Public News Service

When the school year ends, millions of children from households with low incomes lose access to the school meals they rely on. Help is available. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

CO families must sign up to get $120 per child for food through Summer EBT

Colorado families must sign up before the end of April to receive $120 per child to buy food through the new Summer EBT program approved by Congress…

Older Coloradans who may have never been issued a birth certificate because they were born at home qualify for assistance getting vital documents, including identification cards but many cannot access Colorado's Necessary Documents Program. (Adobe Stock)

Cutting red tape to access IDs and other vital documents

Advocates are urging Colorado lawmakers to make key improvements to a state program seen as critical to helping people fleeing domestic violence or ex…

Decades of underinvestment in affordable housing, recently cited by outgoing HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, have dramatically impacted families with children. (Adobe Stock)

Renaissance marks quarter century serving homeless, low-income kids

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the Renaissance Children's Center, which serves low-income families and those experiencing homelessness with …

Holding back feelings and not speaking up when someone makes an off-color comment can lead to depression and health problems including immune dysfunction, hypertension and even cancer. (Adobe Stock)

Tips for navigating difficult conversations this holiday season

In today's politically polarized world, holiday office parties and family gatherings can lead to increased tensions, arguments and even long term …

Financial literacy fairs allow young people to make mistakes with their finances in a realistic but safe environment while developing problem-solving skills around their finances. (Adobe Stock)

CO students get bites of reality in financial planning

Credit unions in Colorado and across the Mountain West are helping high school students tackle money challenges through "Bites of Reality" fairs…

Intimate-partner violence includes violence, abuse and controlling behavior committed by a partner or former partner. It can result in long-lasting adverse mental-health outcomes, and is a leading cause of homelessness and housing instability. (Adobe Stock)

Housing First Model Helps Domestic-Violence Survivors

Victims of domestic violence who are able to access housing -- at their own pace, and with support for as long as the survivor needs help -- …

It costs single parents in Colorado $16,333 per year for center-based child care, which is 41% of the state's median income. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Colorado Ranks 15th for Child Well-Being

Colorado moved up one spot overall, from 16 to 15, in this year's Kids Count Data Book published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which ranks states …

Parcels of land downstream of Ruybal Fox Creek Ranch have been subdivided into 35- to 50-acre large-lot tracts. (Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust)

Preserving Cultural, Environmental Legacy in Southern Colorado

Ruybal Fox Creek Ranch sits in a dramatic canyon in the foothills of southern Colorado's San Juan Mountains, right next to the Rio Grande National …

If left unchecked, and without access to medications, chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure can turn into complications such as diabetic neuropathy and coronary vascular disease. (Adobe Stock)

Critical Medicines Closer to West Denver Metro Residents

After 18 months of planning and renovations, STRIDE community health center has opened its second pharmacy inside the Wheat Ridge clinic at 29th St…

A new training program developed by the High Plains Research Network Community Advisory Council is helping community members intervene and prevent suicides in rural areas across Colorado. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado's Rural Communities Mobilizing to Prevent Suicide

Community advisory committees across rural Colorado are working to better understand the mental-health needs for community members including farmers…

The scholarship initiative was created with the Colorado Department of Higher Education to increase the attainment of postsecondary credentials and degrees for underserved students in Colorado. (Adobe Stock)

CO Scholarship Initiative Invests in Students Experiencing Homelessness

More than 15,000 students in Colorado have experienced homelessness, and a new grant from the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative will help …

A recent survey found that 65% of parents think their school has done an

New Survey Spotlights Parents’ Mindsets in 2022-2023 School Year

More than half of parents in Colorado and across the nation continue to be concerned about children's mental health, according to the latest survey …

It is estimated that some 89,000 Colorado children will grieve the death of a parent or sibling by age 18. (Adobe Stock)

Pandemic Funds Brought Grief Care to More Colorado Students

A groundbreaking bereavement service is expanding efforts to reach kids where they are: in schools, churches and other community sites. Emily Napier…

