Early Learning Center opening August 15.

Denver's 7 Anchor Amy Wadas will emcee the opening of the Hope House Colorado early learning center.Photo byHope House Colorado

Denver’s7 Anchor Amy Wadas will emcee Hope House Colorado’s early learning center grand opening from 4-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 15, 2024 and the public is invited. Hope House Colorado is a local nonprofit organization, located at 6475 Benton Street in Arvada, Colorado, that transforms the lives of two generations by providing free self-sufficiency programs to parenting teen moms.

“Last year, the organization served a record number of 250 teen moms in one year,” Executive Director Lisa Steven said. “Opening a new early learning center will give us the opportunity to offer full-time, licensed, quality childcare to 104 children of Hope House teen moms and staff.”

Since Hope House first opened its doors to two teen moms and their children in 2003 through a residential program, the organization has been providing a safe place for teen moms to feel loved, valued and seen as they work to break the cycle of poverty for two generations: themselves and their children. The three biggest barriers to self-sufficiency are housing, childcare and transportation. While the Hope House Colorado residential house provided safe housing for a small number of teen moms, the organization continued to expand over the past two decades to provide additional support for more teen moms across the Denver-metro area. The organization added a resource center through a capital campaign from 2015-2019 to provide a bigger space where more teen moms could be served and is now adding the early learning center.

The Hope House Colorado Early Learning Center (ELC)—at full capacity—will offer full-time, licensed, quality childcare to 104 children of Hope House teen moms and staff. The grand opening is Thursday, August 15, 2024 and the organization will begin providing a fun, engaging and nurturing place of belonging for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old the following week. The Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) will be available for all teen moms who are eligible to receive this funding. This will remove a huge barrier for teen moms who have struggled to find affordable childcare (with Arvada being considered a “childcare desert” where only one spot is available for every three children who need a spot), and it open up great opportunities for teen moms to attend school or work full time as they pursue self-sufficiency.

Join the Hope House Colorado grand opening celebration on Thursday, August 15, 2024 from 4-6;30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to find parking. The afternoon will be a fun-filled, celebratory occasion with ribbon-cuttings, food trucks, speeches and more.

Visit https://hopehousecolorado.org/capital-campaign-2/ for more information.