In Colorado, health doesn’t begin in a doctor’s office. It begins at home, in our workplaces, in our communities, and in whether we can afford to show up for one another when it matters most.
That’s the core belief behind the FAMLI program. It’s also the promise of health equity: that everyone — regardless of who they are, where they live, or where they work — has the time, income, and community it takes to thrive.
Paid Leave = Health Equity in Action
In theory, health equity means removing barriers that prevent people from reaching their full health potential. In everyday life, that looks like never having to choose between a paycheck and chemotherapy. It means never having to choose between bonding with your new baby and going back to work after only one week. It also means not getting lost in paperwork because it isn’t in your native language, or because you’re not familiar with digital tools.
That’s why FAMLI has played a directing role in drafting Colorado’s Health Equity Strategic Plan — because paid leave directly impacts nearly every determinant of health.
From Framework to Strategy
Our industry relies heavily on tele-tools, digital paperwork, mobile devices, and other platforms to function. This means being healthy now requires more than just good insurance. It requires digital access, and digital confidence.
For too many workers, that access is anything but guaranteed. Digital barriers disproportionately affect the very workers paid leave is designed to help: the frontline employees, farm workers, construction workers, and others who help make Colorado’s economy thrive.
Without this access and these skills, even the most generous leave policies risk going unused — simply because people don’t know how, or don’t feel safe, to access them.
To break this barrier down, FAMLI is meeting people where they are. Three key ways we’re doing that are through:
- Awareness: From summertime festivals on the Western Slope, to rodeos in Southern Colorado, to Spanish-language radio spots on over 50 different stations, FAMLI messages are going all 64 counties so everyone who works here knows that paid leave is here, too.
- Learning: FAMLI is training “digital navigators” across the state and especially in rural areas to help workers learn to access and use our claims portal.
- Longevity: As part of Colorado’s Digital Equity Team, FAMLI’s helped craft a Digital Access Plan to promote the skills, devices, and affordable access to the internet all workers deserve.
A Call to Action: Building Healthier Communities, Leave by Leave
The work ahead is about more than compliance or claims. It’s about making sure that programs like FAMLI are optimized. Because healthier communities don’t just happen. We build them—leave by leave.
Learn more about how Colorado is working to advance health equity through digital access to paid leave: