We hear it all the time, “I’d love to take the job, but can’t find affordable full time early care and education for my child, so I have to decline.”  We’ve heard it in meetings with school superintendents and school board members.  We’ve heard it at chamber of commerce meetings too, “The health of our children determines the health of our County.”  

We have work to do in this area.  County parents need safe, affordable child-care and our county’s children deserve high quality child-care to support their developmental needs. 

Grand County Democrats are focusing effort on supporting early childhood development as an essential resource in the community, an area in which Grand Beginnings specializes.  This Granby-based organization runs the Grand and Jackson counties Early Childhood Council, a coalition of community members and leaders representing early childhood education, physical and mental health, family and child support services. 

By getting behind the important work Grand Beginnings is doing we can increase and improve early childhood development programs and expand child day care services which would allow Grand County families to consider both spouses working or a single parent being able to work full time.

There are many ways the community can help according to Katy Hale, executive director of Grand Beginnings.  In the short term you can attend the Annual Children’s Fair on April 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sun Communities. 

If you want to know how else you can support early childhood development in Grand County contact Katy@GrandBeginnings.org