The West Steps

In this episode of The West Steps, we’re discussing maternal health and maternal mortality in Colorado. Unfortunately, large regions of the state have been dubbed maternal care deserts because of their very limited access to perinatal health care. Pregnancy-associated deaths in our state are becoming more common. And many of these deaths are preventable.  But Colorado has taken steps to address this situation in recent years – and in the 2024 legislative session, there are new efforts to make our state a better place for people in the perinatal period and their families. Toni Sarge, Director of Child and Family Health at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; Heather Thompson, Deputy Director at Elephant Circle; and Lauren Smith, Black Civic Engagement and Policy Manager at Soul 2 Soul Sisters join us to talk about two significant bills that aim to improve maternal health and perinatal health care in a variety of ways, from expanding access to midwifery care to improving our understanding of discrimination in the perinatal period.     You can contact Toni Sarge at toni@coloradokids.org, Heather Thompson at heather@elephantcircle.org, and Lauren Smith at lauren@soul2soulsisters.org. Learn more about our work by visiting our website and social media (@coloradokidsorg).     Resources:     2024 Policy Priorities [2024 Legislative Session - Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]The KidsFlash Blog [KidsFlash - Child Advocacy News | Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]    2023 KIDS COUNT REPORT [2023 KIDS COUNT - Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]Maternal Mortality in Colorado Report [FINAL 2023 MMPP Legislative Report.pdf - Google Drive]Soul 2 Soul Sisters Homepage [Home • Soul 2 Soul Sisters]Elephant Circle Homepage [Elephant Circle]Support the Show.Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

In this episode of The West Steps, we’re discussing Colorado’s school funding formula, which is used to allocate billions of dollars annually to educate kids across the state’s 178 school districts. For the first time in 30 years, the state legislature is seriously considering updating this formula. If they can pull it off, Colorado will have a more equitable, student-centered approach to funding its schools. Madi Ashour, Director of Youth Success at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; Lorelei Jackson, Student Services Coordinator at Denver Language School; and Dan Snowberger, Superintendent of Elizabeth Schools join us to talk about how prioritizing funding based on student-centered factors like the number of students in a district who are living in poverty, learning English, or who have special needs could help make Colorado’s education system more equitable and effective. You can contact Madi Ashour at madeleine@coloradokids.org, Lorelei Jackson at loreleimjackson@gmail.com, and Dan Snowberger at dsnowberger@esdk12.org. Learn more about our work by visiting our website and social media (@coloradokidsorg).     Resources:     2024 Policy Priorities [2024 Legislative Session - Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]The KidsFlash Blog [KidsFlash - Child Advocacy News | Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]School finance task force background and report [School Finance Task Force | CDE (state.co.us)]Support the showFollow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

