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Early Childhood Framework

Early Childhood Colorado provides a statewide framework that 1) recognizes the needs of the whole child and family; 2) communicates the vision for comprehensive early childhood work; 3) focuses on specific measurable outcomes; and 4) guides, organizes, and focuses the actions and accountability of public and private stakeholders.

This work is guided by the following principles: 1) Be child-focused and family-centered; 2) recognize and respond to variations in cultures, languages, and abilities; 3) use data to inform decisions; 4) build on strengths of communities and families; 5) focus on children from birth to age eight; 6) promote partnerships; and 7) act at both the statewide and local levels.

Foundations:

· Build and support partnerships.

· Fund and invest.

· Change policy.

· Build public engagement.

· Share accountability.

· Generate education and leadership opportunities.

Goals:

· Children have high quality early learning supports and environments and comprehensive health care.

· Families have meaningful community and parenting supports.

· Early childhood professionals have the knowledge, skills and supports to work effectively with and on behalf of families and children.

· All children are valued, healthy and thriving.

Early Learning

Strategies:

· Develop and support use of early learning standards by families, programs, and professionals.

· Evaluate and recognize high quality programs with a comprehensive rating and reimbursement system.

· Develop, promote, and support high quality professional development and formal education for adults who work with young children.

· Monitor children's learning and development through screening and on-going assessments.

· Improve financial sustainability and governing efficiency of early learning programs and infrastructure.

Outcomes:

· Increased availability of formal education and professional development opportunities for early childhood professionals related to early learning standards.

· Increased access to high quality early learning, birth through third grade.

· Increased number of children meeting developmental milestones to promote school readiness.

· Increased number of programs that are accredited and/or quality rated.

· Increased number of schools that have leadership and educational environments that support young children's success.

· Increased availability of community resources and support networks for early childhood practitioners, professionals, and programs.

· Increased number of children with special needs who receive consistent early learning services and supports.

· Decreased gaps in school readiness and academic achievement between populations of children.

Family Support and Parent Education

Strategies:

· Strengthen coordinated efforts of public and private stakeholders to meet the needs of children and families.

· Strengthen and support family leadership through effective training models.

· Provide tools and information to families to strengthen their own engagement and involvement in their children's lives.

· Provide information to families to facilitate connection to services and supports.

Outcomes:

· Increased availability and family use of high quality parenting/child development information, services, and supports.

· Increased parent engagement and leadership at program, community, and policy levels.

· Increased number of children who live in safe, stable, and supportive families.

· Improved family and community knowledge and skills to support children's health and development.

· Increased family ability to identify and select high quality early childhood services and supports.

· Increased availability and use of family literacy services and supports.

· Increased availability of resources and supports, including financial and legal, to promote family self-sufficiency.

· Increased coordination of services and supports for families and children who are at-risk or have special needs.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

Strategies:

· Promote caregivers' knowledge of the social, emotional, and mental health of young children.

· Provide early childhood professionals with effective practices that promote children's social and emotional development and mental health.

· Strengthen and support community-based mental health services that identify and serve young children.

Outcomes:

· Increased availability and use of high quality social, emotional, and mental health training and support.

· Increased number of supportive and nurturing environments that promote children's healthy social and emotional development.

· Increased number of environments, including early learning settings, providing early identification and mental health consultation.

· Improved knowledge and practice of nurturing behaviors among families and early childhood professionals.

· Increased number of mental health services for children with persistent, serious challenging behaviors.

· Decreased number of out-of-home placements of children.

Health

Strategies:

· Enroll more children in health insurance programs.

· Promote and support use of standards for a Medical Home approach (including medical, oral and mental health, as well as developmental, vision and hearing screening and services).

· Strengthen coordinated efforts of public and private stakeholders to support health and wellness.

Outcomes:

· Increased access to preventive oral and medical health care.

· Increased number of children covered by consistent health insurance.

· Increased number of children who receive a Medical Home approach.

· Increased number of children who are fully immunized.

· Increased knowledge of the importance of health and wellness (including nutrition, physical activity, medical, oral and mental health).

· Increased percentage of primary care physicians and dentists who accept Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus.

· Increased percentage of women giving birth with timely and appropriate prenatal care.

· Decreased number of underinsured children.

Source: Early Childhood Colorado Framework on the Smart Start Colorado Web site.