Westside CARES

The subheadline says it all:
Colorado’s child care system isn’t working. Who is paying the price?

Raising Colorado: The untold costs of a broken childcare system The state’s current funding model forces some families to choose between care and a paycheck, while low wages and strict staff-to-child ratios squeeze providers.

The Feast of Saint Arnold is just a week away! Get your tickets today and save money!

Feast of Saint Arnold XIV - Family Friendly Summer Fest "Colorado's Family Friendly Beer Fest with craft brews, wine, spirits, live music, great food & summer fun for all ages.

Denver recently experienced a decrease in homelessness, likely because they engaged experts and evidence-based practices:

Partnering with Denver to End Chronic Homelessness For more than a decade, Urban Institute has served as a trusted partner to the City and County of Denver, helping city and state leaders design, test, and sc…

If you know a person under 18 who might need nutrition this summer, learn more here:

SUN Programs: USDA's Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids | Food and Nutrition Service Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

"Affordability is not just about prices; it’s the outcome of a race between income growth and price inflation. When income growth is slower than price inflation, affordability worsens. When income growth is faster, affordability improves."

Taking affordability seriously: Even with recent oil shocks, affordability remains mostly an issue of incomes, not prices Affordability has been the policy buzzword of recent years. Much of the affordability discourse—both among policymakers and the public—has focused near-exclusively on prices as the big affordability problem. But affordability is not a problem of high prices, instead it’s the outcome of a race ...

"State leaders show housing remains one of the most immediate concerns, particularly as older adults look to downsize or remain in communities where affordability is increasingly becoming harder to secure."

Portraits In Aging: As America marks 250 years and Colorado marks 150, reflections on what it’s like growing older in the Centennial state Colorado confronts a rapid demographic shift as older population grows, reshaping state planning.

Gubernatorial candidates, take note:

How can Colorado help kids facing mental health struggles? These teens have ideas for the next governor. If the next administration does not hatch a plan to help kids in the thick of mental health challenges, “we will lose this generation,” one mental health expert said.

Today, we are honored to introduce you to Baby, who used to be homeless, but found a forever home with one of our beautiful neighbors. Baby's owner and companion came by today to tell us they're both doing great in their new home. Thank you to the entire WSC community, which makes happy endings possible for humans and animals alike.

Even with a softening housing market, foreclosures are on the rise:

What’s Working: Front Range foreclosures are on the rise Calls to the state’s foreclosure hotline increase. Plus: Colorado added jobs in April, state awards $7.5 million in grants to startups, more!

A penny-wise, pound-foolish way to address homelessness:

New enforcement efforts target people living in cars, RVs on California streets Cities are ramping up efforts to ticket and tow vehicles that shelter homeless Californians.