Colorado’s future depends on how we invest in our kids. Childcare is critical infrastructure for Colorado—just as roads and bridges are important to get families to a workplace everyday, childcare is critical for supporting working families. As Governor, I will lower childcare costs for families, build a unified, transparent system that works for families and providers alike, and invest in early childhood health and education.
Lowering Childcare Costs and Expanding Access
Colorado faces a childcare crisis. Stated simply, there are not enough quality childcare options for working families. And where there are options, it’s too expensive for a family budget. A family with two kids under 5 spends, on average, 38% of their annual incomes on childcare. Childcare should not cost as much as a home mortgage for a family’s budget.
As Governor, I will increase affordability and access to childcare by streamlining funding programs. Where there are public funding supports, the landscape of programs and eligibility is fragmented. There are too many hoops to jump through to get financial support for families. Too many Colorado families also lack access to childcare. Over 50% of Coloradans live in a childcare desert.
Providers face regulatory burdens that drive up costs and provide no safety benefit. Regulations for childcare centers are essential. They safeguard children’s health, ensure safe environments, and protect kids from harm. At the same time, just as in other areas of government, we have a responsibility to work with state leaders and childcare providers to regularly review these rules, making sure they achieve their core purpose: keeping children safe and making sure they don’t create unnecessary barriers to providers offering key services. And we also must ensure that regulations that make sense in Denver aren’t imposed on rural areas where they don’t make sense. As Governor, I will streamline licensing and permitting, cut red tape and costs, and support our childcare workers. We must improve state regulations and build a model that keeps kids safe while also making it simpler for providers to open their doors and deliver the care Colorado families need.
I will also create a Childcare Solutions Fund, a collaborative public-private partnership to expand childcare options across the state. Under this concept, contributions from the business community and philanthropy could be matched by our state government. The Childcare Solutions Fund would expand on Colorado’s Employer-Based Child Care Design Lab (“Design Lab”) which has empowered employers to support childcare sites on or near their facilities. And it would draw inspiration from the Iowa Childcare Solutions Fund that matches what employers voluntarily invest.
Building a Unified, Transparent System
Today, getting childcare is too hard for parents to navigate. And childcare providers are forced to navigate across a range of funding streams, programs, and regulations. Families are looking across multiple provider types and support programs to find the right care for their kids–and it’s a much bigger challenge than it should be. That’s why I will work to build a more integrated, easy-to-access childcare system.
As Governor, I will sign an executive order on day one directing the Colorado Department of Early Childhood to evaluate what’s broken and identify our challenges. And I’ll engage with parents and providers to learn what regulations and other challenges inhibit the development of more child care options.
We must make it simpler for families to find and apply for child care options. With the aid of technology, imagine a future where parents can easily see eligibility for a range of funding opportunities and programs, or see the various childcare options in their communities. As Governor, I will establish a Chief Innovation Officer, who will work to make that vision a reality for all Coloradans, coordinating across state agencies and local partners to create an easy to navigate, one-stop system that connects families to resources and makes it easier for parents to find care for their kids.
Investing in Early Childhood Health and Education
The first five years of kids’ lives are among the most crucial. Partners across Colorado–families, early childhood educators, public officials, and advocates–have developed a powerful plan for a path forward for Colorado kids in the Early Childhood Colorado Framework. It is clear what direction we should take; we must come together to develop the funding paths and strategies to get there.
As Governor, I will fight to protect funding and the success of the prenatal and early childhood programs that work in Colorado, particularly as we face substantial budget challenges as a state and cuts to federal healthcare funding. And I will advance creative ways to advocate for and identify future funding opportunities.
Focusing on caregivers in policy and program design is also important; if we empower adults, we can foster environments where children can flourish. Therefore, Colorado must also support ongoing funding and accessibility for effective parent and caregiver-focused programs, including programs like the Nurse Family Partnership. This evidence-based program partners low income, expecting mothers with a registered nurse for home visits. Nurses work with families to develop a relationship, build positive vision for their children, and offer tools to succeed.
Colorado needs both state leadership and a commitment to supporting bottom-up strategies that will meet our early childhood learning challenges. As Governor, I will bring a sense of urgency, creativity, and collaboration to this work and ensure we’re coordinated across state agencies and with other partners to deliver for Colorado kids.
One critical area where the state must lead is infant and early childhood mental health. We need to make sure that all kids are developing and building positive connections. As part of my youth mental health agenda, I will prioritize this work, which too often is not a priority. As Governor, I will ensure that Colorado develops strategies for evaluating where we are failing in this area and how we can do better.
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The childcare crisis is a daily struggle for parents, families, and employers across our state. When parents can’t find affordable care, they can’t work. When children miss out on early learning, we lose the chance to prepare them for a thriving future.
We owe it to families to do more. By investing in early childhood, we can lower costs, strengthen communities, and give every child the best start in life.