childcare

A Georgetown University report warns that proposed Medicaid cuts could harm early childhood education in Colorado. Many child care workers rely on Medicaid for health care, and cuts could deepen the child care crisis.

Governor Polis signs a bill to protect educators from pressure to remove books from school libraries, while Cortez renews its Urban Forestry program. Other updates include health-related resignations in Arizona, a proposed tobacco tax delay in the Navajo Nation, and wildfire mitigation efforts across the West.

Colorado loses $2.7 billion annually due to lack of affordable child care. A new initiative in Mesa County highlights the impact of investing in child care infrastructure and workforce development.

House Bill 25-1011 would have required daycare chains to be more transparent about pricing and to notify parents prior to layoffs. But opponents said it'll discourage operators from opening up centers.

National chains are a growing share of the state's childcare providers, and lawmakers want regulations before they get any larger.

A group of local community members in Montezuma County is working with doctors from the Indian Health Service to provide medical support for the unhoused. And a new bipartisan bill could make it easier for children going into foster care to be placed with relatives.

Colorado voters will decide in November whether to legalize the use of psychedelic mushrooms. And the window to apply for Utah’s one-time child care worker bonus closes in three weeks.

Utah child care employees are now eligible for a one-time 2-thousand dollar bonus. And inflation may drive up Utah fishing and hunting license fees.