PODCAST · government
The West Steps
by Colorado Children's Campaign
The West Steps explores the issues that matter for Colorado kids and families. The West Steps is a production of the Colorado Children's Campaign.
Episodes
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Bilingual Child Care Licensing is About More Than a License
In this episode of The West Steps, we’re discussing efforts to improve language access and language justice in Colorado by making sure that critical resources and information are available in languages that are prevalent in our state. Earlier this year, Colorado’s legislature passed a bill to…
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What Colorado Can Do in 2024 to Improve Perinatal Health
In this episode of The West Steps, we’re discussing maternal health and maternal mortality in Colorado. Unfortunately, large regions of the state have been dubbed maternal care deserts because of their very limited access to perinatal health care. Pregnancy-associated deaths in our state are...
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What Does It Mean to Center Kids in Colorado’s School Funding Formula?
In this episode of The West Steps, we’re discussing Colorado’s school funding formula, which is used to allocate billions of dollars annually to educate kids across the state’s 178 school districts. For the first time in 30 years, the state legislature is seriously considering updating this...
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How a Family Affordability Tax Credit Could Cut Child Poverty in Half
In this episode of The West Steps, we’re discussing the Family Affordability Tax Credit (HB24-1311), a new proposal in the Colorado legislature that has the potential to reduce child poverty in Colorado by half. Sarah Barnes, Senior Director of Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign and…
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Kids Are Losing Health Coverage at an Alarming Rate
Since May 2023, more than 100,000 kids and nearly 550,000 Coloradans have lost Medicaid coverage. In this episode of The West Steps, we’re exploring why so many Coloradans are losing health coverage and why it matters. Hunter Nelson, Senior Policy Analyst at the Colorado Children’s Campaign;...
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Could a $1500 Tax Credit Make a Difference for the Caring Economy?
In this episode, we’re diving into an effort to create a State Income Tax Credit for Careworkers, which would credit $1,500 to child care workers and caregivers, direct care workers, home health aides, and other people who work in the caring economy. Melissa Mares, Director of Early Childhood at...
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Out-of-School Programs Are Facing a Funding Cliff: What Can Colorado Do?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado invested about $20 million relief dollars in out-of-school time programming, which supported 45 grantees and 60 programs across the state. But those dollars are running out, and many programs face uncertain futures. And even with this investment, the supply...
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Colorado Needs Better Data About Evictions
National research shows that families with children are more likely to experience an eviction – and that evictions can be extremely disruptive for kids’ education, health, and overall well-being. But data about what is happening across Colorado is inconsistent and hard to access. The Colorado...
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The Colorado Children's Campaign 2024 legislative preview: Part 2
The second part of our legislative preview focuses on early childhood and child and family health. Melissa Mares, Director of Early Childhood, explains why preschool and infant and toddler care are so important to child development. Then, Toni Sarge, Director of Child and Family Health, talks…
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The Colorado Children's Campaign 2024 legislative preview: Part 1
Welcome to The West Steps! We’re excited to return as your resource for all things kids and families during the 2024 Colorado legislative session. In the inaugural episode of Season 6, Colorado Children’s Campaign policy directors discuss what they’re anticipating and prioritizing at the capitol...
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Our 2023 legislative session wrap up
The Colorado General Assembly has officially adjourned! On our final episode of the 2023 legislative session, we hear from some of the Children's Campaign policy staff about how our priority bills landed this session. Senior Policy Analyst Megan Ives, Policy Analysts Lauren Corboy and Hunter...
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How is Colorado working to improve school safety?
Recent incidents of gun violence in Colorado have once again called into light the need for a more comprehensive approach to school safety. By creating systems in our schools that address the root causes of violence, we can ultimately improve the long-term safety and social-emotional well-being…
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The Braidwood ruling: What does it mean for Colorado?
For more than a decade, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has required that health insurance plans cover a wide range of preventive health care services at no cost to patients. However, access to some of those services is at risk after a federal court ruled last month that the ACA’s preventive…
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The Children's Campaign’s mid-session update
We are now more than halfway through the 2023 legislative session! With only a few weeks remaining, the Children's Campaign is working hard to ensure that our policy priorities make their way to the governor’s desk. We continue to push for the renewal of the Child Care Contribution Tax Credit,...
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The importance of play in early childhood
Play has benefits for people of all ages, but it is particularly important during early childhood. Play time, and unstructured play time in particular, is correlated with improved language skills, problem solving skills, and math skills. It also has been shown to increase physical health and...
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What you need to know about Healthy School Meals for All
Last fall, Colorado voters approved Proposition FF to establish the Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program. This made our state one of three in the nation to provide universal, free school meals to all public school students. By reducing tax deductions at higher income levels, HSMA creates a...
