Colorado Ranks #1 in Resources Available to Families with Young Children
New Prenatal-to-3 Policy Roadmap Shows Colorado Leading the Nation for Impactful Early Childhood Policies
DENVER — Released today, the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center's 2025 State Policy Roadmap shows Colorado leading the country in early-childhood resource availability for working parents. The Center’s interactive “Policy Impact Calculator” shows that a working parent with two young children has $56,224 in available resources in Colorado, surpassing the state ranked second by $5,155 in total available resources. The new roadmap also highlights Colorado as one of only ten states nationwide to have implemented all four of the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center’s “Effective Roadmap Policies,” demonstrating how the state’s policies collaboratively achieve significant and unparalleled outcomes for families and young children.
“In Colorado, we are leading the nation to ensure every young Coloradan gets a strong start, setting them up for success through some of the most important developmental years. We understand that early childhood support is critical for both young kids and new parents. I am proud to see Colorado recognized as the top state in the nation for support for working parents of young kids, and I look forward to the work ahead to ensure that Colorado gets even better for families,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.
“I’m so proud of the work we’ve done in Colorado over the past several years to position ourselves as a leader among states when it comes to supporting families with young children,” said Representative Emily Sirota. “This was the entire rationale for creating the Department of Early Childhood: to elevate the needs of young families and ensure we are creating state policies that aren’t just helping people to survive, but are ensuring that Colorado families can thrive.”
The Policy Impact Calculator incorporates state minimum wage, paid family and medical leave, child care subsidies, federal nutrition programs, federal and state income taxes and credits, and federal and state payroll deductions in its calculation to determine the amount of resources each state provides to families.
Colorado’s success was catalyzed by the implementation of the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center’s four “Effective Roadmap Policies”:
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Expanded Income Eligibility for Health Insurance to 138%: Colorado has expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act; thus, parents earning up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level are eligible for Medicaid coverage in CO.
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Paid Family and Medical Leave for Families with a New Child: Colorado has a paid family leave program that provides up to 12 weeks of benefits.
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State Minimum Wage of $10 or Higher: The current state minimum wage in Colorado is $14.81, which is adjusted annually for inflation.
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Refundable State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) of at Least 10%: Colorado has a refundable state EITC equal to 50% of the federal credit.
Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) Executive Director Dr. Lisa Roy said, “The foundational support a child and family receive during the crucial first 1,000 days after birth profoundly impacts their success in kindergarten and throughout life. This achievement is a testament to the collaborative efforts of the Governor, Colorado’s bipartisan legislature, other state agencies, CDEC, the Colorado Children’s Campaign, and many partners, all committed to data-driven policies that establish Colorado as the nation's most-resourced state for working parents raising young children.”
The partnership between Colorado’s partners and the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center has been instrumental in this progress.
“By advancing effective policies such as expanded income eligibility for health insurance, paid family and medical leave, a higher state minimum wage, and a state earned income tax credit, Colorado provides an example of how a comprehensive approach to policy can shape the resources available to families with young children,” said Dr. Cynthia Osborne, Executive Director of the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center. “This kind of progress offers valuable insight and a path for other states as they consider future policy choices.”
State legislators and nonprofit leaders echoed this recognition of Colorado’s progress and the importance of continued investment in early childhood.
“I'm really excited to see Colorado be recognized for all the amazing work it's done in the early childhood field. We always have more work to do, but it's really good to get that recognition and see the great progress that we've made,” said Senator Scott Bright. “It takes a team of highly dedicated people to pull this off, and I really feel like the work that the team has done has been so impressive and has improved Colorado families in such great ways. So excited to be a part of this in the future and looking forward to keeping Colorado on top.”
“I am grateful for the work of the Governor's team and all the agencies that worked on Early Childhood and prenatal up to three policies,” stated Representative Junie Joseph. “I'm very proud of the state team from Colorado in strengthening families through prenatal care, expanding income eligibility for health insurance, paid family leave, state minimum wage, and also the state earned income tax. You have a strong state when you have strong families.”
"Colorado has been working steadily to build policies and programs that truly support babies, toddlers, preschoolers and their families - and it is wonderful to see that work celebrated," said Heather Tritten, President & CEO of the Colorado Children's Campaign. "From universal preschool to tax policies that help families thrive to paid family leave - it's clear our investment in early childhood is starting to make a difference for kids and communities. At a time when the future of federal funding for early childhood is uncertain, our state's commitments are more important than ever. Let's keep it up!"
The collaborative efforts in policy implementation and strategic partnerships have demonstrably increased resources in Colorado, improving outcomes for the state’s children and families. Learn more about the Prenatal-to-3 System of Care in Colorado and the impact of these initiatives here.
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