Nearly half of all Hispanic-Americans live in counties that frequently violate ground-level ozone standards. (Adobe Stock)

Public Health Benefits of Limiting Oil, Gas Methane Pollution

The public has until February 13th to weigh in on new rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce methane pollution at oil and gas…

The U.S. oil and gas industry emits 16 million metric tons of methane annually, which has the same near-term climate impact as 350 coal-fired power plants. (Adobe Stock)

Federal Methane Waste Rules Welcomed to Improve Public Health

Public-health advocates are welcoming a new proposal to reduce harmful air pollution by limiting methane waste at oil and gas facilities. Sabrina …

Children living near refineries, highways and other sources of air pollution are disproportionately at risk of developing respiratory illness. (Adobe Stock)

Connecting CO Health Outcomes to Climate Solutions, Lower Utility Bills

A successful program that helps low-income households weatherize homes and lower energy bills is setting its sights on improving the health outcomes o…

Since 1999, the number of opiate-related deaths has increased every year, and overdoses have risen by 44% since the onset of the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Moving Opioid Treatment into Primary Care to Expand Access

Each year some 68,000 people in Colorado and across the U.S. die from opiate overdoses, largely due to lack of treatment, and federally qualified …

Proposition FF includes grants school districts can use to purchase locally produced food, which proponents argued will help support local farmers and strengthen regional food systems. (Adobe Stock)

Proponents: Prop FF Key to Reducing Hunger in Colorado Springs

Proposition FF on Colorado's November ballot aims to ensure all students can access healthy, nutritious food at school, at no cost to families…

Colorado's income taxes fund two-thirds of the state's General Fund, the vast majority of which pays for public K-12 and higher education, health care, human services and the state's corrections system. (Adobe Stock)

Tax Cut on Ballot Would Cost Coloradans Earning Less Than $91,000

Proponents of an initiative on the November ballot to lower the state income tax rate by less than 1% say the measure will allow Coloradans to keep mo…

Approximately 74% of people who signed up for health insurance through Connect For Health Colorado qualified for financial help to cover the cost of their plan. (Adobe Stock)

Health Insurance Tax Credits Extended During Open Enrollment

Some 155,000 Coloradans who signed up for health insurance through Connect For Health Colorado were able to save 900 dollars per year on average throu…

Across the nation, one in five children is living with a mental health disorder, but fewer than half will ever receive treatment. (Adobe Stock)

Moving the Needle on Children’s Mental Health

Children's Hospital Colorado has increased its mental-health inpatient, outpatient and day services by more than 50% to address what it called a …

Three in four good-paying jobs in Colorado require a college degree or other post-secondary credentials. (Adobe Stock)

Deep Data Dive Finds Cost Biggest Barrier for Native Students

The biggest obstacle facing Indigenous students completing college degrees is cost, according to a new collaborative study by the National Native …

Some 18,000 children on average experience homelessness each year in Colorado, according to most recent Colorado Department of Education data. (Adobe Stock)

Solving Homelessness Key to Success in Multiple National Priorities

"Opportunity Starts at Home," a short documentary film released this week by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, exposes how housing …

To date, more than 550,000 individuals have used the Free Will platform to write a legal will. (Adobe Stock)

Online Tool Helps Create Legally Valid Will in 20 Minutes

August is National Make-a-Will Month, a gentle reminder to some seven in ten Americans who don't currently have a will or estate plan that it's never …

In the decade preceding the pandemic, Colorado's child poverty rate fell by nearly 30%, one of the largest declines in the nation. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Ranks High in Child Well-Being as Kids Face Mental-Health Crisis

Colorado ranks 16th in the nation for promoting children's overall well-being, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's latest report on child …

Access to Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) funds varies greatly by county in Colorado. (Adobe Stock)

Fewer Colorado Families Living in Poverty Receive TANF Cash Assistance

Colorado and other states are hoarding more than $6 billion intended for struggling families, according to new analysis. In 2020, Colorado denied …

