Early Milestones Colorado

About Early Milestones Colorado

Early Milestones Colorado centers its grantmaking on making Colorado the best place to be a child, and the recent record shows that commitment playing out through large support for child care and early learning. In 2024, the foundation gave $340,874 to the University of Denver for a childcare support grant, and $331,699 to Clayton Early Learning for the same purpose. Those awards sit within a broader pattern of funding early childhood education, infant and toddler care, universal preschool, family resources and support, infant and early childhood mental health, and the early childhood workforce. The foundation also backs local intermediaries and community providers that shape early childhood systems in Colorado. Examples include grants to Denver-based organizations such as Rocky Mountain Public Media, Auraria Early Learning Center, and Mile High Early Learning, alongside awards to groups outside Denver such as Valley Settlement in Carbondale and Jefferson County Head Start in Golden. Its active grant programs include CIRCLE Grants, the Impact on Equity Initiative, and an 18-month Ideal Learning initiative in partnership with Trust for Learning. The grant record points to a funder working through direct support, collaborative initiatives, and state-focused child and family infrastructure.

What Early Milestones Colorado Funds

Child care access and affordability is a central theme. In 2024, Early Milestones Colorado gave $299,958 to the University of Colorado Denver for a childcare support grant, and $214,000 to Valley Settlement for the same category. Those awards align with its stated interest in supporting working parents and low- to moderate-income households. The foundation also funds early childhood care settings. It awarded $200,000 to Auraria Early Learning Center and $190,000 to Mile High Early Learning, both for childcare support. On the preschool and early education side, it gave $188,000 to Denver Public Schools and $159,462 to Denver Preschool Program. Family resource and support work appears as well. Focus Points Family Resource Center received $130,466, while Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition received $142,970. The grant record also includes support for organizations serving child health and development, such as Assuring Better Child Health & Development.

How Early Milestones Colorado Gives