In this episode of The West Steps, we’re discussing the Family Affordability Tax Credit (HB24-1311), a new proposal in the Colorado legislature that has the potential to reduce child poverty in Colorado by half.  Sarah Barnes, Senior Director of Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign and Reilly Pharo Carter, Director of Policy & Advocacy at Gary Community Ventures join us to talk about how this credit, which is projected to reach 45% of Colorado families, could make a particularly big difference for kids and families with fewer financial resources.   You can contact Srah Barnes at sarahb@coloradokids.org and Reilly Pharo Carter at rpcarter@garycommunity.org. Learn more about our work by visiting our website and social media (@coloradokidsorg).     Resources:     2024 Policy Priorities [2024 Legislative Session - Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]     The KidsFlash Blog [The KidsFlash Blog - Child Advocacy News | Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]    Family Affordability Tax Credit - Supporter Sign-On [Family Affordability Tax Credit - Supporter Sign-On (google.com)]Support the Show.Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Since May 2023, more than 100,000 kids and nearly 550,000 Coloradans have lost Medicaid coverage. In this episode of The West Steps, we’re exploring why so many Coloradans are losing health coverage and why it matters. Hunter Nelson, Senior Policy Analyst at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; Bethany Pray, Deputy Director at the Colorado Center on Law and Policy; and Shoshi Preuss, Policy Manager at Colorado Community Health Network join us to talk about how people who are still eligible for Medicaid are losing their coverage. They share ideas about how Colorado could improve its administrative systems – and discuss why having a Medicaid program that is functioning smoothly is important for all Coloradans. You can contact Hunter Nelson at hunter@coloradokids.org, Bethany Pray at bpray@copolicy.org, and Shoshi Preuss at spreuss@cchn.org. Learn more about our work by visiting our website and social media (@coloradokidsorg).      Resources:     2024 Policy Priorities: 2024 Legislative Session - Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)The KidsFlash Blog: KidsFlash - Child Advocacy News | Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)Hunter Nelson Op-ed in the Colorado Sun: Opinion: Colorado kids are losing health coverage at an alarming rate and we must do more to keep them insured - The Colorado Sun2023 Audit of Colorado’s Medicaid correspondence: 2261p_medicaid_correspondence.pdf (colorado.gov)CCLP’s complaint to the Office of Civil Rights: CCLP and NHeLP urge justice department to stop Colorado Medicaid cuts, citing disabilities act violations - CCLP (copolicy.org)Georgetown Center for Children & Families Unwind: Unwinding Continuous Coverage – Center For Children and Families (georgetown.edu)KFF’s Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker: Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker | KFFHCPF’s Data Reporting: Continuous Coverage Unwind Data Reporting | Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & FinancingSupport the showFollow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

In this episode, we’re diving into an effort to create a State Income Tax Credit for Careworkers, which would credit $1,500 to child care workers and caregivers, direct care workers, home health aides, and other people who work in the caring economy.   Melissa Mares, Director of Early Childhood at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; Perrine Monnet, Policy Analyst at the Bell Policy Center; and Emily Sirota, Colorado State Representative join us to talk about how this tax credit would help people who are doing some of the most critical work in our society – often for very low pay.   You can contact Melissa Mares at melissa@coloradokids.org, Perrine Monnet at monnet@bellpolicy.org, and Emily Sirota at emily.sirota.house@coleg.gov. Learn more about our work by visiting our website and social media (@coloradokidsorg).    Resources:    2024 Legislative Session - Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)KidsFlash - Child Advocacy News | Colorado Children's CampaignGrowing Our Future Coalition - Colorado Children's CampaignCaring Workforce Primer (bellpolicy.org) bellpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/ReimbursementRates.pdf State Income Tax Credit for Careworkers | Colorado General AssemblySupport the showFollow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado invested about $20 million relief dollars in out-of-school time programming, which supported 45 grantees and 60 programs across the state. But those dollars are running out, and many programs face uncertain futures. And even with this investment, the supply isn’t meeting the demand – by one estimate, nearly 400,000 Colorado kids are on a wait list for out-of-school time programming. Kaycee Headrick, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs in Colorado, and Madi Ashour, Director of Youth Success at the Colorado Children’s Campaign, join us to talk about the importance of out-of-school time and how an investment from the state could make a difference for kids’ academics and well-being. You can contact Madi Ashour at madeleine@coloradokids.org and Kaycee Headrick at kheadrick@bgca.org. Learn more about our work by visiting our website and social media (@coloradokidsorg).   Resources:   2024 Policy Priorities [2024 Legislative Session - Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]   The KidsFlash Blog [The KidsFlash Blog - Child Advocacy News | Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]  Support the Show.Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

National research shows that families with children are more likely to experience an eviction – and that evictions can be extremely disruptive for kids’ education, health, and overall well-being. But data about what is happening across Colorado is inconsistent and hard to access. The Colorado Children’s Campaign and Enterprise Community Partners join us to talk about a new bill that would improve our state’s eviction data collection – an important step toward creating policies to prevent unnecessary evictions.  You can contact Sarah Barnes, Senior Director of Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign, at sarahb@coloradokids.org and Kinsey Hasstedt, Senior Program Director for State and Local Policy at Enterprise Community Partners, at khasstedt@enterprisecommunity.org to learn more about this bill. Learn more about our work by visiting our website and social media (@coloradokidsorg).   Resources:   2024 Policy Priorities [2024 Legislative Session - Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]   The KidsFlash Blog [The KidsFlash Blog - Child Advocacy News | Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]  How Eviction Court Filing Data Can Advance a More Stable Housing Ecosystem for all Coloradans: A New Normal | Enterprise Community Partners The Americans Most Threatened by Eviction: Young Children - The New York Times (nytimes.com)Support the showFollow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

