have a sense of what very young children should know and be able to do at different stages of their development.

Another project in the works is a needs assessment that will provide a county-by-county picture of how young children and their families are faring. The goal is to help community policymakers make better decisions about how to address gaps in services.

The ECLC is also charged with evaluating the early childhood system in Colorado as a whole. “We are a partner in Governor John Hickenlooper’s initiative to make state government more effective and efficient,” says Stedron. “We are looking at how to structure early childhood support so it makes it easier for families to negotiate the system.”

Rose Community Foundation has supported the ECLC with funding, and through the contributions of Elsa Holguín, the Foundation’s senior program officer in Child and Family Development, who also serves as an ECLC commissioner.

The Colorado Early Learning Partnership (CELP) is another entity that the Foundation has funded. CELP Director Bruce Atchison is also optimistic about the direction Colorado is headed when it comes to early childhood education. “Even 10 years ago when you said early childhood, people thought you meant child care. We didn’t talk about it in terms of school readiness.”

Since CELP was established in August 2010, Atchison has been traveling the state to find out “…what works and what gets in the way. It involves a lot of listening.” In addition to collecting data, he is also able to share ideas and connect community leaders to others who can help advance early childhood efforts. All of this information will eventually be compiled into a set of recommendations to help guide state policy.

In the immediate future, Colorado may soon get a fiscal shot in the arm when it comes to early childhood education. Up to $60 million is available to Colorado through a competitive process and the federal government’s Early Learning Challenge Fund, a component of Race to the Top. Stedron and her team will be submitting a grant proposal for the funds that will be released this fall with consulting help funded by Rose Community Foundation. She is encouraged about Colorado’s prospects.

“There’s so much energy in our state right now. We can’t not succeed,” she says.

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From Impact - Summer 2011, Rose Community Foundation's newsletter