Over 200 Colorado youths age out of foster care each year in the state, without being adopted or placed with extended family members. (Adobe Stock)

Help for Foster Youths During Stressful Holiday Season

DENVER - Some 24,000 teenagers in foster care across the nation officially become adults each year; in Colorado it happens on their 18th birthday…

Working Americans pay a higher tax rate on their wages than people who are wealthy pay for passive income gained through investments in stocks and bonds. (Adobe Stock)

Wealthy Coloradans Urge Congress to Raise Their Taxes

DENVER - Some 200 wealthy taxpayers and business owners, including 14 in Colorado, are asking Congress to raise their taxes. An open letter …

Parents' poor mental health due to pandemic-related disruptions can be a contributing factor in negative mental-health outcomes for children. (Pixabay)

Helping Children Navigate Through Trauma

DENVER, Colo. -- School closures, social isolation, gaps in health-care access and other pandemic-related disruptions have taken a toll on children's …

A national universal paid-leave program is projected to generate two million jobs and more than $22 billion in economic activity per year. (Vitalik Radko/Deposit Photos)

Advocates Push Paid Family and Medical Leave as "Critical" Infrastructure

DENVER -- As the Biden administration continues to promote its plan to address the nation's crumbling roads and bridges, a coalition of worker …

Colorado ranks eighth in the nation as a state with the least affordable and available units, nearing the rate in Texas, Florida and Delaware. (Pixabay)

Need for Affordable Housing in Colorado Dwarfs Available Units

DENVER - The need for affordable housing continues to outgrow supply in Colorado and across the United States, according to a new report. For every 1…

An additional $1,000 in tax credits reduces the incidence of low birthweight births by about three out of every 100 children born to mothers likely to qualify for the credit. (Pixy)

Redirecting Tax Expenditures Could Help CO Achieve Equity Goals

DENVER -- The Colorado state auditor's office has released a series of reports on tax expenditures, including deductions, exemptions, credits and …

Two-thirds of older people surveyed last year report they're more afraid of running out of money in retirement than death. (EPA/Picryl)

Women's Wage Gap Linked to Retirement Insecurity

DENVER - Women in Colorado earn 80 cents for every dollar a man makes, and that wage gap plays a deciding role in how and when women can securely …

President Joe Biden's COVID relief package includes $160 billion to fund speedier vaccine distribution. (CBS4)

Colorado Children's Groups Urge U.S. Senate to Pass COVID Relief

DENVER -- Colorado advocates for children, low-income workers and other vulnerable populations are urging Congress to pass President Joe Biden's …

Medical aid-in-dying is currently available to more than one in five Americans. It is authorized in nine states, including Colorado, and the District of Columbia. (Pixabay)

Report: Medical Aid-in-Dying Law Works as Intended for Terminally Ill Coloradans

DENVER -- A new report suggests Colorado's medical aid-in-dying law, passed in 2016, is working as intended, by helping qualified terminally ill …

Students who do not normally shine in the classroom often are some of the best explorers, snowman makers and leaders in the outdoors. (Hippopx)

San Luis Valley Youths Get Head Start on Nature Stewardship

ANTONITO, Colo. -- Young people living in southern Colorado's San Luis Valley are heading to Monarch for a ski and snow-tubing expedition this week…

A quarter of Colorado adults and one in five children currently are not getting adequate nutrition because families do not have enough money for food. (Pxhere)

Survey: Hunger in Colorado Reaches All-Time High

DENVER -- Almost 40% of Coloradans are struggling to put food on the table because of the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the highest …

Nearly 1 in 5 Colorado families with children reported that they had felt down, depressed or hopeless during the coronavirus pandemic. (Irais Esparza/Wikimedia Commons)

Colorado Families with Children Struggle with COVID Recovery

DENVER -- Colorado families with children are struggling to meet their basic needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new Annie E. Casey …

Fifty-four million Americans are projected to lack reliable access to nutritious food because of economic fallout from COVID-19 by year's end. (Pixabay)

