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.
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.
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:
Studies show that the earlier the investment in early childhood development, the greater the return.
When children have early health and learning opportunities, starting from the prenatal period, there’s a 13% return on investment.
Early health interventions also lead to a decline in children developing a significant risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases later in life.
Every $1 spent on early childhood education contributes $2.25 to the state's economy by enabling parents to work.
Every $1 we invest in a child’s care and early education saves us $6.30 by the time this child is in their 30’s. That’s a 13% annual return.
Quality early childhood experiences and positive parent-child and teacher-child relationships reduce the incidence rate of ACEs. Fewer children with ACEs means less burden on public services in both the short and long term (kids with fewer ACEs are healthier, less likely to be incarcerated, less likely to have substance abuse issues, etc.).
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:
Additional Information: Articles and Videos
Public Funding for Early Childhood: 2023 Larimer County Report
A Local Fix and National Model: New Orleans Aims to Fix Child Care
Child Care Difficulties on the Rise for Parents of Young Children
Untangling the Evidence on Preschool Effectiveness: Insights for Policymakers
New MIT Study Reveals Long-Term Benefits of High-Quality Early Childhood Education
How Supporting Early Care and Education Supports a Stronger Economy
The Cost of Providing High-Quality Early Learning and Care — Worth Every Penny
Fostering socio-emotional learning through early childhood intervention
Piecing Together Solutions: An Essential Industry for Economic Recovery
Brain Builders: Why Healthy Development in Children is So ImportantRaising the Future: America’s child care dilemma
Study underlines the economic importance of early childhood education
Statistics show it's time to ring the alarm on early childhood education
How Other Nations Pay for Child Care. The U.S. Is an Outlier.