Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families

06/16/2026

JI's Pathways Beyond Violence Program is creating safer, healthier pathways for youth and families in the Pikes Peak Region. Our successes shared at the convening of Office of Gun Violence Prevention grant recipients include:

✨ 66 participants enrolled from 98 referrals by the 4th Judicial District and local schools—48 of them young adults ages 13-24.
✨ 68.2% of participants successfully completed the program, building brighter futures for themselves and our community.
✨ 108 individualized services delivered through a powerful network of 42 service partners—over half of our participants received legal, vocational, and mentorship support.
✨ 216 educational and restorative trainings provided to 134 unique family members, strengthening support systems for youth.

The OGVP is within the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Grant funding is 100% supported by federal grant 15PBJA-23-GG-00005-BSCI, issued by the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice.

06/12/2026

"It is the beginning of a new chapter. This building is open. Children are learning. Teachers are creating experiences that will shape young lives, and our story continues to be written," Liz Denson, President + CEO of Early Connections Learning Centers.

A new childcare center in downtown Colorado Springs is now open, aiming to expand access for families while keeping costs manageable. The Alice Bemis Taylor Center, run by Early Connections Learning Centers, held a ribbon cutting as leaders highlighted how difficult it can be for parents to find (an...

06/12/2026

06/04/2026

🪣The June is full opportunities to elevate your impact in as an early childhood educator! From leadership to trauma-informed training – and the latest PD Catalog – check out the newsletter today.
🔗 conta.cc/4xcnWnO

06/03/2026

City of Colorado Springs faces a significant childcare shortage, with a need for more than 17,000 additional childcare slots across our community. That gap impacts families, employers, and our local economy.

That’s why today’s ribbon cutting of Lion’s Path Preschool at Discovery Church Colorado is worth celebrating. By creating 188 new childcare slots, this project is helping address a critical community need and making Colorado Springs a more family-friendly city.

Thank you to Discovery Church, the COS City Hub, and all the partners who helped bring this vision to life, and for showing a model that other churches and organizations can model to address this need in our city. Because when children thrive, families thrive - and our entire city flourishes.

06/03/2026

📚 is a time of big emotions, and books are a great way for families and caregivers to understand them together.

Our booklist is a great resource with topics from friendship, bullying, and empathy to fears, worries, and grief. PLUS, a page is devoted to .

📋bit.ly/ChildrensSocial-EmotionalBooklist

05/29/2026

💼You’re all packed, but are you prepared? Whether you’re taking a road trip or flying, traveling with children comes with its complications. Hear from experts Children’s Hospital Colorado on tips for traveling with infants, toddlers, neurodivergent children and more.
✈️ bit.ly/TIPS-TravelingWithKids

05/28/2026

Zoning ordinance receiving preliminary approval includes allowing "accessory use" childcare centers in locations such as schools, churches, multifamily housing developments, and some light industrial businesses.

See link for zoning ordinance details and find more on the childcare crisis:
KIDSStrongStart.org

An ordinance that would make it easier for child and adult day care centers to open in neighborhoods and as part of businesses received preliminary approval Tuesday from the Colorado Springs City Council. The proposal, which the council must pass a second time before it takes effect, would allow bot...

05/27/2026

"Childcare is important infrastructure for a city's functioning," ~SherryLynn Boyles, CEO of Joint Initiatives for Youth + Families

Colorado Springs City Council gave initial approval to zoning changes designed to make it easier to open child care facilities in the city.

For more coverage of the ordinance and the childcare crisis, visit:
KIDSStrongStart.org/learn

City council's initial passage of a new zoning ordinance could make it easier for childcare facilities to open in eastern Colorado Springs, where many families live in childcare deserts.

05/26/2026

Early childhood educators show up for the most critical years of a child's life.

An extra hug, some quiet time, gentle encouragement....all part of their essential work that gives children a STRONG START.

KIDSStrongStart.org