CO Food Pantries Must Apply for Special Grants by Sunday

DENVER -- The Colorado Legislature has allocated an additional $5 million to help address an unprecedented rise in hunger across the state as part of …

En una nueva encuesta, los electores latinos de Colorado dijeron que quieren que el pr�xmo presidente y el Congreso reinstalen y refuercen las protecciones ambientales que la administraci�n Trump trabaj� para desmantelar. (Pixabay)

Electores Latinos de CO Quieren Acción Climática para Impulsar el Rebote Económico

DENVER -- Los electores Latinos, al margen de sus diferencias partidistas, apoyan la legislación que hace realidad y duradero el progreso del …

Colorado workers will contribute $3.83 on average per week to a paid family- and medical-leave fund, which can be tapped by workers to care for newborn children and other qualifying absences. (Iuliia Bondarenko/Pixabay)

CO Voters Key to Launching Paid Family Medical Leave

DENVER -- Nearly 80% of Colorado workers do not have access to paid family and medical leave, but that's expected to change starting in January 2024…

Vida Foundation's 'Take My Hand' program will serve healthy after-school snacks for Eagle County's elementary-age kids. (Dilawarali/Pixabay)

Nonprofit Launched to Serve Eagle County Immigrant Communities

EDWARDS, Colo. -- Immigrant communities in Eagle County are celebrating this week's launch of the Vida Foundation, the brainchild of Pastor Josué…

In 2017, Pueblo's poverty rate was nearly double the state rate, with nearly half of single parents with kids younger than age 6 living in poverty. (Pixabay)

Report: Free Child Care Could Remove Barriers for Pueblo Families

PUEBLO, Colo. -- A new Colorado Fiscal Institute report on working families in Pueblo, one of Colorado's poorest regions, shows investing in free or …

Una nueva asociaci�n de Colorado ofrece un camino para carreras relaconadas con la salud, a trav�s de programas de rastreo de contactos. (Zigres/Adobe Stock)

Asociaciones de Colorado se esfuerzan para la formación profesional después de la pandemia

Denver, CO - La asociaciones de Colorado han sido formadas para ayudar a los trabajadores que perdieron su trabajo durante el entrenamiento de la …

The number of Colorado kids without health insurance is likely to increase further after thousands of families lost employer-based coverage in the economic fallout from COVID-19. (Vperemen.com/Wikimedia Commons)

73,000 Colorado Children Faced Pandemic without Health Coverage

DENVER -- Even before the coronavirus pandemic brought the economy to its knees, the number of Colorado children without health insurance was on the …

La cantidad de ni�as y ni�os sin seguro m�dico tiende a crecer a�n m�s, luego de que miles de familias perdieron la cobertura que les otorgaba su empleo en el derrumbe econ�mico causado por el COVID 19. (Vperemen.com/Wikimedia Commons)

73,000 Niños de Colorado enfrentaron la Pandemia sin Cobertura de Salud

DENVER -- Incluso antes de que la pandemia del Coronavirus pusiera de rodillas a la economía, la cifra de niños de Colorado sin un seguro m&…

Supporters of Tribal Colleges and Universities are calling on Congress to set aside at least $40 million per year for much-needed repairs, digital infrastructure upgrades and financial support for struggling students. (American Indian College Fund)

Tribal Colleges Face Multiple Challenges in Economic Wake of COVID

This story is based on an opinion piece by Cheryl Crazy Bull and Sara Goldrick-Rab that first appeared on The Hechinger Report. Broadcast version by …

Quienes apoyan a los Colegios y las Universidades Tribales hacen un llamado para apartar al menos $40 millones por a�o para reparaciones muy necesarias, actualizaciones de infraestructura digital y apoyo financiero para estudiantes con dificultades. (American Indian College Fund).

Universidades Tribales Encaran Múltiples Desafíos al Inicio de la Economía COVID

DENVER, CO -- Conforme los estudiantes vuelvan al "College" este otoño, defensores de los 37 Colegios y Universidades Tribales de la nación …

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CO: Family/Father Issues