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Now is the time to invest in Colorado’s Family Planning Program
At both the ballot box and the Capitol, Coloradans have reaffirmed their commitment to reproductive justice in the past several years. In a post-Roe landscape, Colorado has positioned itself as a national leader in supporting policies and programs that allow people to access comprehensive family...
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Keeping Colorado kids covered in 2023 and beyond
Hundreds of thousands of Coloradans are at risk of losing their health coverage over the course of the next year as the pandemic-era policy that has indefinitely kept people enrolled in Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) is set to come to an end. Since early 2020, the complex, burdensome...
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Access to justice: How we can improve eviction court proceedings in Colorado
This week on The West Steps, we discuss Colorado’s eviction process with Jack Regenbogen, Deputy Executive Director at the Colorado Poverty Law Project, and Sarah Barnes, Director of Family Economic Prosperity Initiatives at the Colorado Children’s Campaign. Sarah and Jack lay out a policy that...
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The Colorado Children's Campaign 2023 legislative preview
Welcome to The West Steps! We are so excited to be back again as your resource for all things kids and families during the 2023 Colorado legislative session. To kick off the inaugural episode of season 5, we are joined by Riley Kitts, Sr. Director of Policy and Government Affairs at the Colorado...
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2022 legislative session wrap up
The 2022 legislative session of the Colorado General Assembly concluded on May 11 with a number of wins for kids and families. After a mad dash to the finish line, we are proud to share that all of our priority bills passed with bipartisan support! This year's legislative wins were characterized…
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How will we cover all Coloradans in 2022? Part 2
House Bill 22-1289: Cover All Coloradans is a monumental bill that will provide comprehensive public health insurance coverage to children, pregnant and postpartum undocumented Coloradans. However, there is much more to this bill than what meets the eye. Behind this critical piece of legislation...
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Now is the time to correct Colorado’s inequitable school funding system
Welcome back to The West Steps! Today, we return to a highly complex and often misunderstood topic: Colorado’s school funding system, and specifically local “mill levy override” funding. Leslie Colwell, Vice President for Education Initiatives at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; and George…
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What is rulemaking and how does it impact kids and families in Colorado?
While many may view the governor signing a bill into law as the final step in the legislative process, this is not the case. In fact, a recently signed bill is barely halfway through the extensive journey a policy must take on its way to implementation. Why? After a bill is signed, the critical...
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Centering school climate in K-12 education
Research has proven that students are more successful when they feel safe, connected, and have a sense of belonging at school. However, indicators of student success are often centered around academic achievement, overlooking the importance of school climate in contributing to positive student...
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Elevating provider voice as HB22-1295 moves through the legislature
Prior to the pandemic, Colorado made significant strides in improving the quality standards of early childhood programs. However, since the onset of the public health crisis, existing structural challenges have been exacerbated. Among these challenges include issues with workforce recruitment and...
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Now is the time to improve maternal health care in Colorado
The U.S is the only developed country with an increasing maternal mortality rate, and in Colorado, that rate has doubled since 2008. Additionally, longstanding discriminatory policies and practices have led to maternal mortality rates among birthing people of color and people using Medicaid that...
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How will HB22-1259 impact Colorado families living in extreme poverty?
When kids experience extreme poverty, it can have lifelong impacts on their health and well-being. That is why it is critical we take steps to help support families who are living far below the federal poverty level. House Bill 22-1259 will make changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy...
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Capitol Update – What has happened in the first third of the 2022 legislative session?
With less than 80 days to go in the legislative session, the pace has started to pick up at the Capitol. More than 400 pieces of legislation have been introduced, and the Children’s Campaign has already analyzed and taken positions on 120. We are excited to see some of our priority bills already...
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What is TANF and why does it need to change?
In Colorado, a family with two children must make less than $421 per month to qualify for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Therefore, the level of poverty a family must experience to access this program is too low for it to truly help families achieve economic security....
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How will we cover all Coloradans in 2022?
Without health insurance, families are one medical emergency away from financial ruin. Therefore, the security and care that health insurance provides is immeasurable. Unfortunately, many Coloradans still do not have access to these services. This lack of health coverage can lead to detrimental...
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How Colorado hopes to combat food insecurity among students
Hunger has always been an issue in our state. Over the course of the pandemic, food insecurity amongst Colorado kids increased from 1 in 6 children to 1 in 3. Along with that, many families often were not filling out free or reduced-price lunch applications, making it difficult for schools and...
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Educator Tax Credit Explained
Colorado is currently facing an early childhood worker shortage. The increased demand for educators, issues with workforce retention, and the compounding effects of the pandemic have only exacerbated the sector’s high turnover rate. House Bill 22-1010, the Early Childhood Educator Income Tax...
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How will we improve maternal health data collection in 2022?
Accurate, reliable data allow us to fully understand the health of perinatal people and their babies. Especially with the pandemic’s impact on maternal health, data are critical in providing a robust understanding of the support needed by birthing persons. Unfortunately, the current patchwork...
