Every Employee Depends On Someone Who Depends On Childcare: How Business Can Play A Role In Solving The Childcare Crisis In Larimer County

Whether you work in construction or healthcare, you have likely been impacted by childcare issues, either personally or as a result of a co-worker or employee. One in 5 Coloradans need childcare in order to work–an estimate that is likely conservatively low. Yet, in Northern Colorado, 4 out of 5 families do not have access to licensed childcare for their infant and 3 out of 5 families with toddlers cannot find licensed care. This leaves many families scrambling to find quality care for their children and unable to participate fully in the workforce. In fact, 10% of Colorado residents quit a job, didn’t take a job, or made significant changes to their job responsibilities because of childcare problems. And across the nation, $3 billion is lost annually by U.S. businesses due to employee absenteeism resulting from childcare issues. 

Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce, Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, and United Way of Larimer County are pleased to host Elliot Haspel as a keynote speaker for a lunch n’ learn on June 11. Elliot is a nationally-recognized child and family policy expert and commentator, with specialties in early childhood and education issues, as well as the linkage between climate change and early childhood. 

Joy Sullivan, President and CEO of United Way of Larimer County, and Christina Taylor, CEO of Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, will also share insights about: 

• How Larimer County’s Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) is now limiting new enrollments due to the cessation of emergency federal funds from the pandemic, exacerbating the childcare crisis, especially for families living at or below the poverty level
• Ways to take action in the short and long-term to solve the childcare crisis in our community 

When: Tuesday, June 11th 

Time: 11:30 am-1 pm (lunch available starting at 11 am) 

Location: Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce 225 S. Meldrum Street

Format: Keynotes and short presentations with Q&A

Cost: Free Registration

Why you should attend: 

• Increase your knowledge around how childcare impacts every sector 
• Gain a better understanding of how the business sector can and should play a role in solving the childcare crisis 
• Learn how you can be part of the solution in the short and long-term

About Elliot Hapsell

Elliot is a nationally-recognized child and family policy expert and commentator, with specialties in early childhood and education issues, as well as the linkage between climate change and early childhood. He is the author of Crawling Behind: America’s Childcare Crisis and How to Fix It (Black Rose, 2019) and a second forthcoming book on child care policy (Oxford University Press, 2025), in addition to several policy reports. Elliot has appeared on television as an analyst, including on The PBS NewsHour with Judy Woodruff, and his writings have appeared in a wide variety of top publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. Elliot is regularly sought out by journalists, and has been quoted in such mediums as NPR and TIME Magazine. He lives in Denver with his spouse and two children.

About Christina Taylor 

Christina currently serves as the CEO of the Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, an independent nonprofit organization that rallies support, resources, and awareness to ensure every young child in our community has quality early childhood experiences so they thrive from day one. Christina has experience across a wide variety of sectors, and prides herself on being a disruptor of systems that do not benefit the greater good. Christina has spent more than 20 years in management, education, public health, evaluation, community outreach and advocacy. Christina completed her Master of Public Health degree at the Colorado School of Public Health and her BA in Anthropology from the University of Maryland. Christina is a passionate, lifelong advocate for children and their caregivers, and is herself the mother of two tenacious and sassy preteens, Olivia and Piper.

About Joy Sullivan 

Joy (formerly Deirdre) Sullivan is President and CEO of the United Way of Larimer County and a 30 year resident of Fort Collins. She has worked on community health and development across the private, public and nonprofit sector since graduating from Colorado State University. Joy holds a MPA from CU Denver and focused her graduate research on economic impacts of childcare on communities. Prior to her role at United Way, Joy was the executive director at The Family Center/La Familia, one of Larimer County’s few nonprofit early care and education centers that supports families part of our critical workforce with children 0-5. Her professional passion for access to affordable, quality childcare is fueled by being a working mother to three children and seeing firsthand how access to care benefits both children’s learning and parents’ economic mobility.