The second part of our legislative preview focuses on early childhood and child and family health. Melissa Mares, Director of Early Childhood, explains why preschool and infant and toddler care are so important to child development. Then, Toni Sarge, Director of Child and Family Health, talks about trends in health coverage and how supporting maternal care makes a big impact on kids. You can contact Melissa at melissa@coloradokids.org and Toni at toni@coloradokids.org. Learn more about our work by visiting our website and social media (@coloradokidsorg).  Resources:  2024 Policy Priorities [2024 Legislative Session - Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]The KidsFlash Blog [KidsFlash - Child Advocacy News | Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)]2024 Legislative Preview: Part 1 [Buzzsprout]Support the Show.Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Welcome to The West Steps! We’re excited to return as your resource for all things kids and families during the 2024 Colorado legislative session.  In the inaugural episode of Season 6, Colorado Children’s Campaign policy directors discuss what they’re anticipating and prioritizing at the capitol this year. Part 1 of our legislative preview features Sarah Barnes, Senior Director of Policy and Director of Family Economic Prosperity, with a brief overview of the economic challenges currently facing Colorado families and policy efforts that could help. Then, Madeleine Ashour, Director of Youth Success, tells us a little about her background with youth success and what's happening to support youth mental health and school funding. You can contact Sarah at sarahb@coloradokids.org and Madi at madeleine@coloradokids.org. Learn more about our work by visiting our website and stay up to date on our work by following us on social media (@coloradokidsorg). Resources: 2024 Policy Priorities [2024 Legislative Session - Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)] The KidsFlash Blog [The KidsFlash Blog - Child Advocacy News | Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)] Support the Show.Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

The Colorado General Assembly has officially adjourned! On our final episode of the 2023 legislative session, we hear from some of the Children's Campaign policy staff about how our priority bills landed this session. Senior Policy Analyst Megan Ives, Policy Analysts Lauren Corboy and Hunter Nelson, and Director of Family Economic Prosperity Initiatives Sarah Barnes join us to share how their work this session will have an impact on kids and families across the state for years to come.  Read our full legislative impacts report on our website and stay tuned for more of The West Steps.  Resources KidsFlash blog [Subscribe] Legislative Impacts [Learn more]  Support the Show.Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Recent incidents of gun violence in Colorado have once again called into light the need for a more comprehensive approach to school safety. By creating systems in our schools that address the root causes of violence, we can ultimately improve the long-term safety and social-emotional well-being of our students and teachers.    Episode 9 of The West Steps explores school safety with Dr. Beverly Kingston, Director and Senior Research Associate at the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at University of Colorado Boulder; and Leslie Colwell, our Vice President of Youth Success Initiatives. Our guests detail effective strategies for building safer schools, share policy success and current research moving this work forward, and describe steps we can take to prevent violence in schools. They also emphasize the need to bring many perspectives to the table when it comes to making decisions about improving school climate. As researchers, advocates, and policymakers continue their work on school safety, it is critical that young people's voices inform their decision-making to create lasting solutions that best serve our communities.     Resources  Kidsflash blog [Subscribe] Safe2Tell, 24/7 anonymous hotline to report safety concerns [Visit Safe2Tell] Children’s Campaign school climate policy work [Learn more]  Averting Targeted School Violence: A U.S Secret Service Analysis of Plots against Schools [Read the report] Safe Communities Safe Schools Model [Read more]   Support the showFollow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

