WELD COUNTY, Colo. — A lifeline for Colorado families struggling to afford the high cost of childcare is being paused.
Counties across the state are freezing enrollment for Colorado's Childcare Assistance Program (CCAP). Weld County will be the latest to freeze its enrollment for new families, beginning Feb. 1.
With the calendar closing in on the start of February, daycare owner Vickie Baron said calls from panicked parents are becoming more frequent.
"We don't have a lot of options for them," Baron said.
CCAP covers most daycare costs for eligible low-income families. According to the Weld County Department of Human Services (WCDHS), more than 1,500 children are in care with CCAP there, where the average cost of daycare for an infant is $1,600 a month.
WCDHS Director Jamie Ulrich said a lack of federal and state funding will force families to make tough decisions.
"I think it comes down to, am I able to go to work? And if so, who is going to take care of my child while I go to work?" said Ulrich.
Both Denver and Arapahoe counties froze enrollment for their CCAP programs on Jan. 1.
Denver7 asked Ulrich what other solutions are out there for Weld County parents who need childcare at an affordable cost.
"We do have community partnerships. We have an excellent partnership with United Way of Weld County... there's Universal Preschool that could potentially help three and four-year-olds," she explained.
Baron is grateful for Colorado’s Universal Pre-K (UPK) Program but said that doesn't fill the need for wrap-around childcare. She also worries about daycare facilities having to close if parents can't afford the cost anymore. Ulrich confirmed closures are already happening in other counties.
"When you have one or two centers within your county, and they are supporting all of the CCAP population and you're not adding more families onto that, it's really affecting centers being able to stay open," said Ulrich.
The funding gap is forcing counties to request immediate action from lawmakers so children can get the care they need.
"How can we help these families? How can we help the children? That's the main thing. All these babies, our babies of Colorado," said Baron.
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