Lt. Gov. O'Brien Celebrates Colorado's Early Childhood Accomplishments

Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien told about 200 people today that despite economically challenging times, Colorado's vision is strong for investing in young children, and that vision is shared by President-elect Barack Obama.

 

Lt. Gov. O'Brien spoke at the "Early Childhood Progress & Possibilities Celebration" held at Denver Health's Rita Bass Trauma Center. The one-day conference was designed to focus on Colorado's recent early childhood accomplishments and to plan future opportunities for the state's young children and their families. Among the accomplishments under the Ritter administration is the statewide expansion of full-day kindergarten and the expansion of pre-school programs for at-risk children.

 

"Our current economic downturn means there will likely be more children who will be in challenging situations. Through the commitment of the professionals who gathered today, we can focus further on the needs of young children, which ultimately will pay off for our economy and our country in the future," said Lt. Gov. O'Brien.

 

The all-day event focused on early learning, mental health, strengthening families, and child health and developments.

 

Lt. Gov. O'Brien said she is encouraged that early childhood issues will take on a national focus with the Obama administration.

 

"Clearly, he understands the benefits of a strong state and federal partnership and the need for moving forward a solid, comprehensive national agenda for young children," Lt. Gov. O'Brien said.