By 2024, childcare in Boulder County, Colorado had become a growing strain. Prices were among the highest in the state, and while the county had more licensed slots per child than many other Colorado counties, advocates said care for infants and toddlers remained hard to find.
That November, the Early Childhood Council of Boulder County, a nonprofit advocacy group, convened about two dozen community members, childcare providers, parents and elected officials to discuss the inaccessibility and unaffordability of childcare across the county.
At the conclusion of the meeting, participants were asked if they wanted to take action. It was “a resounding yes from everybody,” said Kaycee Headrick, the council’s CEO. Shortly after, the group evolved into a task force that began looking into potential solutions, and nearly two years later it published a report offering a plan for improving the county’s early childhood system for families and providers, which would require about $30 million of annual public investment to implement…