For more than a decade, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has required that health insurance plans cover a wide range of preventive health care services at no cost to patients. However, access to some of those services is at risk after a federal court ruled last month that the ACA’s preventive services mandate is unconstitutional in a case called Braidwood v. Becerra.  The Children’s Campaign has been working alongside partners for years to help guarantee coverage of critical preventive services in Colorado statute. The Braidwood decision injects uncertainty into our health care system and makes this work even more essential.  On Episode 8 of The West Steps, we dive deeper into the Braidwood ruling and the impact it could have on Americans’ access to essential health services. We hear from Erin Miller, our Vice President of Health Initiatives; Jack Teter, Regional Director of Government Affairs at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains; Isabel Cruz, Policy Director at Colorado Consumer Health Initiative; and Eric Waskowicsz, Policy Manager at United States of Care.  Our guests open the episode by sharing their favorite preventive service and describe how these services impact peoples’ lives. We then shift to a discussion of how the Braidwood ruling has the potential to impact Colorado kids and families if continuous work is not done to guarantee access to these services. We also discuss the recent passage of SB23-189, which will allow many Coloradans to maintain access to important preventive health services, helping to reduce health disparities and protecting families from unexpected, expensive bills.  Resources Learn more about SB23-189 [Visit our Capitol Updates page] Subscribe to our blog [KidsFlash] United States of Care resources on Braidwood: https://unitedstatesofcare.org/braidwood-v-becerra-resources/ Preserving Coloradans’ access to preventive services amid challenges to the ACA - Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)   Support the Show.Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

We are now more than halfway through the 2023 legislative session! With only a few weeks remaining, the Children's Campaign is working hard to ensure that our policy priorities make their way to the governor’s desk. We continue to push for the renewal of the Child Care Contribution Tax Credit, increased access to the judicial system for evictions proceedings, equitable changes to our school finance formula, and expanded coverage for people enrolled in our public health insurance programs. This year’s Long Bill, which lays out the state’s budget, has  been introduced, and we are hopeful that our advocacy in support of increased funding for Colorado's Family Planning Program will be successful.  Riley Kitts, our Sr. Director of Policy and Government Affairs, returns to The West Steps this week for a mid-session update. Riley provides an overview of where the Children’s Campaign priority bills are in their journey through the legislature. He also describes some of the political dynamics at the state Capitol. With so many new legislators in our state’s  General Assembly this year, it has been a critical period of relationship- building for the Children’s Campaign as we work to get our priorities across the finish line. We are eager to accomplish as much as we can for kids and families in Colorado with the time we have left! Resources Capitol Updates [Follow our Cap Updates] KidsFlash [Subscribe] Contact Riley to learn more! [Email Riley]   Support the Show.Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Play has benefits for people of all ages, but it is particularly important during early childhood. Play time, and unstructured play time in particular, is correlated with improved language skills, problem solving skills, and math skills. It also has been shown to increase physical health and alleviate stress. As Colorado develops quality standards for its new universal preschool program, set to launch in fall 2023, there is an opportunity to ensure that  those standards incorporate clear guidelines around developmentally appropriate play-based instruction.  On this week's episode of The West Steps, we hear from current and former early childhood educators about the impact play has on child development. We are joined by Lauren Corboy, Early Childhood Policy Analyst at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; Ben Collinsworth, General Education Teacher at Emily Meschter Early Learning Center; and Chelsea Eneix, Pre-K teacher at The Goddard School. Our guests define play, detail the benefits of play for young children, and share what play looks like in their own classrooms. Lauren, Ben, and Chelsea also discuss what policymakers can do to ensure that play time is prioritized in classrooms. Interested in learning more about this topic? On April 6, join the Children’s Campaign and our partners from Save the Children Action Network, Clayton Early Learning, Early Childhood Council Leadership Alliance, Trust for Learning, and Raise Colorado to learn about the value of play in early childhood education. Researchers, educators, and advocates will share why and how you can speak up for more play time for Colorado kids. Register today! Resources KidsFlash Blog [Subscribe] Play More, Learn More webinar [Register]  Learn more about the importance of play [Read more here]  Support the Show.Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Last fall, Colorado voters approved Proposition FF to establish the Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program. This made our state one of three in the nation to provide universal, free school meals to all public school students. By reducing tax deductions at higher income levels, HSMA creates a fund to reimburse participating school districts for every meal served. HSMA also establishes additional programs that support schools in purchasing local food, paying cafeteria workers higher wages, and providing technical assistance throughout the implementation process. Advocates are hopeful that the passage of HSMA will prompt other states to work towards making school meals available to all students.  Ashley Wheeland, Director of Public Policy at Hunger Free Colorado, joins us this week on The West Steps to talk about HSMA. In this episode, we learn how Proposition FF made its way to voters, what exactly the program does, and the many benefits that school districts and students will see by opting in to HSMA. Set to launch in fall 2023, this program is currently the most robust in the nation – positioning Colorado as a leader in combatting childhood hunger. With the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Emergency Allotments (EAs) set to end this month, more than 250,000 households and 499,000 individuals in Colorado will see a significant reduction in the amount of SNAP benefits they receive. This means the new HSMA program is even more critical to the food security and health of kids across the state. To learn more about Hunger Free Colorado’s work to combat food insecurity, visit their website.  Resources HSMA website  Hunger Free Colorado  KidsFlash blog   Support the showFollow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

