BROOMFIELD, Colo — Colorado childcare options for parents can be slim and it's a problem that's not going away anytime soon. The American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, supported 4,374 child care programs across the state, but those funds expired in September.
Denver7 has extensively covered the growing costs of childcare in Colorado and the decrease in childcare centers. Colorado ranks fourth for childcare costs and availability is also limited, as a recent study found that the state has 75,000 more children under the age of six than available spots at licensed child care facilities.
ARPA provided $52 billion for childcare programs across the country. The act helped stabilize more than 200,000 childcare programs and impacted more than 10 million children nationwide.
Friday morning, Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Jefferson County, visited Beautiful Savior Lutheran School, one of Colorado's early learning centers receiving support from ARPA. Pettersen spoke with staff members, parents and advocates about efforts legislators could take to address the growing crisis.
"We're bringing together people from every level of government and local community leaders," said Pettersen. "We're talking to people about the issues that they're facing.”
Pettersen experienced the struggle first-hand. After becoming pregnant with her son, Pettersen was placed on a three-year wait list for childcare. "I just couldn't find a place for my son," she said.
Local
New data reveals child care center decreases in Denver
The high costs and wait lists have led to a decline in the number of available childcare centers. The number of active child care licenses in Denver in March of 2021 was 484. It dropped to 426 in 2022, 423 in 2023, and 425 licenses this year.
"We don't have openings because of the shortage," said Sami White, a Colorado mother of three. White attended Beautiful Savior Lutheran as a child and now all three of her children are enrolled at the learning center.
Although the center is now fully staffed, childcare organizations across the state are facing a shortage of educators.
“It's a struggle to find quality educators," said Sonya Acker, the director of Beautiful Savior Lutheran.
Acker said the lack of funds are contributing to the shortages, which leads to smaller classrooms and a lack of available spaces.
However, Acker feels confident that future legislation will relieve the stress.
"Our kids are our future, and I feel like as a state and as a country, we're going to invest in them," she said.
Pettersen is pushing for several pieces of federal legislation that could help alleviate the issue. She recently introduced the following bills:
- The Child Care Infrastructure Act
- The Child Care Workforce Development Act
- The Creating Early Childhood Leaders Act.
You can read about the bills here.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.