There’s a local solution to our childcare crisis in Larimer County.

And it includes YOU.

Whether it’s mental health or housing, we have never just stood idle and hoped to be rescued. Let’s continue to create our own solutions right here at home in Larimer County.

Here are 4 things you can do TODAY.

There are 6 underlying factors contributing to the childcare crisis in Larimer County:

  • Cost of living

  • Cost of childcare

  • Childcare shortages (demand vs. supply)

  • Low pay and benefits for early childhood workforce

  • Increase in population

  • Inadequate state and federal funding

Continue reading to learn more about each of the 6 underlying factors and the local solution we can move forward together here in Larimer County.

The Cost of Living in Larimer County

  • The cost of living is 6.9% higher in Larimer County than the U.S. average.

  • The poverty level (of all people) is 11.1% in Larimer County, compared to 9.8% in Colorado and 12.8% across the US.

The Cost of Childcare in Larimer County

Larimer County Childcare Shortages

  • There are significant gaps in care. It’s estimated that Larimer County needs at least another 3,992 spaces for children from birth to 18 months and another 3,205 spaces for those ages 18-36 months to close the gap.*

  • 2023 estimates show that licensed capacity for child care is only 16% of the population for children ages 0-18 months and 36% for children ages 18-36 months. *

    *According to the ECC Shared Measures Report 2023.

This means that more than 4 out of 5 families do not have access to licensed childcare for their infant and 3 out of 5 families with toddlers can not find licensed care.

Low Pay and Benefits for Early Childhood Educators

  • Early childhood educators (ECE) make $16-$19/hour, on average.

  • The poverty rate is 15.1% for early childhood educators in Colorado. The poverty rate of early childhood educators is 8 times higher than that of K-8 teachers.

  • Child care centers would need to raise rates by 42% to pay a living wage to early childhood educators.

  • Early childhood teachers are in the bottom 2% of lowest paid occupations in the country.

  • 70% of local child care program directors have difficulty finding qualified staff.

Projected Population Increase in Larimer County

  • The state of Colorado predicts Larimer County’s population will increase by 37% within the next 25 years (by 2050).

  • The number of Colorado children under the age of 4 in Colorado is anticipated to increase by 22% in the next two years.

State and Local Funding Doesn’t Add Up

But there’s good news. There’s a solution, and it’s customized for Larimer County.

By increasing the county-wide sales and use tax by just 25 cents (.25%) on every $100 purchase, we could generate between $19-$21 million per year (based on 2021 estimates) for early care and education.

The tax would sunset in 15 years, meaning we’re not tied to it forever. Yet, in those 15 years, it would generate more than $300 million, which would go to:

Subsidize Childcare Costs

  • Approximately $10 million annually would subsidize the cost of licensed childcare and preschool for nearly 7,000 Larimer County children ages 0-5.

Support ECE Workforce

  • Up to $7 million annually would be invested in the workforce through salary supplements, health insurance, professional development opportunities, training support, and higher education scholarships.

Fund Capital Projects

  • Roughly $2 million annually would be dedicated to capital projects to increase the number of licensed childcare and preschool slots available in our county.

Let’s not be like the majority of other counties and continue to wait for the state or federal government to solve this problem. Whether it’s mental health or housing, we have never just stood idle and hoped to be rescued. Let’s continue to create our own solutions right here at home in Larimer County. Our kids, our families, and our workforce need us to come together. We’ve outlined the plan, now we need your support.

Here are 3 things you can do TODAY.

If you need more convincing, learn more about the benefits of high-quality care and education.

The Benefits of High-Quality Early Care and Education for Our Children:

Children’s brains develop more during the first 5 years of life than any other time.

  • 85% of brain development occurs by age of 5.

  • Children’s earliest experiences with their caregivers directly impact how neural connections are made–neural connections impact movement, communication, thinking, learning and more.

Children who are in high-quality childcare and early learning experiences are more likely to:

  • Start reading earlier

  • Graduate from high school at higher rates

  • Have better-developed life skills like motivation, self-discipline, focus, and confidence

  • Have fewer behavioral issues

  • Learn more and obtain higher levels of formal education

  • Never be involved with a violent crime, arrested, or incarcerated

  • Have a stable job and earn more

The Benefits of High-Quality Early Care and Education for Our Families:

  • More than 1 in 10 parents turn down a position or promotion due to lack of childcare.

  • Safe, stable families are more likely to raise healthy, thriving children.

  • 67% of infants and toddlers have both parents in the workforce.

  • $8.3 billion in wages is lost by U.S. families each year due to lack of childcare.

The Benefits of High-Quality Early Care and Education for Our Workforce:

  • 1 out of 5 people in the workforce in Colorado are dependent on childcare in order to work.

  • 16% of employers see employees leave due to childcare challenges.

  • Everyone depends on someone who depends on childcare and early education.

  • Childcare issues can affect work absences and can remove talented workers from the workforce.

  • 10% of Colorado residents quit a job, didn’t take a job, or greatly changed their job because of childcare problems.

  • $3 billion is lost annually by U.S. businesses due to employee absenteeism resulting from childcare issues.

  • Quality childcare for working parents increases earning and spending potential in our local economy.

The Benefits of High-Quality Early Care and Education for Everyone:

Larimer County isn’t the first community to tackle the childcare crisis with local funding. Here’s a look at the other communities who we’re learning from:

  • City and County of Denver sales tax for early care and education infographic

    City and County of Denver

  • Multnomah County Oregon income tax for early care and education infographic

    Multnomah County, Oregon

  • San Miguel County property tax for early care and education infographic

    San Miguel County, Colorado

  • Kent County, Michigan property tax for early care and education infographic

    Kent County, Michigan

  • Summit County, Colorado property tax for early care and education infographic

    Summit County, Colorado

Additional Information: Articles and Videos

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