Based on research, the college savings accounts that will be established through the pilot program authorized in HB16-1196 will help expand the number of Coloradans from low-to moderate-income families who enroll in and complete college.
Increasing the deduction for families making less than $250,000 per year will boost their current savings and provide an incentive for modest-income families to begin saving for college.
The “cliff effect” occurs when a modest increase in a family’s income puts them over the income limit for child care assistance and they lose all of their benefits.
High-quality preschool puts children on a path to success. It provides a positive start to school and is the first step on a journey that prepares students to reach their full potential.
Colorado ranks the fifth-least affordable state for center-based child care.
These are the key areas where we can enact change to unleash the potential of Coloradans and provide greater opportunities for Colorado's families to advance toward economic independence and security.
Workers who lack paid sick leave are more likely to come to work sick, send their children to school while sick, recover more slowly from illnesses, and rely on expensive visits to emergency rooms than are workers with sick leave.
In an update to our 2004 report, Opportunity Lost: When Hard Work Isn't Enough for Colorado's Families, the Bell's 2010 study finds working poor and low-income families now fare worse on many of the same indicators examined in the previous report.
Coloradans deserve a state government that will confront these challenges and help keep the American Dream alive for hardworking families.
What is opportunity? How is it generated and sustained in the 21st century? In this 2005 iteration of "Colorado: The State of Opportunity," the Bell seeks to answer these questions and more.
