Bea Romer, right, visits with 5-month-old Andy Sproul and his mother, Dede, on Thursday at Fremont County Family Center.

Bea Romer, former First Lady of Colorado, made a local stop on Thursday morning to visit a place near her heart — the Fremont County Family Center.

When her husband, Roy, was Governor, Romer helped with a statewide initiative to start family centers throughout Colorado. The local facility, under the auspices of Starpoint, is one of 57 family centers in the state that grew out of her efforts.

“They’ve done such a wonderful job here,” she said as she visited the center at 1401 Oak Creek Grade Road. “I’m so impressed with how it’s grown.”
 Romer, now 79, holds a master’s degree in early childhood education and has worked for years to improve programs for both children and parents. She is the founder of the Bea Romer College of Parental Arts in Denver, a nonprofit entity that offers college-level classes on parenting.

“I believe so heavily in the early years,” Romer said on Thursday between visits to play groups at the Family Center. “When you have a chance to see how your efforts are rewarded… this is beautiful. I’m very pleased to see it.”

Romer said she believes parents need to be educated to truly comprehend early childhood development and its importance.

“They need to understand there is so much good information available,” she said. “They need to have the right information, so they can make the right choices that are developmentally appropriate.”

Romer said the Fremont County Family Center offers trained experts to provide the right services to the public.

“We need to continue our efforts,” Romer said. “You can get an education, as a parent, that is really very useful.”

Romer served as First Lady of Colorado from January 1987 to January 1999. Her husband was the last to serve three terms as Colorado Governor.

Diane Trujillo, Starpoint Early Childhood Education Manager, said she was delighted to host Romer.

“This is truly exciting, because she has the early childhood background,” Trujillo said. “Her first question to me was, ‘What is your background?’ She is very diligent in understanding care and education, and the specialization of the field.”

Pam Walker, Director of Project ECHO, said Romer was instrumental in helping the local Family Center become a reality. Romer also attended the local opening in 1991.

The center offers about a dozen programs to the community, including Early Head Start, play groups, support groups, teen parent programs, GED classes and parenting classes.

For more information, visit the Fremont County Family Center at 1401 Oak Creek Grade Road or call 275-1616.

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