Welcome to

El Paso County's Early Childhood Council

Supports for Families Impacted by Child Care Closing

In response to the recent closing of a local child care center and family child care home, Alliance for Kids is sharing resources available for families. If you are looking for other family resources, please visit FamilySPEAK.org.

  • If you or your child are in need of mental health support, providers are available to meet your needs. For a list, please click here.
  • If you are in need of child care or need more information about programs, visit ColoradoShines.com or call the Colorado Shines Child Care Resource & Referral Line: 877-338-2273

Our Vision

The Vision of Alliance for Kids to make El Paso County the best place to raise a child is realized through the collaborative efforts of community leaders from early care and education, health, mental health, and family support programs. These individuals come together as members of the AFK Council to ensure that families thrive and ALL children develop their potential.

Our Mission

Mission: The Alliance for Kids will serve as a vehicle that brings together agencies and individuals to work collaboratively on a seamless system of care for young children and their families in El Paso County.
 

Individuals, organizations, businesses, advocates, and community members - all working together to improve the lives of children and families.

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Alliance for Kids is here to assist providers, leaders, teachers, or those pursuing a career in early childhood education.

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We support parents & caregivers with resources to build strong families. This includes extended family, guardians, and foster care providers.

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Questions & Answers
to help you get started...

Alliance for Kids can help parents and families looking for quality child care. We are not a provider, but we can connect you with the resources and information you will need to get started. Please call us, or visit our Finding Quality Child Care page under the Parents & Families menu for more details. If you need financial assistance, you will find information on programs.

Alliance for Kids maintains a calendar of parenting classes. Visit FamilySPEAK under the Parents & Families menu for more information or go directly to FamilySPEAK.org.

Please visit our Opening a Child Care page for complete details. If you are required to be licensed, are interested in Pre-Licensing classes, or need other support, contact our Quality Initiatives Lead Supervisor.

Yes. Alliance for Kids offers scholarships depending upon the need of each student. Our Professional Development Specialist can provide guidance. Visit the Scholarships page under Providers | Leaders | Teachers.

Alliance for Kids can help early care and education programs and family child care providers with both aspects of Colorado Shines.  Whether it’s the Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) or the Professional Development Information System (PDIS), we are here to assist you!  Visit the Quality Programming tab under Providers | Leaders | Teachers for more details and contact information for staff that can assist you.

If you are looking for the one place to connect with local partners engaged in the early childhood conversation, join us for the next Community Network meeting! Mark your calendar for the third Thursday in January, April, July, and August. Visit our our Calendar page for meeting details/topics and to RSVP. Don’t miss your chance to connect and network with community partners and learn about local opportunities as well as statewide efforts in the field of early childhood.

“Connecting and networking for the purpose of taking action.”

 

“While taking classes for my program I have been able to take away a lot of new information that allows me to be a better teacher, so the children are all successful learners. I am better able to teach and assist children that need accommodations and modifications in an inclusive classroom on a daily basis.”
Scholarship Recipient
Summer 2017
We have gotten SO much from the class. It has improved almost all of our relationships as these skills pertain to adults as well.
Parent
Positive Solutions for Families Class
“I’m more focused on the social and emotional development of children now…on what is going on with each individual child that will help them do better next year in kindergarten - giving them those social and emotional skills that they need, that they might not always get.”
Family Child care Provider
Pyramid Plus Approach Training Participant
& Coaching Recipient
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Our newsletters are monthly and provide early childhood information, professional development opportunities, and information for families.

News

Funding Available for Family Child Care Homes in Colorado!

To address the declining number of licensed slots within family child care homes and to improve quality within home-based learning

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Community Listening Session | Join Us!

We reached our maximum capacity for this event.  If you would like to discuss any needs or thoughts regarding our

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EC News | January 2020 Edition

Get the latest early childhood news in the January edition! Read >>

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Colorado Office of Early Childhood Awarded $33.5 Million Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Renewal

Tuesday, January 7, 2020 DENVER — The Colorado Office of Early Childhood is pleased to announce it has received a

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Upcoming Events

Jan
21
Tue
6:00 pm Lesson Planning Exploration | Ja...
Lesson Planning Exploration | Ja...
Jan 21 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Do have a lot of experience creating lessons plans, but would like to explore new methods? Are you new to writing plans and would like to learn from others? Come join your peers for a[...]
Jan
22
Wed
5:30 pm ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experien...
ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experien...
Jan 22 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Childhood experiences, both positive and negative, have lifelong impacts and influence health and well-being later in life. Learn about the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACEs) that started the movement toward understanding the link between what[...]
6:00 pm EQIT Session C | January – March...
EQIT Session C | January – March...
Jan 22 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Important! Please note the specific times listed below: MANDATORY ORIENTATION: Monday, January 6, 2020, from 6:00-8:00 pm January 8 – March 14, 2020 Classes will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6:00 pm to[...]
Jan
23
Thu
6:00 pm Lesson Planning Exploration | Ja...
Lesson Planning Exploration | Ja...
Jan 23 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Do have a lot of experience creating lessons plans, but would like to explore new methods? Are you new to writing plans and would like to learn from others? Come join your peers for a[...]
Jan
25
Sat
8:30 am Social-Emotional Health & Develo...
Social-Emotional Health & Develo...
Jan 25 @ 8:30 am – 10:30 am
This course is for individuals who will be taking the face-to-face version of Social-Emotional Health & Development.  This course will take a look at why Social-Emotional Health & Development is so important and how the[...]
Jan
27
Mon
9:00 am Pre-Licensing | January 2020
Pre-Licensing | January 2020
Jan 27 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Becoming a Licensed Family Child Care Provider is an exciting career move which offers you the opportunity to provide appropriate care and guidance for other children in your community. Licensed Family Child Care Providers can[...]
9:00 am Pre-Licensing Training for Exemp...
Pre-Licensing Training for Exemp...
Jan 27 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Becoming a Licensed Family Child Care Provider is an exciting career move which offers you the opportunity to provide appropriate care and guidance for other children in your community. Licensed Family Child Care Providers can[...]
Jan
29
Wed
9:00 am Pre-Licensing | January 2020
Pre-Licensing | January 2020
Jan 29 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Becoming a Licensed Family Child Care Provider is an exciting career move which offers you the opportunity to provide appropriate care and guidance for other children in your community. Licensed Family Child Care Providers can[...]
5:30 pm ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experien...
ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experien...
Jan 29 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Childhood experiences, both positive and negative, have lifelong impacts and influence health and well-being later in life. Learn about the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACEs) that started the movement toward understanding the link between what[...]
Jan
31
Fri
9:00 am Pre-Licensing | January 2020
Pre-Licensing | January 2020
Jan 31 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Becoming a Licensed Family Child Care Provider is an exciting career move which offers you the opportunity to provide appropriate care and guidance for other children in your community. Licensed Family Child Care Providers can[...]

Community Resource Directory

Your Guide to local resources and supports for parents, Caregivers, and families.
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