JENNIFER LANDRUM,
President and CEO
Dear friends of the Denver Preschool Program,
In 2017 we strengthened Denver’s stake in early education.
Not only did we celebrate 10 years of making preschool possible for every child in Denver, we also invested more than $12 million in tuition support, distributed tuition credit dollars to 4,709 preschool students, reviewed and revised our tuition credit scale to strengthen it in ways that provide a greater impact for local families, and welcomed our 50,000th student—Wilson Silvernale—to his first day in a Denver Preschool Program provider’s classroom.
But despite our many achievements, there are persistent barriers to early education in our community that must be addressed.
One such issue is child care deserts. In 2017, the Center for American Progress released a report analyzing 150,000 child care providers in 22 states, including Colorado. It found that 11.5 percent of neighborhoods in Denver severely lack quality affordable care.
This is why the Denver Preschool Program exists. We work diligently to ensure every Denver 4‐year‐old has an equal opportunity to succeed in life, starting with high quality early education. Thus far, we’ve helped more than 50,000 local families send their 4‐year‐olds to the preschool that best meets their needs, no matter the cost.
As our organization matures, we are expanding our efforts in order to become even more effective at fulfilling our promise to the citizens of Denver who have entrusted us with preparing their children for the future.
Sincerely,