Press Release: ABCD Receives Federal Grant to Transform Rural Healthcare Access for Young Children and Families in Colorado

New initiative will expand HealthySteps to Colorado’s Eastern Plains and Southwest communities.

Denver, CO - (August 28, 2025) – Assuring Better Child Health & Development (ABCD) has been awarded a grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) in the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to launch the 4-year Transforming Rural Health Care: A Collaborative Approach to Early Childhood Health and Development project.

This initiative will establish a statewide rural healthcare consortium focused on expanding access to integrated behavioral health services for infants, young children, and families. As part of this work, ABCD will expand the evidence-based HealthySteps program to four (4) new pediatric practices in two of Colorado's most underserved rural regions: the Eastern Plains and Southwest Colorado.

Addressing Critical Gaps in Rural Healthcare

Families in rural Colorado face significant barriers to accessing developmental and behavioral health services for their young children. This project responds to those challenges by scaling the proven HealthySteps model into four new pediatric health practices – meeting families where they already are.

HealthySteps, a program of ZERO TO THREE, is a nationally recognized, two generation (2-Gen) approach that supports children and caregivers, in primary care settings, with care that is responsive to families’ language and culture.

Community-Centered Approach

The project will utilize an innovative co-design approach to convene a statewide rural health consortium composed of families, community partners, and health care leaders. Together, they will identify clinics best positioned for HealthySteps implementation, guide ongoing rollout, and ensure strategies remain community-driven and locally responsive.

Expected Impact

The initiative is projected to improve:

• Access: Increased availability of early childhood developmental and behavioral health services in underserved rural areas

• Engagement: Higher participation rates in early childhood health screenings and developmental support

• Outcomes: Improved developmental maternal health outcomes

• Infrastructure: Strengthened behavioral health capacity within rural primary care practices

• Workforce: Expanded support for the local healthcare workforce through training, retention strategies, and mentorship.

  
  

A Model for Rural Healthcare Transformation

This work positions Colorado as a national leader in rural healthcare innovation, by adapting and scaling an evidence-based model like HealthySteps, using a consortium, co-design approach, the project demonstrates how rural communities can reduce barriers to care, while sustaining long-term system improvements and fostering long-term collaboration between health care providers, community organizations and families across rural Colorado.

“Rural families deserve access to high-quality health services for their young children," said Eileen Auer Bennett, ABCD Executive Director. “Through this initiative, families providers and community leaders will help shape a stronger, more responsive health care system for rural Colorado.”

For more information about ABCD and the Transforming Rural Health Care project, visit https://www.coloradoabcd.org/our-work/healthysteps.

About ABCD

Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD) is a Colorado based 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to helping children and families thrive. ABCD partners with families, healthcare providers, and community agencies to expand best practices across early childhood systems. As Colorado’s HealthySteps® State intermediary, ABCD promotes early screening, behavioral health support, and connections to resources, ensuring all children have the opportunity to grow, learn, and succeed.

About HealthySteps

HealthySteps is an evidence-based program of ZERO TO THREE, the nation’s leading nonprofit working to ensure all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. HealthySteps transforms the promise of pediatric primary care through a unique team-based approach that integrates a HealthySteps Specialist, a child development expert, into the health care team. All children ages 0-3 and their families receive a tiered model of services, from universal screening to risk-stratified supports, including care coordination and onsite intervention, as needed. HealthySteps practices serve as trusted and valuable partners as families foster their children’s healthy development. Together, the national network of HealthySteps sites aims to reach more than 1 million young children annually by 2032. Visit healthysteps.org or contact ZERO TO THREE to learn more.