Serving the community since 1926
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 20, 2025
VOLUME 98 | ISSUE 12
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Child care enrollment freeze leaves families in the cold BY SUZIE GLASSMAN SGLASSMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
People walk past the entrance to the Althea Center on Jan. 24.
PHOTO BY NATALIE KERR
Historic Althea Center promotes community, spiritual connection as Denver evolves
The center celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022, continues to expand services in Capitol Hill BY NATALIE KERR SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
In 1889, Nona Brooks became the very first female minister in Denver. She led her congregation in the Divine Science Church as they wrestled with flagging confidence in the United States government, fears of moral and political corruption, strained race and gender relations, economic inequality and labor unrest. She guided them to let go of their fear and anger to make space for hope and gratitude to invite more blessings into their lives. “If you read some of her old writings, she was dealing with things in the world as a woman — she had death threats, her sister had death threats — so they had to live in the present moment, not in fear,
but they lived in the present moment,” the Althea Center for Engaged Spirituality’s Rev. Christina Jones said. For more than a century, the Althea Center’s leaders and members have drawn on Brooks’s teachings about metaphysical spirituality to bring unity, hope and prosperity to the community. The building at 14th Avenue and Williams Street was built in 1922 and its 100th anniversary was celebrated in 2022. The center continues to expand its services, mission and membership while navigating changing technology and attitudes toward religion. In addition to its Sunday service and coffee hour, the Althea Center hosts yoga classes, book clubs, spirituality workshops, gong baths, concerts, an annual metaphysical fair in the spring and
CALENDAR: 9 | VOICES: 10 | LIFE: 12
houses several local nonprofits. The Althea Center was known as the Church of Divine Science until 2014, and the congregation continues to practice and share the teachings of Divine Science, a denomination of the New Thought movement. New Thought draws on teachings from a wide range of philosophical and religious practices, including tenets of unity and oneness, affirmative prayer and practical spirituality, said the center’s Board President Emeritus Rich Kitzman. It differs from traditional religion in its broad inclusivity and nonjudgement, and prayer practices that aim to make people more receptive to blessings from a higher power, rather than attempting to beg or bargain for a better life.
“People walk through those doors into this center and they go, ‘Oh my god, this energy is just so welcoming and warm,” Kitzman said. “We have some rituals, but we use what are called metaphysical terms: perfect life, perfect love, perfect substance. It’s not that we don’t talk about God, but we talk about oneness and the mind.” Some people hear the words divine science and assume the church is a cult or a brand of Scientology, a religious movement founded by the author L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s, Kitzman said. But there is nothing secretive or pressured about Divine Science. It’s a teaching some people connect with, particularly those who are not interested in traditional religion. SEE ALTHEA CENTER, P8
For thousands of working parents in Colorado, child care is more than a service — it’s the key to economic stability. But as counties across the state freeze new enrollments in the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program due to funding shortages, families who rely on this crucial support are left in limbo. “We need an additional $70 million just to maintain where we are at with CCCAP,” said Heather Tritten, president and CEO of Colorado Children’s Campaign. “And right now, CCCAP only serves 10% of the families that qualify.” Across the state, counties including Denver, Arapahoe, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld have paused new CCCAP enrollments, citing a budget shortfall fueled by rising program costs and the end of federal pandemic relief funds. “We knew this cliff was coming,” Tritten said. “The pandemic relief funding allowed many child care providers to stay open and helped families afford care, but without sustainable investment, we’re now seeing the consequences.” Why is CCCAP enrollment frozen?
CCCAP subsidizes child care costs for low-income families, allowing parents to work or attend school while their children receive licensed care. However, a combination of expired federal funding, increased provider wages mandated by the federal government and growing program costs has left counties unable to support new families. In 2023-24, nearly 25,000 children benefited from CCCAP, according to data provided by the Colorado Children’s Campaign. But with funding stretched thin, many counties have shut the door on new applicants. “To put it simply, the cost of providing care for each child is going up, but our funding has not increased to go along with that,” said Tara Noble, Jefferson County Human Services program manager. SEE FREEZE, P19
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