The West Steps

A few months ago, state legislators had a budget surplus and plans to improve public systems for children and families. Now they are faced with at least a $3 billion shortfall and the awful task of m…

The humans who pull all the data and research together each year for our KIDS COUNT in Colorado! data book join us this week to remind us how these numbers represent actual Coloradans and their exper…

Katrina Little, a labor and delivery nurse and advocate for birthing mothers, joins our own Jacy Montoya Price and Samantha Espinoza to explore shifting rules in labor and delivery during the coronav…

Food security was already elusive for many Colorado kids and families. Then as the COVID-19 pandemic washed over our communities those tenuous connections to food sources were suddenly and dramatical…

Coloradans who fall ill during the early days of this pandemic are left in the dark without access to testing for COVID-19, including our own VP for Health Initiatives Erin Miller. As she tracked tes…

 Coloradans share their experiences during the first few weeks of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic—in their own voices. Legislators, child care providers, advocates, expecting parents an…

Invitations to complete the 2020 Census hit mailboxes at the same time the coronavirus was spreading across the nation. This crisis could significantly impact the counting of every Coloradan, and our…

Child care and early childhood education systems are on the verge of collapsing in Colorado as families self-isolate and child care providers close. Alle providers run on tuition and attendance-based…

Weaknesses in our public health system driven by chronic underfunding are being exposed as the coronavirus spreads in our communities. Glen Mayes, professor of health systems, management and policy a…

A survey of Colorado students, parents and school administrators found that kids don’t have enough time to eat their lunch during the school day. Being rushed to eat to get back to learning means chi…

Government Affairs Director Riley Kitts returns to debrief the status of the 2020 legislative session as we approach the halfway mark next week. Several great bills for kids have cleared first hurdle…

High school students from around the state rallied in Denver this week to tell legislators about their experiences with Colorado’s dysfunctional school finance system—and the impact it has had on the…

Sen. Rhonda Fields joins us to explore a simple and significant way to help Colorado families living in extreme poverty--below $12,000 a year in annual income for a family of four. Legislators are co…

A doctor and a parent join us this week to tell us what's at stake when vaccination rates among children get too low. Kids with medical issues like cancer aren't able to be vaccinated and exposure to…

New parents go to the doctor sometimes monthly—for rarely for themselves. In the critical and hectic early days with a newborn, new moms haul babies in for regular well-child checkups, but rarely acc…

Every adult can play an important role in supporting the mental health of kids—especially in the earliest years. But sometimes teachers and parents need help figuring out how to address those unique …

Coloradans know child care is expensive and hard to find. There are a lot of reasons—and solutions—for this. One that is rarely discussed is the workforce in early care and education. Working parents…

The Colorado General Assembly came back to the marble halls of the Capitol this week for the second session with the current crop of lawmakers. Riley Kitts, our Government Affairs Director, has talke…

K.C. Becker, Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, joins us in our studios to explain how a yes vote on Prop CC this November would allow Colorado communities and families to share in our…

Last week, Myra Jones-Taylor inspired and challenged a room full of dedicated children’s advocates to “make good on the promise of our field” at our 2019 Annual Luncheon. We also recorded the first-e…