Better Beginnings

Gary Community Ventures

Better Beginnings follows one family’s search for childcare in Colorado, a state that has some of the most expensive childcare and preschool rates in the nation. Premiering April 25 with new episodes each Wednesday, this serial-style, 4-episode podcast provides tips for finding childcare and preschool options in our existing early childhood system, explores how our system got so confounding, and explains how House Bill 22-1295 could change things. If Colorado gets this right, it could mean dramatic improvements for kids, families and providers — and it could become a model for the country. read less
Play Trailer
Trailer: Struggling to Find Childcare & Preschool in Colorado? We Can Help
Apr 23 2022
Trailer: Struggling to Find Childcare & Preschool in Colorado? We Can Help
Colorado's early childhood system places unnecessary burdens on families looking to access quality childcare and preschool options. But one bill is about to change everything, and it could become a model for the country. Join us for this 4-episode podcast, beginning April 25, 2022, with new episodes released every Wednesday. We'll follow one family's search for childcare, give you tips on navigating our existing early childhood system and tell you how this new bill means for you and your family.
Trailer: Struggling to Find Childcare & Preschool in Colorado? We Can Help
Apr 23 2022
Trailer: Struggling to Find Childcare & Preschool in Colorado? We Can Help
Colorado's early childhood system places unnecessary burdens on families looking to access quality childcare and preschool options. But one bill is about to change everything, and it could become a model for the country. Join us for this 4-episode podcast, beginning April 25, 2022, with new episodes released every Wednesday. We'll follow one family's search for childcare, give you tips on navigating our existing early childhood system and tell you how this new bill means for you and your family.
”Start Searching Before Pregnancy”
Apr 25 2022
”Start Searching Before Pregnancy”
How hard is it to find childcare and preschool in Colorado? Brooke Byrd has been advised to "start searching before you even know you're pregnant." In Episode 1 of our 4-part podcast, we'll meet the Byrds, and join their search for childcare. We'll also examine how our early childhood system got so wonky, what it means for you, and House Bill 22-1295, which aims to improve this system for kids, families and providers.
Touring Childcare & Preschool Facilities - What to Look for & Expect
May 4 2022
Touring Childcare & Preschool Facilities - What to Look for & Expect
Childcare & preschool providers have some of the hardest, most vital jobs in the U.S. In this episode, we'll tour one provider's facility. We'll explain options families have in the early childhood space & what to look for in a provider. We'll explore an ongoing overhaul of Colorado's early childhood system, which aims to improve experiences for families & providers. And we'll examine ugly truths about our current system, including one glaring advantage it offers high-income families.
Legislative Solutions to Our Childcare & Preschool Woes
May 14 2022
Legislative Solutions to Our Childcare & Preschool Woes
If our early childhood care and education system offers a bad experience for all—families and providers included—why haven't lawmakers done more to fix it? Brooke asks Colorado State Sen. Brittany Pettersen that question, and Sen. Pettersen offers a frank assessment in this mom-to-expecting mom conversation. We explore a major roadblock Sen. Pettersen believes has impeded legislative progress, and several legislative solutions that could improve our childcare and preschool system.
How New Tech is Changing Childcare & Preschool in Colorado
May 21 2022
How New Tech is Changing Childcare & Preschool in Colorado
We'll wrap up our show by discussing a forthcoming technology platform aiming to simplify the process of finding, enrolling in and paying for childcare and preschool in Colorado. Simple, right? The only problem is that our early childhood system is incredibly complex, and efforts to simplify it have eluded us for at least 100 years. Despair not, though. There's hope. We'll also wrap up with the Byrd family. After months of searching, have they found a childcare solution that works for them?