CSPC Featured in KNGU

CSPC Featured in KNGU

by | Jan 27, 2026 | Child Care, ECE, FFN, K-12, Parents, Policy

CSPC Featured on KGNU Radio: Early Childhood Education and Family Engagement in Boulder County

The Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition (CSPC) was recently featured on KGNU’s Public Affair radio program, highlighting our work supporting families, caregivers, and educators in Boulder County and across Colorado.

During the conversation, CSPC shared how our programs — including PASO, Éxito, Las Familias, and VOZ — empower families, strengthen early childhood education, and support parents in becoming informed advocates for their children. The discussion also touched on the importance of family engagement, community leadership, and policy advocacy in building more equitable education systems.

We are grateful to KGNU for the opportunity to uplift community voices and spotlight the work happening on the ground with families every day.

👉 Listen to the full episode here:
Listen here

Thank you to KGNU for amplifying this important conversation, and to our community for continuing to show up for families across Colorado.

GIT for Child Care

GIT for Child Care

by | Jan 27, 2026 | Child Care, ECE, FFN, Parents, Policy

Colorado Can’t Keep Waiting — It’s Time to Invest in Child Care

📖 Read the full op-ed here: Read Here

At the Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition (CSPC), we know firsthand that Colorado families are doing everything they can to stay afloat — working multiple jobs, navigating rising costs, and struggling to access affordable, reliable child care. Meanwhile, the providers they rely on — often grandmothers, neighbors, and friends — are being pushed past the breaking point.

In a new guest commentary published by The Denver Post, our own Mirla Coronado de Low, Director of Early Childhood Programs at CSPC, outlines what’s really at stake: our over-reliance on federal funding has left our child care system fragile and vulnerable to political games. And because of TABOR and Colorado’s flat tax system, our state isn’t doing enough to invest in its own families.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

A graduated income tax — like the one Colorado had before 1987 — could generate over $2 billion annually to fund the programs our families need: child care, education, and health care.

📖 Read the full op-ed here: Read Here
We’re proud to stand with the Protect Colorado’s Future Coalition to push for tax fairness and a stronger future for Colorado’s families.

CSPC Second Round of Grantees FFN

CSPC Second Round of Grantees FFN

by | Sep 23, 2025 | Child Care, ECE, FFN, Policy, Uncategorized

For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Jaimi Flores
Jaimi@coparentcoalition.org

DENVER, CO — September 23, 2025 —

The Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition (CSPC), in partnership with the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), is proud to announce the second round of recipients for the Friend, Family, and Neighbor (FFN) Support Grant Program. This milestone continues the momentum of Colorado’s historic investment in strengthening community-based childcare options across the state.
The FFN Support Grant Program, established by the Colorado State Legislature in 2022, was the first initiative of its kind in the country. It provides resources, training, and support to FFN childcare providers—who currently care for over 50% of Colorado’s young children, including more than 60% of children aged three and under.
“CDEC celebrates this partnership with the Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition and the eight new awardees for the FFN Training and Support Program,” said Dr. Lisa Roy, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. “The momentum from this program speaks to the need to provide outreach and resources to FFN providers across the state as they play a vital role in supporting children and families in Colorado.”
“CSPC is thrilled to support more groups who are committed to supporting FFN providers across the state,” said Lorena Garcia, CEO of the Colorado Statewied Parent Coalition. “FFN providers have always been the backbone of the childcare sector and will always be the backbone. We need to keep investment in FFN strong.”
The following organizations have been selected to receive funding in the second round of the FFN Support Grant Program:
  • Gunnison County dba Gunnison Hinsdale Early Childhood Council – $42,002.09
  • Tutela Institute – $54,846.00
  • North Range Behavioral Health – $96,442.49
  • Roots Family Center – $61,160.00
  • Early Childhood Partnership of Adams County – $66,011.49
  • Early Milestones Colorado – $199,780.00
  • Mile High United Way – $205,633.45
  • Estes Valley Investment in Childhood Success – $41,653.70
These awardees will lead efforts to expand professional development opportunities, culturally relevant resources, and programmatic support for FFN providers in their respective communities.
The FFN Support Grant Program will continue to make a lasting impact through 2026, with funding available through December 31 of that year.
For more information about the Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition or the FFN Support Grant Program, visit FFN Grant | Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition or contact Abril Fuentes Abril@coparentcoalition.org
Coloradans Launch 2026 ballot push for graduated state income tax

