It’s next to impossible to overstate the importance of robust and accessible childcare services as well as early childhood programs. Similar to housing, without the availability of these services, families struggle to cement a long-term foothold in our community and are limited in their ability to participate in the local workforce.
The EDC’s Policy Pillar Statement on Childcare and Early Childhood starts with this recognition, and goes on to dive into the subject. It offers strategies to guide the organization as we engage with elected officials and policy discussions, and it connects the topic to the EDC’s other work.
Childcare and early childhood captures the most formative years of development – 0 to 5 years old. Data gathered by EPIC (Executives Partnering to Invest in Children) shows that each dollar invested in childcare and education can return over eight dollars back to the community. Yet in Chaffee County, there are waitlists of kids that total more than three times the number of available childcare slots. What’s more, the available slots for childcare serve about 10% of the need for infants across the county. While more slots are available for toddlers and preschoolers, they still aren’t sufficient to meet the needs of Chaffee’s families. The everyday impact of this reality is that families must choose between participating in the workforce or pursuing vocational aspirations and caring for their kids.
The EDC has a singular focus in its work on childcare and early childhood – to treat childcare as foundational to all other aspects of its work. The EDC advocates for policies and funding that directly increase the number of licensed childcare spots for kids aged 0-5. The Chaffee County Early Childhood Council is critical to this work, and their strategic plan details the challenges and opportunities for making an impact. Elevating the interconnectedness of childcare with housing, the economy, and our community’s vibrancy is paired with advocating for the gathering of data on the nuanced nature of the need.
In short, our community will only ever thrive to the extent we have quality and available childcare and early childhood programs. The EDC recognizes this fact and works proactively with the school districts, employers, the Early Childhood Council, and others to invest in solutions in this critical arena.
