The West Steps
Colorado Children's Campaign
The West Steps explores the issues that matter for Colorado kids and families. The West Steps is a production of the Colorado Children's Campaign.
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Top 10 The West Steps Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The West Steps episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The West Steps for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The West Steps episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Are pediatricians the key to maternal mental health?
The West Steps
01/31/20 • 18 min
New parents go to the doctor sometimes monthly—for rarely for themselves. In the critical and hectic early days with a newborn, new moms haul babies in for regular well-child checkups, but rarely access the mental health services they need to be the best parent they can be for their babies. Pediatricians can help mothers with straight-forward and simple questions about how they are doing, and in the process identify what are normal sleep deprived feelings and when it is something more. Next week legislators will consider a budget request to allow for more of these screenings. Erin Miller, Vice President of Health Initiatives, drops by to help us understand why this is good for Colorado kids and families.
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Solving our school funding formula
The West Steps
03/26/21 • 25 min
In a time when students’ needs are only increasing, school funding is more important than ever. Currently, the level of funding for schools in Colorado depends largely on property wealth. This is primarily an unintended result of how Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) amendment, which restricted the amount of revenue the state collected and spent, was implemented. Over time, this has created enormous inequities in the way our state collects and spends money in school districts. The pandemic has only widened these inequities and led to more budget cuts, making this a critical issue in our current legislative session.
Our school funding formula is undoubtedly complex. However, Leslie Colwell joins us in episode 7 to help answer all our questions. In this week’s discussion on The West Steps, Leslie simplifies the structural factors that have compounded over time to create our highly inequitable school funding system. Join us for an informative overview of the current issues facing school funding, how they came to be, and the proposed bill that could begin to correct this issue. Students deserve access to high quality education no matter where they live, making it especially important to continue advocating for bills such as this one in order to ensure all students benefit from state funding.
To read more about this bill and its journey through the legislature, click here.
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Keeping Colorado kids covered in 2023 and beyond
The West Steps
02/09/23 • 47 min
Hundreds of thousands of Coloradans are at risk of losing their health coverage over the course of the next year as the pandemic-era policy that has indefinitely kept people enrolled in Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) is set to come to an end. Since early 2020, the complex, burdensome processes required to stay enrolled in public health coverage have been paused, resulting in a reduction to the state’s uninsured rate. The impact of this pause was especially significant for our kids: The child uninsured rate in Colorado improved from 5.5% to 4.6% between 2019 and 2021. Colorado can ensure that families with low incomes can continue to access the health care they need to thrive by providing longer periods of continuous Medicaid and CHP+ coverage to young children and other critical populations.
This week on The West Steps, we are joined by Erin Miller, Vice President of Health Initiatives at the Colorado Children’s Campaign; Liz Tansey, Senior Manager at Covering Kids and Families; and Jodi Walker, Founder/Executive Director of Kids at Their Best. Our guests provide an overview of how Medicaid enrollment policies have changed since the pandemic and share their knowledge and perspectives on the upcoming Medicaid continuous eligibility unwind. Erin, Liz, and Jodi also explain why kids are likely to be disproportionately impacted when these policies begin to unwind, and share solutions being brought forward to help keep Coloradans enrolled in Medicaid. These proposals include various outreach efforts across the state and a new bill that could change enrollment policies in the long term.
Resources
- All Kids Covered coalition [Learn more]
- KidsFlash newsletter [Subscribe]
- Kids At Their Best website [Check out]
- Covering Kids and Families website [Check out]
- Colorado Children's Campaign website [Check out]
Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
What you need to know about Healthy School Meals for All
The West Steps
03/09/23 • 35 min
Last fall, Colorado voters approved Proposition FF to establish the Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program. This made our state one of three in the nation to provide universal, free school meals to all public school students. By reducing tax deductions at higher income levels, HSMA creates a fund to reimburse participating school districts for every meal served. HSMA also establishes additional programs that support schools in purchasing local food, paying cafeteria workers higher wages, and providing technical assistance throughout the implementation process. Advocates are hopeful that the passage of HSMA will prompt other states to work towards making school meals available to all students.
Ashley Wheeland, Director of Public Policy at Hunger Free Colorado, joins us this week on The West Steps to talk about HSMA. In this episode, we learn how Proposition FF made its way to voters, what exactly the program does, and the many benefits that school districts and students will see by opting in to HSMA. Set to launch in fall 2023, this program is currently the most robust in the nation – positioning Colorado as a leader in combatting childhood hunger. With the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Emergency Allotments (EAs) set to end this month, more than 250,000 households and 499,000 individuals in Colorado will see a significant reduction in the amount of SNAP benefits they receive. This means the new HSMA program is even more critical to the food security and health of kids across the state. To learn more about Hunger Free Colorado’s work to combat food insecurity, visit their website.
Resources
Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
11/30/21 • 31 min
For parents of young children across Colorado, navigating the early childhood system is nothing short of exhausting. The fragmented programs that are often controlled by money and politics have repeatedly belittled the voices of concerned parents and providers for decades – perpetuating a system that fails kids in their most critical years of life. As the transition to the new state Department of Early Childhood continues, it is crucial that those involved in the implementation and planning process elevate community voice- especially the voice of parents and caregivers. In doing so, we can ensure the new state department lifts early childhood to the importance it deserves, fully allowing kids the chance to thrive.
