You may have young children, older children, or no children at all.
You may be 20, 50, or 80 years old.
Either way, child care affects you.
When people in Colorado are asked about the biggest challenges facing our state, child care rarely ranks in their top three concerns (Child Care Works). Yet the reality is startling:
In Colorado, infant care costs more than in‑state tuition at a public four‑year college by nearly $12,000 per year (Economic Policy Institute).
For many of us, college tuition was once considered one of the most expensive investments we’d ever make. Today, families are paying even more every year just so they can go to work.
High Costs for Families. An Unsustainable Reality for Providers.
Families feel the strain immediately, but so do child care providers.
Most child care programs are small businesses — community anchors that exist to ensure children are safe, nurtured, and learning while their parents work or attend school. Providers are trying to:
Some providers have even lowered tuition to maintain enrollment or keep classrooms open, absorbing losses to preserve access to high‑quality care. This has become especially common with the state-wide freeze of the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which low-income families often rely on for help covering child care costs.
This model simply doesn’t work.
Families can’t sustain it.
Providers can’t sustain it.
When programs close, entire communities lose.
The Workforce Begins With Child Care
Every local economy depends on people showing up to work.
When families can’t find or afford reliable child care, parents:
Employers feel the consequences through higher absenteeism, increased turnover, and unfilled positions, creating productivity losses that strain businesses and weaken local economies (Common Sense Institute Colorado).
When child care becomes more accessible and affordable, the opposite happens: parents return to work, businesses stabilize, and economic activity increases.
Child care doesn’t just support the workforce.
It makes the workforce possible.
Why This Matters to Everyone
More than half of Coloradans report that they don’t believe child care affects them personally (Child Care Works).
But here’s what does affect all of us:
The first five years of life are the most critical period for brain development. These years shape a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional foundation — influencing educational outcomes, behavior, and long‑term health (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University).
The children in child care today are Colorado’s future:
When families and providers are stretched to the breaking point, the long‑term costs are felt by all of us.
Child care affordability is not a personal issue.
It’s not only an issue for families currently paying for care.
It’s a community issue.
It’s an economic issue.
It’s a shared responsibility.
