Chaffee County Early Childhood Council Resources

Resources for Parents and Families

Additional Resources
for Parents:

Early Childhood
Connections

The Council provides regular electronic communication on early childhood issues and activities. Sign up for getting on our e-list for meeting notices here.

The Chaffee County Early Childhood Council seeks to provide useful information to parents and families of young children in our community.

Our Community Assessment provides information on best practices for services and programs in the areas of Health, Mental Health, and Early Care and Learning.

Need help finding Licensed child care providers? Click HERE for document (PDF Format)

Choosing a child care provider? Click HERE for document (PDF Format)

A resource list of services available in our community Click HERE for document (PDF Format)

Parent Information and Family Support - click for PDF documents
Early Care and Learning
Health
Mental Health
Parent Survey Results
Early Childhood Systems Survey

A child’s Developmental Milestones: How is your child doing?
Recent brain research tells us that early identification of developmental delays followed by proven interventions to help children overcome these difficulties greatly increases the long term quality of life of that child. Checklists, such as those provided by Chaffee County Early Childhood Connections can help parents identify developmental milestones from infancy through the toddler years. If parents notice delays, they can call Connections for information about free screenings and support. (need this doc)

Developmental Milestones for Infants and young children (need this doc)

Keeping on Track from Early Childhood Connections Click HERE for document (PDF Format)

If you have a concern about your child’s development in any of the following areas:
Cognition
Social/emotional
Communication
Self-help skills
Motor
Hearing
Vision
Please call one of the following people who can work with you to schedule free screening services for your child:
In Buena Vista: Lyndsay Pulsipher at 395-7029
In Salida: Jim Allen at 530-5434 or Chaffee County: Samantha Barron at 221-0001

Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP)
The mission of CCCAP is to provide eligible families with financial assistance for child care of their choosing; to provide families with timely and efficient access to quality child care; and to assist families in meeting their self-sufficiency goals by providing referrals to needed support services.

Chaffee County families that are at or below 165% FPL ($35,000.00/year for a family of 4), actively seeking employment or working can receive assistance paying for their Child Care. Application is made through Human Services and a contract for payment is established between the parent, the Provider and Human Services. Eligible families, generally, will pay 10% of their gross income toward child care and Human Services pays the remainder of the expense each month. Families can remain eligible for this assistance as long as they remain working, their children are under the age of 13 and their Provider is willing to contract with Human Services.

An application for CCCAP can be found through www.cdhs.state.co.us or any Human Services office. Currently applications are not being accepted over the net, only through the mail or when received at a Human Services office. You will know if you are eligible for assistance within 30 days of application.

Brain research
The brain is composed of billions of highly integrated sets of neural circuits (connections among brain cells) that are “wired” under the interactive influences of genetics, environment, and experience. It is now known that 90% of brain growth occurs in the first three years of life.
Recent brain research reveals that certain experiences in these early years will have a profound impact on a child’s future success in school and in life. For example, in early infancy a child naturally reaches out for interaction through such behaviors as babbling, making facial expressions, and uttering words, and their brain is likely to develop best when caring adults respond in warm, individualized, and stimulating ways. In addition, the development of a healthy brain is influenced by:
The medical care provided to expectant moms and their young children
Prenatal and early childhood nutrition
Nurturing touch
A safe, loving, and predictable environment

Recent brain research also tells us that early identification of developmental delays followed by proven interventions to help children overcome these difficulties greatly increases the long term quality of life of that child. Checklists, such as those provided by Chaffee County Early Childhood Connections can help parents identify developmental milestones from infancy to the toddler years. If parents notice delays, they can call Connections for information about free screenings and support.