Welcome back to our miniseries highlighting the transition to the new Department of Early Childhood. In episode 2, we are joined by Melissa Mares, Early Childhood Policy Fellow at the Colorado Children’s Campaign, and Janelle Jenkins, Parent Ambassador at Clayton Early Learning Center. Both Melissa and Janelle share their concerns, hopes, and personal experiences with the early care and education system in Colorado- providing first-hand insight toward their involvement in the transition process. As passionate advocates, Melissa and Janelle emphasize the need to transition to an early childhood system that prioritizes dignity, respect, and cares for parents and providers. By putting them first, we can ensure they are fully prepared to care for our kids in the best way possible.
As the transition to the new Department of Early Childhood continues, the Early Childhood Leadership Commission (ECLC) continues to host engagement opportunities that uplift community voices. Click here to learn more about how you can stay plugged into this exciting work.
Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
The layers of school finance dysfunction explained
The West Steps
02/01/19 • 21 min
This week on The West Steps we untangle school finance in Colorado. It starts in an unexpected place: huge variations in local property tax rates that no Coloradan has ever voted on or had a say in. We’re not just talking about local decisions by voters to raise money for school technology or special programs. The problem goes deeper than you think—but there is a potential solution. Listen in with Leslie Colwell, our Vice President of K-12 Education Initiatives, as we go into the ultimate explanation of our dysfunctional school finance.
Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
What is advocacy and why should you care?
The West Steps
03/05/21 • 17 min
Legislators often don’t hear from those most affected by the policies they choose to support. However, by sharing our personal stories, concerns, and experiences, we can be advocates for ourselves and our communities. As the pandemic continues to affect kids and families across the nation, it is more important than ever to speak up for the issues impacting those around us—and it doesn't’ take much to get started. A simple phone call to your legislator or email to an organization that works on issues you care about is all it takes to do your part on behalf of your community. So, what are you waiting for? Speak up today!
Jacy Montoya Price, Advocacy Director for the Colorado Children’s Campaign; and Christina Walker, Directory of Policy and Advocacy at Clayton Early Learning Center, are both strong believers in the importance of getting people’s voices heard. In episode 4 of The West Steps, we are joined by both Jacy and Christina in discussing the basics of advocacy, how to overcome intimidation when addressing policymakers, and what steps listeners can take to become advocates in their community. Interested in learning more? Join us for our 10th annual Speak up for Kids Day at the Capitol on March 18. Take the first step in becoming a more effective advocate for kids by registering here.
Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
The state of reproductive justice in Colorado
The West Steps
03/12/21 • 47 min
Kids exist in the context of their families, which is why it is especially important for our state and federal government to strive towards a well-funded, holistic, systems-based approach to health care and family planning access. The current patchwork system of family planning services in Colorado is not only inequitable and underfunded, but also demonstrates the negative impacts of racism in our country and the way it excludes women-- especially women of color and women with low incomes-- in accessing adequate health care. When we don’t create programs that are accessible for all, we fail our kids and families. The current issues our state faces in establishing efficient family planning access demands policymakers to take a human-centered approach in creating navigable paths to accessibility for all.
In episode 5 of The West Steps, we welcome three guests for a detailed explanation of Colorado’s current family planning system and the many inequities that continue to exist within it. Erin Miller, Jack Teter, and Karla Gonzales Garcia bring their knowledge and experiences to a conversation surrounding the lack of accessibility in family planning services and the potential solutions we could expect to see as a result of the current legislation. While family planning services are often viewed as complex issues, Erin, Jack, and Karla help bring listeners to a greater understanding of the ways in which these services should be established as an embodiment of reproductive justice supporting individuals in their right to bodily autonomy.
Follow the Children's Campaign on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Family planning is future planning
The West Steps
04/26/19 • 20 min
One of the biggest public health successes in Colorado in the past decade has been the drastic drop in the teen pregnancy rate. We examine barriers that remain—and new obstacles at the federal level. Join Erin Miller, Vice President of Health Initiatives, and Samantha Espinoza, Policy Analyst, to explore how preventing unplanned pregnancies and ensuring teens have access to comprehensive sexual education result in better outcomes for kids.
Support the show (https://www.coloradokids.org/)
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FAQ
How many episodes does The West Steps have?
The West Steps currently has 102 episodes available.
What topics does The West Steps cover?
The podcast is about News, Colorado, Elections, Policy, Early Childhood, Podcasts, Kids, Health, Politics and Government.
What is the most popular episode on The West Steps?
The episode title 'Our individual actions to ensure Black Lives Matter' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The West Steps?
The average episode length on The West Steps is 27 minutes.
How often are episodes of The West Steps released?
Episodes of The West Steps are typically released every 7 days, 1 hour.
When was the first episode of The West Steps?
The first episode of The West Steps was released on Jan 10, 2019.
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