Coloradans Launch 2026 ballot push for graduated state income tax

by | Sep 3, 2025 | Policy, Uncategorized

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT
Alicia Caldwell
caldwell@bellpolicy.org
303-810-9909

Coloradans launch 2026 ballot push for graduated state income tax

New ballot measure proposals would cut taxes for 98 percent of Coloradans,
raise revenue to address budget crisis

DENVER, CO — September 3, 2025 — The Protect Colorado’s Future coalition today announced plans to put a graduated income tax on the 2026 ballot. This proposal would lower taxes for 98 percent of Coloradans, while raising taxes on individuals and corporations making more than $500,000 a year.

The proposal comes in direct response to Colorado’s budget crisis, caused by state revenue limits and federal budget cuts. This budget gap has led to $1.5 billion in cuts to vital state programs this year alone. The state’s existing budget squeeze forced massive program cuts earlier this year, but President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” threw our state into free fall, taking away funds for healthcare, food assistance, and schools to benefit giant corporations and give tax breaks to the wealthiest.

Protect Colorado’s Future says it’s time to fix the state’s tax system. For 50 years, Colorado used a graduated income tax system, in which those with higher incomes paid higher taxes. This system ended in 1987, when an anti-tax legislature replaced it with an inequitable “flat tax,” lowering taxes on those making the most and gradually draining the state budget. The coalition aims to ask voters to fix that injustice through a ballot measure in 2026, and began that process today by filing three versions of a ballot initiative.

“Colorado is at a turning point,” said Chris deGruy Kennedy, President and CEO of the Bell Policy Center, a member of the coalition. “For more than three decades, an upside-down tax code has hurt Colorado’s schools, health care, childcare and the environment. We’ve made the wealthy even wealthier while everyone else struggles to keep up. The cruel cuts to healthcare and the absurd corporate tax giveaways in the federal budget bill have pushed Colorado over the edge, and only the voters of Colorado have the power to make the wealthy pay their fair share and restore funding to critical state priorities.”

Colorado is especially vulnerable to federal cuts because a state constitutional amendment called the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, creates an arbitrary budget formula that legislators must follow, restricting the state’s ability to fund essential public services. The amendment also makes the 1987 flat tax permanent, unless overturned at the ballot. The result is seen in this year’s state budget: a $1.2 billion dollar deficit impacting every Coloradan, from young children to older adults, in all parts of the state.

“Our generation is tired of waiting for someone else to save our future while our economic security gets worse with every failed minimum wage increase, additional hundreds of dollars added to our rent, and funding cuts to programs we rely on like Medicaid and Higher Education,” said Christina Soliz, Executive Director of New Era Colorado, another member of the coalition. “While the wealthy continue to thrive, young people are questioning whether Colorado is even a feasible place to build their lives. We’re taking our future into our own hands, and that begins with demanding the wealthy pay their fair share.”

The graduated income tax proposal will help recapture some of the $71,000 the wealthiest Coloradans will receive in 2026 from Trump’s tax cuts, reinvesting those dollars back into classrooms, healthcare, childcare, and other state priorities that could include food security, public safety, or workforce development programs.

Additional quotes from member organizations

  • Brace Gibson, Policy Director at Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger: “It’s time to put people first and build a fairer tax system that ensures every Coloradan can meet their basic needs like putting food on the table. Outdated policies like TABOR and federal tax breaks for the wealthy make that harder. We can and should do better by investing in food access, schools, healthcare, transportation, and other essential services that all of our communities rely on.”
  • Kathy White, Executive Director at Colorado Fiscal Institute: “Colorado’s working families shouldn’t have to pick up the tab so the wealthiest get a $71,000-a-year gift from Congress — especially when TABOR has already tied our hands for decades. A graduated income tax is just common sense: 98% of us get a tax cut, and the folks doing really well chip in a fair share to keep our schools strong, our healthcare system solid, and our communities thriving. That’s how we build a Colorado where everyone gets ahead, not just the lucky few.”
  • Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign: “A new approach to income taxes would open up a world of opportunity for Colorado’s children and communities. Imagine a future where Colorado can build the schools, health care system, child care supports, and strong, safe, generous communities our children need and deserve. Imagine a future where our state’s resources match the true prosperity of our communities. Imagine a future where we are not as vulnerable to the whims of federal policymakers. This proposal is a step toward that future.”