At both the ballot box and the Capitol, Coloradans have reaffirmed their commitment to reproductive justice in the past several years. In a post-Roe landscape, Colorado has positioned itself as a national leader in supporting policies and programs that allow people to access comprehensive family planning services, including abortion care, at low- to no-cost. However, the federal funds that support a critical reproductive health program have remained stagnant in recent years. While our providers proudly serve both Coloradans and out-of-state patients, Colorado must take steps to maintain and expand access to the reproductive health care services people need to ensure autonomy over their bodies. Welcome back to The West Steps! Today, we are joined by three guests who bring a wealth of knowledge and passion for reproductive justice: Lauren Smith, Director of Public Policy at Soul 2 Soul Sisters and Elephant Circle; Hunter Nelson, Policy Analyst at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; and Amanda Carlson, Abortion Fund Director at Cobalt Advocates. Our guests detail the current need for increased investments in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) Family Planning Program – an essential resource that helps thousands of Coloradans access critical care. Lauren, Hunter, and Amanda also detail racial and economic disparities in reproductive health access and outcomes – and why it is essential that we elevate the voices of Black, Brown, rural, and low-income communities in all reproductive justice efforts. Bodily autonomy is a fundamental human right, and it is essential that those who can become pregnant have resources and services readily available to make the best decisions for themselves and their futures. Join the Children’s Campaign’s family planning Action Alert and stand alongside advocates who are working to increase funding for this essential program.  Resources Family Planning Program Action Alert  Action Alert social media toolkit  Elephant Circle Cobalt Advocates Soul 2 Soul Sisters Subscribe to KidsFlashSupport the Show.Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Hundreds of thousands of Coloradans are at risk of losing their health coverage over the course of the next year as the pandemic-era policy that has indefinitely kept people enrolled in Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) is set to come to an end. Since early 2020, the complex, burdensome processes required to stay enrolled in public health coverage have been paused, resulting in a reduction to the state’s uninsured rate. The impact of this pause was especially significant for our kids: The child uninsured rate in Colorado improved from 5.5% to 4.6% between 2019 and 2021. Colorado can ensure that families with low incomes can continue to access the health care they need to thrive by providing longer periods of continuous Medicaid and CHP+ coverage to young children and other critical populations. This week on The West Steps, we are joined by Erin Miller, Vice President of Health Initiatives at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; Liz Tansey, Senior Manager at Covering Kids and Families; and Jodi Walker, Founder/Executive Director of Kids at Their Best. Our guests provide an overview of how Medicaid enrollment policies have changed since the pandemic and share their knowledge and perspectives on the upcoming Medicaid continuous eligibility unwind. Erin, Liz, and Jodi also explain why kids are likely to be disproportionately impacted when these policies begin to unwind, and share solutions being brought forward to help keep Coloradans enrolled in Medicaid. These proposals include various outreach efforts across the state and a new bill that could change enrollment policies in the long term.Resources All Kids Covered coalition [Learn more] KidsFlash newsletter [Subscribe]  Kids At Their Best website [Check out]Covering Kids and Families website [Check out]Colorado Children's Campaign website [Check out]Support the showFollow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

