What is the Early Childhood Education Sector Partnership?
The South Central Early Childhood Education Sector Partnership was launched in November 2019 in Cañon City, Colorado. It brings together childcare providers, educators, and stakeholders from Fremont, Custer, Chaffee, and Lake Counties to address workforce development, mental health, and wage challenges.
Collaborating with local higher education and workforce centers, the partnership focuses on improving public perception, increasing accessibility, and developing innovative apprenticeship programs.
Our Three Sector Priorities
Our industry partners have identified three key priorities: improved wages, mental health, and workforce development. Working together as solution agents, we address challenges facing families with young children, ECE providers, and regional employers.
“We think that having a partnership with the community is valuable and essential in the early childhood education community,” Kneipper said. “We feel that being able to collaborate and have the support from the community will help strengthen the early childhood network, and it will also have a great impact on the future of our children.”
– Kim Kneipper, Rocky Mountain Children’s Discovery Center
The Importance of the Early Childhood Education Sector Partnership
The Early Childhood Education Sector Partnership is vital for strengthening the early childhood workforce and improving the quality of care. By addressing key challenges like workforce shortages, mental healthcare, and wage disparities, the partnership ensures better support for educators and children.
It fosters collaboration between industry leaders, educators, and the community to create sustainable solutions, increase accessibility, and enhance public perception, ultimately shaping a healthier, more resilient early childhood education system
Our Notable Successes
Apprenticeship Program
Partnering with Pueblo Community College to create an apprenticeship model that helps address workforce shortages in early childhood education.
