A nonprofit has been established in Archuleta County to support families and coordinate services among agencies serving young children.
In response to a heightened awareness about the importance of early childhood care and education, a group has banded together to create the first Early Childhood Council of Archuleta County. This council is standard across the state and the organization’s mission is to foster and sustain a comprehensive, high-quality and accessible early childhood system that advocates for families and the community.
Marcy Mitchell, executive director of Aspire Medical Services and Education and Council president, expressed that the council is charged with “supporting families and the community to prepare children for academic and personal success in life.”
Additional members of the council are Ricardo Martinez (Axis Health), Ashley Wilson (Rise Above Violence), Tim Taylor (Archuleta School District Board of Education), Alison Beach (parent), Joey Dean (Grace in Pagosa), Michelle Cusick (Seeds of Learning), Rebecca Gartman ( Wings Early Childhood Center), Kelly Vining (Pagosa Springs Elementary School), Nora Martinez (Tri-County Head Start), Jan Santopietro (coordinator of the Early Care and Education Work Group), Stacy Foss (Authentic Solutions) and Josie Snow (Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library).
The council has applied for nonprofit status and has been approved by the Office of the Secretary of State. The Colorado Department of Early Childhood has approved a preliminary work plan and budget.
An early order of business was to hire staff. The council selected Laura Mijares as the executive director and Michelle Carpenter as the quality improvement navigator to work with existing early childhood centers.
The Early Childhood Council of Archuleta County will be assessing the current needs of its families regarding early childhood services as well as working toward helping improve the quality and quantity of early childhood programs and services in our community. Further details will be provided throughout the next few months.
As the council expands, we welcome community input. To best contact the Archuleta Early Childhood Council, please email director@eccarchuletacounty.org.