Regional Summit for Child Care – Be Part of the Solution

Unless you have truly been able to unplug the last few years (and good for you if you have), you know that we aren’t getting much traction on solving the child care crisis in Northern Colorado. In fact, with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) running out, many of our friends, family members, colleagues, and neighbors are struggling more than ever to cover child care costs. Adding injury to insult, both Boulder and Larimer counties currently have a freeze on new enrollments for the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), which provides child care assistance to families in the most need. And while Colorado Universal Preschool has boosted preschool enrollment across the state, it has also enticed early care and education providers–who, let’s be clear, aren’t making millions and many of whom live below the poverty line–to reduce or eliminate their infant slots in order to offer more preschool slots. 

But, if you don’t have children or your children are older, how does this affect you? Someone you know isn’t taking a promotion or staying in the workforce because of child care issues. Almost 50% of parents surveyed in 2021 quit a job because of child care issues, according to the Pew Research Center. In Northern Colorado, 4 out of 5 families do not have access to licensed child care for their infant and 3 out of 5 families with toddlers cannot find licensed care. 

ARPA funding gave us some hope and reprieve—and the opportunity to pilot new programs to solve the child care crisis. Yet, lack of sustainable funding has kept many of the programs from moving forward. As such, unfortunately, we are in a similar place that we were when the 2017 Talent 2.0 Regional Workforce Strategy outlined the major barriers to workforce retention and recruitment (affordable housing, affordable child care, and transportation). Same place, 8 years later. That’s not great. 

But what is good news is that we’ve been working recently to tackle child care issues differently. The reality is that 40% of our workforce cross community lines every day. We can no longer think about what’s a child care solution in Fort Collins without learning from, and potentially collaborating with, our friends in Loveland, Greeley, or Boulder.

And that’s exactly why Early Childhood Council of Larimer County is partnering with Weld County’s Early Childhood Council and Early Childhood Council of Boulder County to host Northern Colorado’s Regional Child Care Innovation Summit on September 30th in Longmont. Whether you’re a business leader, policy maker, or early education provider, this event offers a unique opportunity to engage with experts, share insights, and collaborate on creating a brighter future for our children. Elliot Haspel, a nationally-recognized child and family policy expert and commentator, and Dr. Lisa Roy, Executive Director of Colorado’s Department of Early Childhood, will be featured speakers. And you’ll hear directly from your local leaders  about what unique challenges and opportunities exist in your backyard. From employer-provided child care to legislative approaches and from regional efforts to a campus-style hub for care, the day will cover all the angles to solving the child care crisis and, we hope, unearth new solutions we haven’t yet considered. 

Please join me for this free event. You won’t regret it. Everyone depends on someone who depends on quality, affordable child care. Register today!

Christina Taylor, CEO Early Childhood Council of Larimer County

LarimerThrivebyFive.org

on Facebook on LinkedIn