Jewish Family Service (JFS), DPP Partner For Denver Families
Strong relationships with community partners are vital to fostering opportunity and access for all Denver families. A perfect…
Strong relationships with community partners are vital to fostering opportunity and access for all Denver families. A perfect example of this is our partnership with Jewish Family Service (JFS) of Colorado. This nonprofit human services organization serves anyone in need through more than 30 programs, including food and housing assistance. While founded on Jewish values, JFS welcomes everyone, regardless of religious beliefs or personal circumstances.
Reaching Denver Families Where They Are
Denver Preschool Program is continually evolving our outreach strategies to best meet the needs of all Denver families. Last year, our community outreach efforts helped reach more than 1.2 million people through 68 local events. Jewish Family Service’s (JFS) back-to-school resource fair has been a vital way for us to share information with Denver families since we first attended the event in 2018.
“DPP has been part of our back-to-school resource fair for years, and it’s been not only beneficial having them available for the community in a really visible way, but also the consistency of their presence is really impactful,” said Elizabeth Lawrence, Director of Community Resources for Stability at JFS.
JFS is a nonprofit human services organization that serves anyone in need through more than 30 programs, from food pantries to mental health support and from career services to housing assistance. While founded on Jewish values, JFS welcomes everyone, regardless of religious beliefs or personal circumstances.
Helping Denver Families with Childcare Resources
This year, DPP also trained a JFS case manager to help families navigate enrollment for DPP and Colorado Universal Preschool (UPK) support as childcare continues to be a major issue for many Denver families.
“Affordable childcare is a massive need and DPP’s training was timely,” Lawrence said.
The cost of childcare and preschool continue to increase more than other costs. Denver families pay more than 18% of their income on childcare, on average, which is more than double what is recommended for childcare to be considered affordable. Denver County, like many other Colorado counties, placed a freeze on Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) in January 2025, further straining families.
“One of our biggest challenges is the need for affordable childcare, particularly for people experiencing homelessness and on the brink of homelessness, as childcare challenges have gotten worse this year with the CCCAP freeze,” Lawrence said.
Colorado UPK combined with DPP tuition support saves Denver families more than $1,200 per month (or $14,000 for the school year), on average. In addition to the resource fair and staff training, DPP also distributed flyers to families through JFS’ food pantries.
“The DPP team is patient and adaptable with absolute kindness,” Lawrence said. “They are always showing up for us. When they outlined the training protocol, I was genuinely impressed by the variety and flexibility of options to best serve all Denver families.”
DPP is grateful for the partnership with JFS and looks forward to more collaboration for years to come. Check out these blog posts to learn more about other community partners:
- Denver Art Museum Family-Friendly Programming: Día del Niño Celebration, Create & Play, Summer Camps, and More!
- Denver Public Library: Space, Activities for All Families, Anytime
- Denver End-of-Summer Celebration: Montbello Alive! September 20th
Resources for Denver Preschool Families
People interested in services from JFS can:
Check out our events page for upcoming opportunities to learn about DPP tuition support in person. Read more about additional resources for Denver families looking for food assistance and early care and education resources.
