Letter from Leadership

When I was growing up, I had the advantage of having a stay-at-home parent who loved me, kept me safe, provided a place to play and grow, taught me how to share, and guided my development. These days, few children have the reality of such a stay-at-home parent. The stark economic facts of life for most families are that all available parents must work outside the home, often at more than one job, just to pay the bills. This is not a new phenomenon but has grown over the decades.

But every child in Colorado should have the same chance I had for a safe, secure environment, supported by adults to help our kids thrive. To do this, we must support both their parents and their providers of care. If we advocate for kids in a way that sets them up for success today, it will set our communities up for success tomorrow. Investing in early childhood is an investment in our future which carries the greatest possible return on investment.

Over the course of my career, I have been an advocate for many causes:  for clients, for crime victims, for cost-effective, community-based health care.  Sometimes that advocacy was adversarial and sometimes it was collaborative; collaboration is by far more effective.

At a time when our country is so divided on so many issues, our communities can be united on this common vision: every child in Colorado deserves a path forward to success. That’s why I’m  advocating for young children and asking you to join the effort … because this is an investment that we just can’t afford to miss.

Steve ErkenBrack, President & CEO, Buell Foundation