EPIC Logo
June 2010
ImageBlock1
EPIC's First Email Newsletter
 
Greetings!

Welcome to first edition of EPIC Email News. Each month, we'll share with you the work EPIC is doing for young children in Colorado. We'll also link to articles of interest, and include a list of upcoming events.

Please feel free to forward this to a friend, or email us and let us know what you would like to see included in future newsletters.

Thank you for your interest in making sure all kids in Colorado start school ready to learn!

Sincerely,
Travis Gasper
Director, EPIC
Business Leaders Write to Sen. Bennet

This Spring, the Senate Education Committee held hearings on reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Colorado Senator Michael Bennet sits on the Committee, and received a letter from Colorado business leaders encouraging a greater focus on pre-kindergarten in the legislation.

Click here to see the letter sent to Sen. Bennet by business leaders.

Currently, the planned legislation does not include a focus on the importance of early education, a critical component of any education reform efforts.When the Senate Committee held a hearing on May 25 on the topic of early education, Sen. Bennet attended the entire time and asked good questions on early childhood education.

For a recap of the hearing, click here.
CEO Spotlight EPIC Logo
by Patrick H. Hamill
President and CEO

Oakwood Homes

My passion beyond my homebuilding business interests and being a community developer has always been education.  When we look at community, education is the most important community amenity.  When one looks at our education system, very little has changed over the past 75 years on how we deliver education.  When you look at various changes that have occurred to the family over this time frame, we experienced many impacts to our school system that have affected education quality for all of our children; single parent households, both parents working, multiple caregivers, divorce and English as a second language to name a few.  If we knew then what we know now we would have 100% public funding for prenatal education and E.C.E. funding from birth through age five.  When this happens over time we will spend less money on prisons, alcohol treatment and crime will drop.  Let alone the long-term positive impact society will have from the impact of tax paying citizens of our State.  Early childhood education should be our number one priority on turning around Colorado's education system!


Click here to read more.


Claim Your Tax Credit for Supporting Kids!
Did you know you can get a 50% state income tax credit for donations you may already be making to support child care in your community? The Colorado Child Care Contribution Tax Credit allows individuals and business who pay state income tax to get a 50% tax credit for monetary contributions used to promote child care. This includes donations to licensed child care centers, residential child care facilities, and programs that assist parents with child care information and referral services. When combined with federal and state charitable deductions, your after tax cost of a $1,000 gift can be as low as $327, depending on your tax bracket.

Click here to visit ColoradoKidsTaxCredit.org for more info!

Capitol Dome2010 Legislative Session

If you picked up the newspaper or watched TV since January, you know that legislation coming out of the Colorado General Assembly this session made headlines.

At EPIC, we focused on one piece of legislation - SB195, which created the Colorado Early Childhood Leadership Commission. Click here for a fact sheet on SB195.

The Commission, which includes CEO Roundtable Members Greg Anton, Brad Busse, and Pat Hamill as co-chair, and Executive Committee member Chris Watney, is charged with aligning and streamlining services across the early childhood system. Itwill also work to create a data system that shares information between the five agencies that administer early childhood programs. SB195 passed the House and Senate and was signed by Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien on June 3, 2010.

As legislators and supporters look on, Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien signs SB195 with a little help.

For a complete summary on the "Winners and Losers" of the 2010 session from the Denver Post, click here. [PDF]
RightBlock1
In This Issue
Letter to Sen. Bennet
CEO Spotlight
Claim Your Tax Credit For Supporting Kids
2010 Legislative Session
News Clips
Upcoming Events
Did you know...

If a child's body grew as fast as his or her brain, by age one a child would weigh 170 lbs.!

Join Our Mailing List
  News Clips
  Upcoming Events

August 2010 - 2nd Annual Business Leader Luncheon, exact date TBD

September 2010 - Forum with gubernatorial candidates on children's issues, exact date TBD
 
CEO Roundtable
Members


Greg Anton

Partner

Anton Collins Mitchell LLP

 

Brad Busse

President

RBC Daniels

 

Katherine Gold

President

Gold Bug, Inc.

 

Patrick H. Hamill

President and CEO

Oakwood Homes

 

Donna Lynne

President

Kaiser Permanente Colorado

 

David Merage

Principal

Consolidated Investment Group

 

Dan Ritchie

Chairman and CEO

Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Travis Gasper, Director
Executives Partnering to Invest in Children
303-860-1201 ext. 16
Travis@ColoradoEPIC.org