{"id":473859,"date":"2026-02-15T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/?page_id=473859"},"modified":"2026-06-18T09:57:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T15:57:11","slug":"colorado-child-care-out-of-reach","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/colorado-child-care-out-of-reach\/","title":{"rendered":"Out of reach: Colorado’s crumbling childcare system"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Out of reach<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Colorado’s crumbling childcare system<\/strong><\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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(Jeremy Sparig, Special to The Colorado Sun)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A NOTE ON THIS SERIES<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Erica Breunlin<\/a><\/strong>
Education writer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The federal government recommends families spend no more than 7% of their income \u2014 before taxes \u2014 on childcare. In Colorado, that means a family of four would need an annual income of $549,386 to truly afford childcare for an infant and a toddler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Childcare providers face their own set of growing expenses, everything from staffing their centers with qualified early childhood educators to implementing rigid state regulations and paying their rent or mortgage plus utilities. One childcare provider says that most of the time, he has no more than 10 days of cash in the bank to keep his centers afloat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colorado\u2019s childcare system \u2014 a patchwork of licensed childcare facilities, in-home programs, churches, schools, and unlicensed settings \u2014 is failing both families of young children and providers. The state\u2019s childcare industry has long used a funding equation that simply doesn\u2019t work, and recent funding challenges with a government assistance program that covers care for kids from low-income families have made it impossible for many families to continue care and also forced some providers to the brink of closure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the next several months, through grant funding from Gary Community Ventures, The Colorado Sun is taking a microscope to the state\u2019s childcare system \u2014 which one expert described as neither functional nor robust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(Jeremy Sparig, Special to The Colorado Sun)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our series, \u201cOut of reach: Colorado\u2019s crumbling childcare system,\u201d will unpack why childcare costs have become so high for both families and providers and will also explore what it will take to make childcare affordable and widely available across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re talking to parents, childcare providers, advocates, researchers and lawmakers to understand how this flailing system holds back not only individual families but also communities and the entire state. We\u2019ll also report on the creative solutions that communities are testing to find their own fixes to a lack of affordable childcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stakes are high: When young children don\u2019t have a safe, affordable spot to go during the day, parents often must choose between staying home to look after their kids or working and haphazardly figuring out care along the way. And when children don\u2019t have the chance to be in a classroom in the years before kindergarten, they lose out on a foundation of skills that experts say will set them up for academic success later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both these challenges take a consequential toll on communities, stifling the state\u2019s economy to the tune of $3.8 billion a year and robbing kids of a strong start in school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problems are many, but so are the potential solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n

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OUR REPORTING<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Finding\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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Finding childcare in Colorado is hard. Here’s your guide to make it easier.<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby<\/span> John Ingold<\/a><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Almost\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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Almost 14,000 Colorado kids are on the waitlist for subsidized childcare with program on the brink of collapse<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby<\/span> Erica Breunlin<\/a><\/span> and Taylor Dolven<\/a><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Childcare\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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Childcare providers fight headwinds on Colorado\u2019s rural Eastern Plains, with staff in short supply<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Kevin<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby<\/span> Kevin Simpson<\/a><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Who\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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Who is watching the babies in Leadville? 10 counties in Colorado have no licensed childcare for infants.<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"A<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby<\/span> Jennifer Brown<\/a><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"New\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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New Mexico is making childcare free for all working parents. Why isn\u2019t Colorado?<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby<\/span> Taylor Dolven<\/a><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Colorado\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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Colorado childcare centers can hardly afford to stay open, and many families can\u2019t afford to enroll without government help<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby<\/span> Erica Breunlin<\/a><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With grant funding from Gary Community Ventures, The Colorado Sun is taking a microscope to the state\u2019s childcare system \u2014 which one expert described as neither functional nor robust.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":472240,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"single-feature.php","meta":{"credibility_indicators":{"original_reporting":false,"on_the_ground":false,"sources_cited":false,"subject_specialist":false},"gigafact_has_fact_brief":false,"gigafact_remote_fact_brief_post_id":0,"gigafact_remote_sync_timestamp":"","gigafact_remote_sync_status":"","gigafact_remote_sync_response":"","gigafact_has_been_published":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":true,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":true,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"hidden","newspack_hide_page_title":true,"newspack_show_share_buttons":true,"footnotes":""},"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[16942],"class_list":["post-473859","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","entry"],"fact_brief":null,"yoast_head":"\nOut of reach: Colorado's crumbling childcare system - 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