If Colorado were to be graded for the way it takes care of its nearly 1.2 million children under age 18, it would get a “C,” the president of the Colorado Children’s Campaign said this afternoon after releasing an annual report on kids’ health and education.
The annual “KidsCount in Colorado” report showed some promising trends, such as a reduction in the percentage of women smoking while pregnant and the number of children being immunized, said Children’s Campaign President Megan Ferland.
But health insurance remains out of reach for roughly 180,000 children in the state, and the waiting list for kids who need to get into full-day kindergarten is growing.
Gov. Bill Ritter said his administration is focused on improving the lives of children as it works to reform health care and launch a pre-kindergarten to college education initiative.
“There are a lot of people in this state who care a lot about children,” he said. “It’s about those kids, about their quality of life and, ultimately, it’s about their future and the ways they’ll raise their children and their grandchildren.”
Staff writer Karen Rouse can be reached at 303-954-1684 or krouse@denverpost.com.
