HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 8/13/2019 - Memorandum From Seonah Kendall Re: Talent And Workplace UpdateA Workforce Strategy and
Major Economic Driver:
Child Care in Larimer County
A collaboration of
January 2018
Directing
Change
Dear Business and Community Leaders,
Our early childhood community has long been aware of the increasing shortage of child care
options in Larimer County. Our lack of adequate child care affects employers in all industries
across Larimer County, as parents cannot work when they do not have safe and stable care for
their children.
Multiple groups have joined efforts to address this child care shortage:
• Be Ready – a county wide initiative formed in 2010 to engage the community and support
young children and their families so that children can enter kindergarten ready to learn and
succeed.
• Directing Change – a coalition of non-profit organizations formed in 2017 to collectively
advocate for issues that affect children and families.
• Early Childhood Council of Larimer County – a non-profit organization whose mission is to
bring the community together to work collaboratively to ensure that all young children in
Larimer County have the care, support and opportunities necessary to grow, learn and
succeed.
We wrote the white paper, A Workforce Strategy and Major Economic Driver: Child Care in
Larimer County, to provide a brief overview of child care challenges for employers and families
in Larimer County. The issues are complex, and solutions will require the joint effort of businesses,
governmental agencies, educational institutions, and the early childhood sector.
We thank you in advance for reading this white paper and becoming informed about
Larimer County’s child care crisis. For additional information, please contact Mims Harris at
mimsbharris@gmail.com.
Directing
Change
Talent 2.0 Regional Workforce Strategy was released in February 2017. This report was the result of the
combined efforts of eight organizations: City of Fort Collins, City of Loveland, Larimer County, Larimer
County Workforce Center, Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce, Loveland Chamber of Commerce,
Northern Colorado Economic Alliance, and United Way of Larimer County.
As identified in the Talent 2.0 Regional Workforce Strategy, Larimer County is
facing three primary workforce challenges: job growth; current and projected
labor shortages; and, the aging of the current workforce. Addressing these
challenges requires recruitment of younger employees to move into the
market. In Larimer County, over 80% of women and over 95% of men between
the ages of 25 and 44 are employedi. These employees are the ones most
likely to require access to affordable, quality child care as a condition of
employment.
Yet, as also identified in Talent 2.0, lack of access to child care is one of three
key barriers to workforce recruitment and retention in Larimer County. Larimer
County has a shortage of quality child care slots for children under the age
of 5. Further, the cost of child care is out of reach for many families. We will
neither attract nor retain a quality workforce in coming years unless we
address the issue of access to affordable, quality child care now.
Cost of Child Care
Lack of affordable housing, affordable child care and transportation are identified in Talent 2.0
as structural barriers that impact family budgets. Families in Larimer County can expect to pay
approximately $12,000 per year for each child needing care, although it may vary depending on
the age of the child and the type of care chosenii. Families paying for care have less to spend on
housing, transportation and the other costs of living. A family with the Larimer County median income
of $64,919iii and two children under 5, spends 37% of their pre-tax income to cover child care costs.
This steep cost is directly correlated with spousal retention in the workforce, as families often reach the
conclusion that it makes more economic sense for one parent to stay home while the children are
young. Re-employment after time off caring for children can also result in under-employment.
With 1 Child
Cost for child care
All other expenses (including taxes)
With 2 Children
Cost for child care
All other expenses (including taxes)
18%
82%
37%
63%
Percent of Family Income Spent on Child Care
(based on Larimer County Median Income of $64,919)
Because 70% of families with young children make less than the median
incomeiv the percentage of income spent on child care is often even greater.
“When we
incorporated
the cost of
childcare into
our budget, it
turned out that
the job offers
she had did not
offset the cost of
childcare.”
- Bjorn A.
Did You
Know?
Community Capacity
With the expanding workforce in Larimer County, the gap between demand for and supply
of licensed child care is increasing. The shortage is most acute for infant care, with availability
estimated at 25% of demand. For preschool age care, availability of licensed care is estimated
at 60% of demand. The chart below reflects the estimated 0-5 populationv, estimated number
of children needing carevi, and actual supply of licensed child care slots.vii
6,856
4,456
1,117
That’s a gap of
3,339
children!
