Exciting New Partnership! Improving Child Health for Preschool-aged Children
We are thrilled to announce an exciting collaboration between Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD), Healthy Child Care Colorado (HCCC), made possible by a generous grant from the Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation. From now through December 2025, we, in partnership with Denver Preschool Program, will embark on a transformative project aimed at enhancing child health and development within Colorado’s Universal Preschool Programs (UPK).
Here are some key things to know about the project:
- ABCD and HCCC are joining forces to integrate oral health education, screenings, and referrals into the UPK system, ensuring comprehensive care for preschool-aged children.
- Focus areas:
- Integration of oral health practices underscores our commitment to the holistic well-being of young children.
- Screening and referral services will enable early detection and intervention, fostering overall child health and development.
- Community capacity-building activities will empower local stakeholders to effectively support UPK programs in meeting new Healthy Development Quality Standards (8-CCR 1401-1-4.112).
- Child Care Health Consultants (CCHCs) will be instrumental in implementing oral health education, screenings, and referrals.
- Six diverse Local Coordinating Organizations (LCOs) have been selected to support the implementation of new healthy development requirements at the local level, collaborating with UPK sites and CCHCs in their communities. Denver’s Early Childhood Council is partnering with our local LCO, Denver Preschool Program, to assist in this effort.
- Our partnership underscores the importance of grassroots involvement, working closely with local organizations and stakeholders to promote child health and development initiatives.
Our goal is not only to address immediate needs but also to establish sustainable practices for long-term impact, promoting lifelong health habits among children.
Our role, alongside Denver Preschool Program, will be to support:
- Local Knowledge and Leadership Development: Empowering local leaders to understand and address community-specific challenges is key to our success.
- Relationships and Systems Building: Building strong relationships with stakeholders and investing in robust systems will enhance collaboration and efficiency.
- Project Coordination: Effective project coordination is essential for achieving desired outcomes and maximizing impact.
Together, we have an incredible opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of Colorado’s children. To learn more about this initiative, please visit the Healthy Universal Preschool Collaborative webpage!
We are actively recruiting community members for our Denver co-design team, UPK sites to engage in oral health practices in classrooms per the new Healthy Development Quality Standards, and CCHCs to implement screenings and referrals!
Please contact Maureen Reid at maureen@denverearlychildhood.org for general information about the project and Diana Herrera at diana@dpp.org if you are a UPK site interested in participating.
We are excited for this opportunity and look forward to sharing more about the project over the coming months!