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Colorado legislatures are back in session and so are we with season four of The West Steps
The Colorado General Assembly is back, which means it’s time to kick off season four of The West Steps. Episode 1 welcomes our Government Affairs Director, Riley Kitts, for an exciting conversation on what we can expect in the 2022 legislative session. A lot has happened since last session ended…
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EP 5 : Conversations on early care and education in Colorado
Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) are developed to ensure children with identified disabilities receive the necessary resources and support they need to thrive in the classroom. As the transition to the new Department of Early Childhood continues, a subgroup has been devoted to developing...
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EP 4 : Conversations on early care and education in Colorado
In traditional early care settings, the focus is primarily on educating the child. However, from what we know about our education system, the involvement of parents and caregivers in a child’s earliest years of education is essential to their success. Home visiting programs work to create this...
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EP 3: Conversations on early care and education in Colorado
When people picture child care providers, many envision licensed professionals in settings outside the home. However, this is not always the case. Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) providers may be viewed as informal caregivers, but they offer invaluable services to children across our state. By...
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EP 2: Conversations on early care and education in Colorado
For parents of young children across Colorado, navigating the early childhood system is nothing short of exhausting. The fragmented programs that are often controlled by money and politics have repeatedly belittled the voices of concerned parents and providers for decades – perpetuating a system...
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EP 1: Conversations on early care and education in Colorado
The passage of Proposition EE in November 2020 provided a huge increase in the number of children able to access preschool in 2023 when it goes into effect. As with any issue like this, universal preschool cannot be implemented overnight, and stakeholders across the state immediately got to work…
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After over 600 bills, the 2021 Colorado legislative session ends with massive wins for kids and families
Although the 2021 legislative session felt like one of the longest to date, it ushered in tremendous progress for kids and families in Colorado. This session not only forced many to recognize the numerous cracks in our society exposed by the pandemic, it also led to the start of removing the many...
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Colorado Supreme Court issues affirmative ruling on a bill to fix our K-12 property tax system and here is what you need to know
For years, the level of funding for Colorado schools has been largely dependent on property wealth. This is primarily an unintended result of how Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) amendment, which restricted the amount of revenue the state collected and spent, was implemented. Over time,...
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What we get wrong about maternal behavioral health
The health of a child is completely dependent on the health of their parent or caregiver. That is why quality, affordable behavioral health services play a critical role in creating strong families, especially during the perinatal period. However, lack of support, inaccessible services, and...
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Colorado reimagines early childhood education with a new state agency
High quality, accessible child care is not only necessary for helping young children thrive, but also for creating a strong and stable economy. In Colorado, our early childhood system remains fragmented and difficult to maneuver for both families and providers. Along with that, quality,...
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Colorado Public Option Health Benefit Plan Breakdown
Lack of quality, affordable health insurance has the potential to create a vicious cycle of medical and financial strain for families. While more than 50 percent of Coloradans have health insurance through an employer, our state has experienced an increase in the number of individuals struggling…
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Birth equity takes center stage
The U.S spends more on maternal care than any other country in the world, and yet, we have worse outcomes than any other developed nation. Racism and structural issues within our health care system are just two of the many contributing factors to the rising maternal mortality rate in our country....
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What you have always wanted to know about diapers
When families can’t afford diapers, it impacts more than just their child’s health and well-being. Not having enough diapers can result in maternal depression, prevent families from accessing child care, and ultimately leads to stress and shame for parents who are unable to provide this crucial...
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What’s been happening at the Capitol?
We may only be halfway through the legislative session, but so much has already happened for kids and families at the Capitol. Things are starting to feel normal again as more in-person meetings take place and many state programs cut last year have been restored. Along with that, the state budget...
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How Colorado’s racist laws targeting immigrants are harming everyone
Harmful, racist policies not only intentionally target members of our community, they also bleed into the workings of our everyday culture, creating invisible barriers that prevent people from living their fullest lives. In 2006, Colorado passed three laws that established greater barriers for...
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Statewide assessments--what are they and why should we talk more about them?
Data tell stories, and by understanding those stories, we can become better advocates for kids and families. But what happens when that data is not available? The onset of the pandemic has prevented educators, policymakers, and community leaders from accessing fully comprehensive data regarding…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The West Steps explores the issues that matter for Colorado kids and families. The West Steps is a production of the Colorado Children's Campaign.
HOSTED BY
Colorado Children's Campaign
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The West Steps have?
The West Steps currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The West Steps about?
The West Steps explores the issues that matter for Colorado kids and families. The West Steps is a production of the Colorado Children's Campaign.
How often does The West Steps release new episodes?
The West Steps has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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You can listen to The West Steps on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The West Steps?
The West Steps is created and hosted by Colorado Children's Campaign.
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