"KidsCount in Colorado!" is an annual publication of the Colorado Children's Campaign, which provides the best available state- and county-level data to measure and track the education, health and general well-being of the state's children. KidsCount in Colorado! informs policy debates and community discussions, serving as a valuable resource for policymakers, community leaders, advocates and citizens. Last year, the "KidsCount in Colorado!" data revealed a troubling trend significantly impacting the children--the increase in kids living in poverty. This year's data shows that trend is continuing and, in fact, increasing. The number of children living in poverty has increased 85 percent since 2000, with more than 192,000 children living in poverty in 2007, compared to 104,000 in 2000. And the youngest children are the most likely to be living in extreme poverty. Maintaining the well-being of Colorado's children is increasingly difficult in a tough economy, when many parents have lost jobs and income. By many different measures, poverty is the largest obstacle to opportunity for Colorado's youngest citizens. Kids growing up in poverty struggle with low educational achievement, health problems, emotional and behavioral difficulties and other challenges that decrease their chances of lifelong success. Quality child care and educational programs can help mitigate the negative effects of poverty, and this is the theme of this year's "KidsCount in Colorado!" report. Children who have access to quality pre-K programs have a better chance at overcoming the obstacles related to poverty and becoming financially and otherwise self-sufficient as adults compared to poor children who don't have access to quality care. With the devastating impacts of and dramatic rise in poverty on children and the state, it has never been more important that one considers the impacts these early childhood services can make on both children and the state. (Contains 32 figures, 2 tables, and 68 footnotes.) [Additional funding was provided by the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado. For the "2008 KidsCount in Colorado!," see ED538948.]