03/31/10 – Early Childhood Councils Receive Grants to Better Integrate Health Services

by Deidre Johnson

Program Officer, The Colorado Trust

Colorado has the unfortunate distinction of having the fastest growing rate of children living in poverty. According to The Commonwealth Fund, Colorado ranks 45th among states for the percentage of uninsured children (ages 0-17) and 49th for the percentage of uninsured children living at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. This situation has worsened with the economic downturn as each percentage point rise in unemployment results in an estimated 1,000 more children becoming uninsured.

We know that children who lack access to quality health care are far more likely to miss school, are less ready to learn, and are more likely to go to the emergency room for treatable conditions such as asthma attacks or ear infections. Fortunately, The Colorado Trust and many other early childhood stakeholders are working to turn this around.

For example, Colorado's Early Childhood Councils connect children and families to resources and quality services in early care and education, health, mental health and family support. These community-based collaboratives are an expansion of the Consolidated Child Care Pilots that existed from 1997 to 2006 – today, 30 councils are active in 55 of Colorado's 64 counties.

To improve health outcomes for Colorado children, The Trust supports Early Childhood Councils in building local systems that more effectively integrate health and health care into the state's broader early childhood development system. While system rules and resources are usually defined at the national and state levels, most services are delivered at the community level – we're focused on changing systems in local communities because that's where families experience health services first-hand.

Twenty Early Childhood Councils representing 31 counties have received three-year grants from The Colorado Trust to better integrate physical, oral and mental health care into their local systems:

  • Alliance for Kids
  • Arapahoe County Early Childhood Council
  • Bright Futures for Early Childhood and Families
  • Chaffee County Early Childhood Council
  • Denver Early Childhood Council
  • Early Childhood Council of Boulder County
  • Early Childhood Council of Gunnison & Hinsdale
  • Early Childhood Council of La Plata County
  • Early Childhood Council of Larimer County
  • Early Childhood Council of Logan, Phillip and Sedgwick
  • Early Childhood Partnership of Adams County
  • ECHO and Family Center Early Childhood Council
  • Elbert County Early Childhood Council
  • Mesa County Partnership for Children and Families
  • Montelores Early Childhood Council
  • Morgan County Early Childhood Council
  • Pueblo Early Childhood Council
  • Rural Resort Region Early Childhood Council - Northeast
  • Teller/Park Early Childhood Council
  • Triad Early Childhood Council

Over the next three years, these councils will work to strengthen local child health systems and increase access to health insurance, oral and medical care, developmental screenings, immunizations and prenatal care. For more information about The Colorado Trust's support of councils statewide, contact Deidre Johnson.

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