In this session, learn how LD-Squared and Adams County, CO used geocoded mapping to examine whether Universal Preschool (UPK) is truly reaching all families. While the program’s intention is to make high-quality early learning accessible to every child, enrollment data revealed that access is uneven: neighborhoods with low UPK enrollment overlapped with low-income areas and communities of color. By visualizing these enrollment patterns, leaders were able to identify gaps, strengthen outreach in under-enrolled areas, add bilingual staff, and partner with trusted community organizations—steps that help move UPK closer to fulfilling its promise of universal access.
This work is gaining statewide interest from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), the Governor’s Office, and Local Coordinating Organizations (LCOs) across Colorado. Findings demonstrated that state-level data masks the real story of who is (and isn’t) being served by early childhood programs. Mapping, when paired with authentic community engagement, offers a practical, scalable tool to ensure investments reach the children and families who need them most.
Learning Objectives
- Understand how neighborhood-level mapping reveals inequities invisible in state-level data.
- Explore how mapping and community engagement drive a more efficient use of limited resources, including opportunities to align UPK and CCCAP funding
- Consider ways this project could improve equitable early childhood outcomes statewide if scaled
About the Presenters
LD-Squared: Local Data. Local Solutions
LD-Squared empowers communities to turn data into action. We develop neighborhood-level maps to uncover disparities and reveal opportunities to strengthen outcomes for children, families, and communities. Our process - goal setting, mapping, and collective sense-making - equips decision-makers with accurate, timely, context-specific data and insights to ensure policies and solutions respond to each community’s unique needs.
Adams County Connections
Adams County Connections is a unique public-private collaboration proudly serving as the Local Coordinating Organization (LCO) for Adams County. As outlined in Colorado House Bill 22-1295, an LCO plays a critical role in ensuring local access to high-quality, equitable early childhood and family support programs. Our partnership brings together a wide range of voices, including families, school districts, Adams County Human Services leadership, the Early Childhood Partnership of Adams County (ECPAC), and both private and family child care providers. Rooted in the belief that it takes an entire community to support our youngest residents, we are committed to authentically engaging diverse stakeholders in every aspect of our work.