Early Childhood Partnership of Adams Cou

The Early Childhood Partnership of Adams County (ECPAC) is cultivating an early childhood ecosystem, where every child and family in Adams County has equitable access to the high quality and affordable services and supports they need to thrive. The following program service accomplishments are highlighted in three core areas. Early Learning / Early Care & Education (ECE): During the 2024-2025 fiscal year, ECPAC, 68 ECE programs (Centers and Family Child Care Homes) received a total of 1,418.75 hours of individualized coaching. 54 Family Child Care Homes (FCCH) received individualized support for their business and program. Through Career Navigation, 107 professionals received support to reach their career goals; ECPAC provided 267 ECE programs with outreach and information, including how to connect with quality improvement supports and other available resources; ECPAC was able to offer 28 professional development opportunities to ECE professionals with 96% reporting that the professional development supported them to stay in the ECE profession. With the state Emerging and Expanding grant opportunity, ECPAC supported 5 ECE programs with funds to support their ability to expand programming or start new programming. Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: This year ECPAC provided and supported: 13 ECE programs, 12 classrooms, and 34 child focused cases with mental health consultation to support socially emotionally rich environments and to help adults better understand both typical behavior and behavior that adults can find challenging Additionally ECPAC offered 4 trainings for ECE professionals to further learning about development and addressing behaviors and mental health needs of children and adults and provided parenting classes for 31 families. Our consultants completed 11 screenings for children with 15 referrals to services such as early developmental services, mental health services, home visitation programs and to ECPAC's Family Support Specialists. Child and Family Health and Wellbeing: ECPAC provided resource navigation support to 232 families (162 new and 70 existing). ECPAC Family Support Specialists facilitated 500 referrals to community-based services and approximately 73.6% resulted in successful connections. ECPAC offered 30 series of parenting classes and groups to 178 (unduplicated) families. Eleven (11) of these series were offered in collaboration with community partners; were co-located. ECPAC completed various social norming messages to reduce stigma related to help-seeking and help-offering for families during the perinatal period. Multiple public education materials were also created for families with guidance provided by families with young children (both English and Spanish Speakers). ECPAC continues to co-locate in other areas of the county to help reduce barriers to accessing care. ECPAC hosted a tax preparation team in Commerce City for the fourth year, with a total of 133 families beign supported thorugh this partnership with Mile High United Way. Systems Change: To support improved systems for young children, families and early childhood professionals, ECPAC System Change: This year ECPAC provided and supported: 6 collaborations, working with our organizational, ECE, and family partners to address the complex social issues of: 1) Prevention of child abuse/neglect and promotion of mental health and family financial wellbeing; 2) ECE workforce shortages; 3) Access to services and supports; 4) Shared strategies to support providers related to the freeze on the Child Care Assistance Program; 5) Lack of affordable infant and toddler care; and 6) Available services for pregnant and postpartum families. ECPAC supported 14 dedicated family leaders working to reduce mental health stigma and increase access to resources through an 8 month policy and system change curriculum. Families report increases in knowledge about community issues, their leadership skills, having ownership over decisions made, confidence, and a greater sense of belonging. ECPAC offered 15 professional development opportunities for 393 (duplicated) /249 (unduplicated) professionals from 61 organizations to improve the quality of services children and families receive. ECPAC continued to support service programs being added to the Resource and Referral Platform for a total of 108 programs from 48 organizations so that Adams County residents can more easily connect to resources and services. ECPAC monitored the legislative session but did not take any official positions on legislative bills. ECPAC focused attention instead of advocacy related to funding for young children and families at the state and local leval.