Colorado

Free Resources for Colorado Parents in These Uncertain Times

April 24, 2020COMtnMom

“How’s working from home going for you, with your two little ones?” I asked my coworker Sarah, during our recent Zoom conference. She has two children under the age of 3, and we are both currently working online from home during the Colorado stay-at-home order. “Not too bad … although my husband is getting a little sick of our kids!” she joked.

The year 2020 has brought challenges to parents that we’ve never seen before. Many of us are currently at home with our kids due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and are uncertain when our daily lives will return to a normal routine. For work-outside-the-home parents, this can be a new dynamic that takes some adjustment.

It helps having some parenting back up, especially when there’s so much we can do to support children’s learning and healthy development through everyday interactions and activities. I want to encourage all Colorado parents to utilize two free state online parenting resources while they are at home during the COVID-19 crisis: EarlyLearningCo.org and ColoradoShines.com/families.

At-home Learning and Support From the Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines

Since many schools and child care facilities are closed right now, parents may need help in finding age appropriate activities and resources. Routines have changed, and this affects our children. Families can provide a nurturing and enriching environment while kids are at home.

Colorado’s Early Learning and Development Guidelines, found at EarlyLearningCO.org, provides parents with ideas on how to engage in play and learning activities with their children while they are at home. Let it be your go-to resource for finding tips, activities and support at every stage of parenting.

The online resources available from the state include:

Tips to play and support learning at every age
Short, fun videos about child development and the parent experience
Links to other high-quality, free parenting resources

If you navigate to the “Parents and Caregivers” from the top menu bar, you’ll find this awesome section with guidelines for each age group. Each age category includes helpful parent experience videos, as well as videos on “How They Think and Learn” at that age. Check it out for inspiration on what to include in your child’s day.

My Nerve-Wracking Search for Child Care

When I was pregnant with my first child, I’m not sure which was scarier: the thought of giving birth… or finding quality child

care for my new baby?! I literally lost sleep over this issue. Who could I trust? It was going to be hard enough leaving her to head back to work. I needed to be certain that she’d be happy, safe, and well cared for.

I tried to research local child cares online, but that information came from varying, inconsistent sources of unknown reliability.

So when I found a family friend who was a stay at home mom, who was willing to care for my child, too… I cried happy tears. This worked very well for us for that initial stage.

Fast-forward 3 years, and now I’m a stay at home mom. Which was waaaay harder than I expected it to be, but that’s another story! As much as I enjoyed my time home with her, my daughter started to need some additional activities and stimulation. What worked for us at that time was enrolling her in an arts and crafts preschool, that met just two mornings per week.

I found myself incredibly grateful for this discovery, as well. She loved her time spent there. And I could see how enriched she was by the dances, songs, and art projects she participated in with this program.

So it all worked out in the end. But I know many working parents have likely had a similar stressful and challenging journey.

How do you find the best possible care for your precious child?

That’s why I feel the free Colorado Shines directory is such an excellent resource for parents in Colorado. With this tool, parents can avoid online searching, and rest assured they will find a quality program.

Plan Ahead Now by Searching Colorado Shines

Through a program called Colorado Shines, the State rates and monitors the quality of child care programs. They maintain a FREE child care directory, designed to help Colorado parents find good options for child care. It’s a wonderful resource to find both early care and education programs for children ages birth to kindergarten.

Even though some child care centers may currently be closed due to COVID-19, Colorado Shines remains a reliable resource to search for quality child care, whether you need it now or you are planning for the future.

Families can find a child care program’s quality and history to ensure they choose the best program for their child. Colorado Shines gives parents the information they need to know that environments are safe for children, and that programs adhere to safety regulations.

The Colorado Shines search tool includes many different types of child care providers – centers, preschools, homes, head start programs, and even overnight camps. It can help Colorado parents find and select a quality-rated, licensed child care program in their area. Each provider is rated from level 1 to level 5.

Tip: All programs are licensed, in good standing with the state, meet health and safety standards, and are regularly monitored.

Tips to Find Quality Child Care

A truly quality child care environment is going to adapt to your child’s individual needs. Even at childcare, your child needs nurturing relationships with caring adults, who will help your child safely explore the world around them and learn new skills.

As you look for child care, look for signals that your child is in a safe and nurturing space:

Do the care providers talk to children continuously, explaining even routine tasks like diaper changes?
Is the caregiver responsive to children’s interests and needs?
Look for a program with a low teacher-to-child ratio
Does the child receive long periods of play with different toys and materials?
Are you invited to the classroom and encouraged to participate?

First, decide what kind of care you need. This may be a center, family child care home, or Head Start. Then use ColoradoShines.com to search for quality, licensed providers in your area. Visit a few programs, observe, and ask questions.