My name is Dione Garritson and I am currently the Director of The Grove - BVSD’s Early Learning Program. In addition to being the director, I also serve as the Early Childhood Special Educator and Child Find Coordinator. I have worked in the field of early childhood for over 20 years. I hold a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education

My experience as an early childhood educator has been a wonderful journey for me. It started with a love for children that someone else saw in me and guided me into this field. I found that I love watching children overcome big things in their lives, achieve milestones, and grow while walking beside them during their journey, this also includes supporting their families as well.

When my family and I moved to Salida in 2004, I quickly became aware of the need for more high-quality preschool options for local children and families, and Two’s Early Learning was born! What began almost 20 years ago as a very small program for just 2-year-olds has evolved into a large, center-based program with 50 enrolled families and children, licensed for ages 2- 8 years.

The shortage of teachers in Colorado is no secret. Students enrolling in teaching programs across the state have dropped by over 300 people between the 2018-19 and the 2019-20 school years. There has also been a decline in the number of teachers engaging in alternative licensure programs. While this data, provided by the Colorado Sun, is speaking to all grade levels. The shortage of professionals in education is just as apparent in early childhood. There are numerous reasons why people may choose to avoid, or leave, early childhood education. There are just as many reasons why they choose to stay.

Babies are born with limited control of their bodies and no way to meet their basic needs independently. They are unable to speak the language of their family, yet their mere survival depends on social connection. While infants cannot speak to us, they do have a way to connect, laughter. A baby’s first laugh has been considered a momentous occasion. According to Aristotle, laughter is what separates humans from other beings, and a baby’s first laugh is evidence that it has acquired a soul. In the Navajo culture, the first laugh marks the infant’s transition from the spirit realm into the human world.

Transitions occur every day and throughout the lifespan. Daily transitions occur when we are required to move from one activity or place to another. Transitions also occur when children move from program to program, classroom to classroom and from home to preschool, childcare or kindergarten. It is not too early to begin preparing your child and family for upcoming school transitions in the fall.

Dr. Donald Woods Winnicott, a renowned pediatrician once said, “There is no such thing as a baby, there is a baby and someone”. From birth, our children cannot survive alone. They always exist in relationship with another person. Infants must form a relationship with a caring adult in order to survive. What was originally believed to be only a relationship based on feeding, this relationship is actually a deep connection between two people. This early connection to another human is the beginning of attachment. Attachment is a bond between two people. This bond, which begins in infancy, has a lasting impact throughout our lives. The strategies to promote attachment can evolve as the child grows, but being consistently responsive to your child’s needs remains the same.

This report summarizes the regional effort across Chaffee and Fremont counties to create a strong system to support social-emotional development and early childhood mental health.

The work of CCECC to create a seamless system to access early childhood and family mental health services in our rural communities is featured on pages 36-37 of this comprehensive report.

This report documents work and lessons learned from the LAUNCH Together initiative in Chaffee County. The initiative is designed to improve social-emotional and developmental outcomes for the youngest children and families, support system-level collaboration, and reduce mental health disparities among vulnerable populations.