This week on The West Steps, we discuss Colorado’s eviction process with Jack Regenbogen, Deputy Executive Director at the Colorado Poverty Law Project, and Sarah Barnes, Director of Family Economic Prosperity Initiatives at the Colorado Children’s Campaign. Sarah and Jack lay out a policy that would help keep families across the state in safe, stable housing if passed during the 2023 legislative session. Both Jack and Sarah have been working with their respective organizations to institutionalize what many housing advocates feel is a best practice: accessibility of remote participation in eviction proceedings.  This episode explores how eviction courts have changed throughout the pandemic and the ways in which virtual participation could help those who have been systemically targeted by inequitable housing policies and practices. Sarah also outlines a bill the Children’s Campaign is working on in partnership with Enterprise Community Partners that would improve the quality and transparency of eviction data. In combination with more accessible eviction hearings, more consistent, comprehensive data on these processes can ensure that we better understand who is most affected by eviction – and how best we can prevent families from facing eviction in the first place. To learn more or get involved in this work, contact Sarah at sarahb@coloradokids.org, or Jack at jack@copovertylawproject.org.  Resources Policy advocacy toolkits and resources [Visit our linktree] Remote eviction proceedings fact sheet [Read the fact sheet] KidsFlash blog [Subscribe to Kidsflash]   Support the Show.Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Welcome to The West Steps! We are so excited to be back again as your resource for all things kids and families during the 2023 Colorado legislative session.  To kick off the inaugural episode of season 5, we are joined by Riley Kitts, Sr. Director of Policy and Government Affairs at the Colorado Children’s Campaign.  Riley provides a brief overview of how our state’s legislative session works and a preview of what we can expect from this year’s general assembly. With new legislators and new political dynamics, this year is shaping up to be an exciting one at the capitol. Riley also gives us a rundown of the Children’s Campaign’s policy priorities this session, which reflect our new strategic framework and focus on four main issue areas: youth success, family economic prosperity, child and family health, and early childhood. We encourage you to stay plugged into our work over the course of the session as we advocate for children and families across Colorado.  You can contact Riley at riley@coloradokids.org to learn about how you can engage in this year’s session. Learn more about our work by visiting our website, and stay up to date on our work by following us on social media (@coloradokidsorg). Resources2023 Policy priorities [2023 Legislative Session - Colorado Children's Campaign (coloradokids.org)] KidsFlash blog [KidsFlash blog - Child advocacy news] Support the Show.Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

The 2022 legislative session of the Colorado General Assembly concluded on May 11 with a number of wins for kids and families. After a mad dash to the finish line, we are proud to share that all of our priority bills passed with bipartisan support! This year's legislative wins were characterized by major systemic shifts across all our issue areas. Among other successes we played a part in, we laid out the guidelines for implementing our new state Department of Early Childhood and Universal Preschool Program, helped expand Medicaid and CHP+ coverage for undocumented kids and pregnant people, updated our state’s TANF program, and secured more equitable, student-centered funding for our schools. This work would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of our partners, coalition members, and advocates from across the state. Thank you for your continued support in making Colorado the best possible state for kids and families.  We are joined by Riley Kitts, Government Affairs Director at the Colorado Children’s Campaign, for our final conversation of season four. Riley celebrates the Children’s Campaign’s numerous legislative successes, and shares his own personal highlights and challenges from the past 120 days of session. In the midst of these successes, we continue to recognize the work that still remains in realizing every chance for every child in Colorado. We hope you will join us in our efforts to continue advocating for innovative solutions that prioritize child well-being. To read more about the bills we championed and supported in the 2022 legislative session, click here. Support the showFollow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.