Early Childhood Council of Larimer County’s work on Public Funding for Early Childhood

By: Christina Taylor, CEO, Early Childhood Council of Larimer County

Larimer County families spend between 20-50% of their annual household income on childcare costs, between $7,000-$20,000 a year for one child! This impacts our economy in a big way. Lack of childcare access costs Larimer County nearly $100M in lost earnings, productivity and revenue annually. Childcare is essential to ensuring we have thriving, productive future generations, yet inadequate public investment coupled with a dire lack of qualified workforce means that quality care is out of reach for many families.

Larimer County is poised to pave the way for future generations by radically shifting how the childcare sector is funded. With a dedicated public funding stream, we can increase access to childcare for thousands of local families. We can also improve provider compensation and preparation, making childcare an attractive profession and increasing retention. With a question posed to Larimer voters in November 2023, we propose to raise the Larimer County sales/use tax by .25%. Revenue from this measure will work toward ensuring that no family in Larimer County is paying more than 10% of their annual income on childcare. Further, it will support Larimer County childcare professionals with better wages, professional development, and more. Learn more here!

 

Source: Early Childhood Council of Larimer County
May 2023

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