by Will Holden | Apr 5, 2026 | Journalism
Taylor Dolven & Erica Breunlin | The Colorado Sun After two of Chelsea Breese’s kids lost their father in November, her daughter, then age 7, began asking her the same question many mornings: “Is my dad alive?” Her 5-year-old son still hasn’t stopped sleeping in...
by Will Holden | Mar 9, 2026 | Journalism
Kevin Simpson | The Colorado Sun While Kayla Buchanan sits at her desk at the Country Living Learning Center, her husband, Cheyenne County Sheriff Michael Buchanan, slips in the front door a little before noon and heads down a hallway to a small kitchen. There,...
by Will Holden | Mar 8, 2026 | Journalism
Jennifer Brown | The Colorado Sun Eight toddlers in eight tiny chairs are gathered around a foot-high table, stuffing corn and edamame into their mouths with fat fists. It’s afternoon snack time at Bright Start Learning Center, where one boy has his blue Crocs kicked...
by Will Holden | Feb 17, 2026 | Journalism
Taylor Dolven | The Colorado Sun Emily Murphy cried when she got the message from New Mexico’s early childhood department in November: she and her husband would no longer have to pay for child care. On Nov. 1 New Mexico became the first state in the country to offer...
by Will Holden | Jun 1, 2025 | Data & Research
Persistent low wages and inconsistent compensation structures continue to challenge the sustainability of Colorado’s early care and education (ECE) workforce. This report, produced by the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab in partnership with NORC at the University of...
