The design, implementation and sustainable funding of a comprehensive countywide system of early childhood programs and services is a priority for the early childhood sector in Boulder County. The cities of Longmont and Boulder are the two largest municipalities in the county and both have adopted early care and education goals.
Currently, early childhood programs and services exist across Boulder County in various agencies and organizations. These are vital components to the comprehensive system and many agencies and organizations make significant contributions to local planning and the development of a comprehensive system.
The Early Childhood Council of Boulder County is the recognized policy and planning development organization for early childhood in Boulder County and is currently undertaking the development of the ECCBC Comprehensive System Plan.
In March 2009, ECCBC released the initial version of the Boulder County Early Childhood Framework which acts as a common roadmap for all early childhood serving agencies to positively impact kindergarten readiness. This common Framework assures that agencies work together in a mutually reinforcing manner to avoid duplication and competition and foster efficiency and effectiveness. The ECCBC Advisory Council updated the Framework in 2014 to reflect changes in best practice.
Successes:
Health:
- Increased % of women receiving prenatal care from 78% (2000) to 85% (2011)
- Reduce # children eligible for CHP+ Medicaid from 5% (2008) to 25.6% (2011)
- Reduce children expelled from preschool from 4.1% (2009) to 1.5% (2012)
Family Support:
- Increase family CCAP eligibility from 185% of FPL to 225% FPL
Early Learning:
- Increased CPP slots from 188 (2004) to 634 (2013)
- Added Early Head Start in Longmont
- Increased public funding for subsidized childcare from $9M (2009) to $10M (2013)