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The RMPBS Together Toolkit

Hola, vecinas y vecinos:

¡Gracias por cuidar a los miembros más pequeños de nuestra comunidad! Creamos la Together Toolkit para cuidadores de Amigos, Familia y Vecinos (FFN, por sus siglas en inglés) como ustedes, basada en lo que miembros de la comunidad FFN nos compartieron. Este contenido piloto se enfoca en brindar apoyo para el bienestar emocional y social suyo y de los niños que cuida.

Hello neighbors!

Thank you for taking care of our youngest community members. We created the Together Toolkit for Friends, Family, Neighbor (FFN) caregivers like you based on what members of the FFN community shared with us. This pilot content focuses on support for the emotional and social well-being of you & the children in your care.

Les invitamos a ver nuestro video sobre la Together Toolkit y a explorar los recursos que encontrarán aquí para acompañarles en su camino como cuidadores FFN.

Please watch our video about the Together Toolkit and explore the resources included here to support your FFN journey!

Les invitamos a ver nuestro video sobre la Together Toolkit y a explorar los recursos que encontrarán aquí para acompañarles en su camino como cuidadores FFN.

Please watch our video about the Together Toolkit and explore the resources included here to support your FFN journey!

Capacitaciones de FFN ofrecidas por organizaciones comunitarias / FFN Trainings Hosted by Community Organizations

Haz clic en cada imagen para saber más./ Click each image below to learn more.

Joint Initiatives for Youth and Families

Socios Comunitarios Adicionales del RMPBS Together Toolkit / Additional Community Partners

Conozca más sobre estos socios comunitarios, incluido el canal FFN de Lantern por mensajes de texto que ofrece información sobre créditos fiscales para cuidadores FFN. / Learn more about these community partners, including the FFN channel hosted by the Lantern text messaging service, which provides information about tax credits for FFN caregivers.

Haz clic en cada imagen para saber más./ Click each image below to learn more.

Mire el video a continuación para obtener más información sobre la elegibilidad para el crédito fiscal para cuidadores. / Watch the video below to learn more about caregiver tax credit eligibility.

Tiempo Juntos / Together Time

Recursos digitales seleccionados para que usted pueda interactuary aprender con los niños bajo su cuidado. / Curated digital resources for you to engage and learn with the children in your care.

Haz clic en cada imagen para saber más./ Click each image below to learn more.

Canciones de Desarrollo Socioemocional / Social Emotional Development Songs in Spanish (bilingüe / bilingual)

Learn & Grow Together Facilitator Guide for All Sessions

PBS LearningMedia (bilingüe / bilingual)

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: Life's Little Lessons PBS LearningMedia Collection (bilingüe / bilingual)

Temas de Habilidades Socioemocionales / Social Emotional Skills Topics (bilingüe / bilingual)

Tiempo Tranquilo Podcast (bilingüe / bilingual)

Canciones de aprendizaje socioemocional en inglés de músicos de Colorado / Social Emotional Learning Songs in English by Colorado Musicians: Animal Farm

Noticias Local / Local News

Families, friends and neighbors receive formal training to fill Colorado's child care gaps

Families roared and clapped on a sunny Friday afternoon at Oakhurst Park when 120 women walked down a stage and accepted their diplomas after graduation from the Providers Advancing Student Outcomes (PASO) program.

Most Colorado families rely on license-exempt child care. Here’s what that means.

Most Colorado parents rely on a network of friends, families and neighbors for child care.

Brink Literacy Project looks to expand its programming in Colorado Springs

Jaron “Jay” Cook walked to the podium in the Black Box Theater at Pikes Peak College.

Among the 120 graduates from Colorado's PASO program, which trains family, friends and neighbors to be formal childcare providers. Photo: Alec Berg, Rocky Mountain PBS

Families, friends and neighbors receive formal training to fill Colorado's child care gaps

Family, friend and neighbor child care, or FFN, is used by most Colorado parents, especially in immigrant families. Photo: Carly Rose, Rocky Mountain PBS

Most Colorado families rely on license-exempt child care. Here’s what that means

Brink Literacy Project looks to expand its programming in Colorado Springs

Noticias de Educación en Español

Supporting Friends, Family & Neighbor (FFN) Caregivers in Community

RMPBS KIDS and caregivers in the community

October 2025

Like the proverb goes: “It takes a village to raise a child!” I am so grateful for everyone who we connected with this past month through a grant supported opportunity to support and celebrate FFN caregivers. The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) estimates more than half of Colorado families depend on these non-licensed child care providers who serve four or fewer children in a single setting. This means FFN providers are an essential part of the community as early childhood workers to support and celebrate.

Our RMPBS KIDS Together Toolkit was created after applying insights from FFN caregivers themselves. We distributed this curated bilingual multimedia resource with social emotional learning materials and related digital content to FFNs and others with the support of three community partners in Colorado Springs: Operation Child Care Project, Centro de la Familia and Joint Initiatives. Our events included fun content from the new PBS KIDS show “Weather Hunters.” This was also an especially important time to work together to also help spread awareness about a currently available tax credit for FFNs who may be eligible. Our Community Partner, Lantern, hosts a FFN text messaging channel with relevant information, including more about this potential tax credit.

It was truly an honor to celebrate and have fun with my neighbors who serve some of our youngest community members to give them a bright future. We’d love to hear what you think about the Together Toolkit page we built!

- Jax Armendariz Unzueta, RMPBS Family Audience Engagement Specialist