About the Protect Colorado’s Future Coalition

Protect Colorado’s Future is a coalition of concerned Coloradans, working toward fairer taxation and a state budget that can afford the vital services and programs our families and neighbors depend on to survive. Protect Colorado’s Future is led by the following nonprofit organizations:

The Bell Policy Center

Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger

Colorado Center on Law and Policy

Colorado Children’s Campaign

Colorado Consumer Health Initiative

Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition

Colorado Fiscal Institute

Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights

Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition

Counties & Commissioners Acting Together

Great Education Colorado

New Era Colorado

Additionally, the following organizations have signed on to our statement of purpose:

“We support the concept of a state graduated income tax that requires the wealthy to pay their fair share so Coloradans can have well-funded schools, adequate and affordable health care, and the ability to respond to economic disruptions.”

Stand for Children Colorado

Hunger Free Colorado

Cobalt

Boulder County

Colorado PTA

Towards Justice

City of Boulder and Mukuyu Collective

Clear Creek County

Bread and Roses Legal Center

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless

Community Economic Defense Project

Engage Jeffco

Arvadans for Progressive Action

League of Women Voters of Colorado

Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy, and Research Organization

Young Invincibles

Caring for Colorado

Rocky Mountain NAACP

AFSCME Colorado

Nos Solidarizamos con Nuestra Comunidad Inmigrante

Nos Solidarizamos con Nuestra Comunidad Inmigrante

by | Feb 4, 2025 | Uncategorized

Nos Solidarizamos con Nuestra Comunidad Inmigrante/ CSPC Stands with Immigrant Families

English message follows after the Spanish version.

En la Coalición Estatal de Padres de Colorado (CSPC), estamos profundamente preocupados por las acciones recientes dirigidas contra nuestras comunidades inmigrantes de parte de la administración del presidente Trump. Rechazamos cualquier política que cause miedo e incertidumbre a las familias con las que trabajamos cada día. Creemos firmemente que Estados Unidos solo es fuerte cuando respeta a todos sus residentes y valora la diversidad de nuestras comunidades. 

Sabemos que estos tiempos no son fáciles, y queremos recordarles que no están solos. Las familias inmigrantes y los proveedores de cuidado infantil en el hogar son esenciales para nuestra sociedad, y en CSPC seguimos comprometidos en apoyarles con recursos, información y acompañamiento. 

Algunas cosas que uds. pueden hacer:  

Una nota para nuestras organizaciones: ¿Cómo Podemos Ayudar? 

Aquí hay algunas acciones que podemos tomar para apoyar a nuestras familias y colegas inmigrantes: 

  • Compartir información confiable sobre derechos y recursos disponibles para las familias afectadas.  
  • Ofrecer espacios seguros para que las familias expresen sus preocupaciones y accedan a apoyo sin temor. 
  • Defender políticas justas que protejan a nuestras comunidades y garanticen su bienestar.  
  • Mantenernos unidos, mostrando solidaridad y apoyo en estos tiempos difíciles. 

Si conoces a alguien que necesite ayuda o información, por favor compárte estos recursos. Juntos, podemos enfrentar estos desafíos y seguir construyendo comunidades más seguras y equitativas para todos. 

Estamos con ustedes, hoy y siempre. 

– El equipo de CSPC 

CSPC Stands with Immigrant Families

At the Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition (CSPC), we are deeply concerned about the recent actions taken by the Trump administration against our immigrant communities. We firmly reject any policy that instills fear and uncertainty in the families we work with every day. We strongly believe that the United States is only truly strong when it respects all its residents and values the diversity of our communities.

We know these times are not easy, and we want to remind you: you are not alone. Immigrant families and home-based child care providers are essential to our society, and at CSPC, we remain committed to supporting you with resources, information, and advocacy.

Things You Can Do:

A Note for Organizations: How Can We Help?

Here are some actions we can take to support immigrant families and colleagues:

  • Share reliable information about rights and available resources for affected families.
  • Offer safe spaces where families can express their concerns and access support without fear.
  • Advocate for just policies that protect our communities and ensure their well-being.
  • Stand together, showing solidarity and support in these difficult times.

If you know someone who needs help or information, please share these resources with them. Together, we can face these challenges and continue building safer, more equitable communities for all.

We stand with you, today and always.

– The CSPC Team