All children are valued, healthy, and thriving-

Early childhood partners across Colorado embrace the vision of a comprehensive, connected network of early learning, health, mental health, and family support/parent education resources and services in order to impact positive outcomes for young children and their families.  This collective vision is illustrated in the Early Childhood Colorado Framework.

What is the Early Childhood Colorado framework?

Early Childhood Colorado is a collective vision on behalf of Colorado's young children and their families.

Early Childhood Colorado provides a framework that:

> Recognizes the needs of the whole child and family;

> Communicates the vision for comprehensive early childhood work;

> Focuses on specific measurable outcomes;

> Guides, organizes, and focuses the actions and accountability of public and private stakeholders.

How does the Early Childhood Colorado framework add value to early childhood efforts?

Early Childhood Colorado provides a common vision within which public and private, state and local partners can see their work; outlining the efforts needed by all partners to make positive change in the lives of young children and their families.  It takes the abstract "comprehensive systems building" language and ties it to specific strategies for action and concrete outcomes for children and families.

How can the Early Childhood Colorado framework be used?

• As a communication tool to increase the understanding of stakeholders,leaders, and the public around the importance of early childhood.
• As a planning tool to identify strengths and gaps and facilitate decision making around priorities for new and/or different funding, program, or policy efforts.
• As an evaluation tool to measure change for children, families, and communities.

Who takes the lead on the Early Childhood Colorado framework?

The Early Childhood Colorado framework belongs to all interested stakeholders groups and organizations who believe that working collaboratively toward common goals and outcomes will lead to greater success than is possible by working alone.  All organizations and entities -- both public and private at state and local levels -- are leaders on behalf of the Early Childhood Colorado framework.

Early Childhood Colorado framework supporting documents include:

• Introduction PowerPoint which explains the 'why' and 'how' Colorado arrived at this framework and
• Talking Points document.