| Overview | Health and Nutrition |
State policies that promote health, education, and strong families can help the early development and school readiness of America's youngest citizens. This profile highlights Colorado's policy choices alongside other contextual data related to the well-being of young children.
State Highlights1
Colorado continues to expand access to health insurance and work supports for parents and young children. In March 2009, health care eligibility for children under the CHIP program rose from 200 to 225 percent of the federal poverty level. In addition, the 5-year waiting period for legal immigrant children and pregnant women eligible for CHIP was eliminated. The Department of Human Services also increased the amount of time families can receive child care subsidies while looking for work from 30 days to six months. In addition to these expansions, Colorado increased funding for pre-kindergarten by 13 percent ($8.9 million) for a total of $74.9 million available to support over 20,000 children in the state's pre-kindergarten programs.
- Young children (under age 6)2: 417,340
| Health and Nutrition |
Data Notes and Sources
Last Updated: December 4, 2009
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- State Highlights are drawn from states' government and organization websites and reports. For more information, contact ITO@nccp.org.
- State data were calculated from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (the March supplement) of the Current Population Survey from 2007, 2008, and 2009, representing information from calendar years 2006, 2007, and 2008. NCCP averaged three years of data because of small sample sizes in less populated states. The national data were calculated from the 2009 data, representing information from the previous calendar year.
- National and state data were calculated from the 2008 American Community Survey.