0-2 Years 2-5/6 Years
Larimer County:
Estimated Child Care Need
vs Licensed Capacity
2010 Population Estimated number of children needing care (both parents work) 2016 Licensed capacity
14,304
9,298
5,955
That’s a gap of
3,343
children!
Families in our community, especially families of infants, are often unable to access care, even
when they have the capacity to pay for it. No one knows exactly who is caring for the children
who are not in licensed care. Parents may leave the workforce, cut back hours or juggle
work schedules to cover child care needs. Other parents piece together care using relatives,
neighbors, friends, or older siblings. Such care is often inconsistent, impacting both the quality of
the child’s experiences and the parent’s ability to be reliable at work.
“A 3rd grade teacher in our
community was forced to
resign mid-semester because
she was unable to find care
for her infant, leaving a
classroom of children without
their teacher.”
- Nancy A.
This task force would consider, among other things:
• The number of quality, affordable child care slots needed now and in five and ten years;
• The amount that the great majority of Larimer County parents could reasonably afford to pay for
child care and the level of assistance that may be required by others;
• The quality of care needed (and
measurement of that quality);
• The desired geographic distribution of the
additional slots;
• The most readily achievable routes for
expanding capacity;
• Strategies for developing and retaining the
qualified early childhood workforce necessary
to meet demand;
• Preliminary cost models for expanding
capacity, achieving necessary geographic
distribution, and ensuring affordability for
parents and financial sustainability for providers;
• Cost reduction strategies for providers, e.g., sharing kitchen facilities, maintenance services,
accounting and payroll services;
• Possible funding for expanding affordable, quality child care capacity, including the funding
necessary to develop a definitive plan;
• Regulatory and administrative barriers; and
• Building community support.
Addressing the lack of adequate child care in Larimer County is critical to maintaining a healthy
economic environment. Solutions will require the joint efforts of business, policy makers and the early
childhood sector.
A Failed Market
Child care providers, both profit and non-profit, cannot afford
to pay high enough wages to attract and retain a qualified
workforce. They, too, are facing workforce challenges that
prevent them from operating at full capacity. The high cost
of providing quality child care threatens the financial viability
and sustainability of providers. The child care industry is
considered a “failed market” because those who want the
service cannot afford to pay enough for child care providers
to afford to supply the desired service.
Proposal
Just as the issue is multi-faceted, the solutions are also
complex. In response to Talent 2.0’s recommendation to
address child care challenges collectively, child care industry
leaders propose joining forces with business and economic
development leaders, forming an official task force of the
Talent 2.0 Strategy to pursue solutions for Larimer County.
i Economic and Workforce Health Report, Larimer County Workforce Development Board, Spring 2017
ii Average Cost of Care Report, Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, February 2017
iii 2015 Median Income in Larimer County, https://www.larimer.org/about-larimer-county/vital-statistic-
census-information/larimer-county-economy-statistics
iv Study of Projected Demand and Impact of Early Care and Education Services in Larimer County,
Colorado, JVA Consulting, LLC, 08/3/2010
v http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/
vi http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/
vii Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, 2016
American business needs a strong
workforce, now and in the future,
to compete and succeed in
the global economy. Yet in the
context of global competition for
innovation, human talent, and
productivity, American businesses
are facing a workforce crisis: there
Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce
Ann Hutchison, Executive Vice President
ahutchison@fcchamber.org
City of Fort Collins
SeonAh Kendall, Economic Health
Manager, skendall@fcgov.com
City of Loveland
Kelly Jones, Economic Development
Director, kelly.jones@cityofloveland.org
Larimer County
Jacob Castillo, Economic Development
Director, jcastillo@larimer.org
Loveland Chamber of Commerce
Mindy McCloughan, President & CEO,
mmccloughan@loveland.org
Northern Colorado Economic Alliance
Andy Montgomery, CEO,
andy@northerncolorado.com
Larimer County Workforce Center
Joni Friedman, Director,
jfriedman@larimer.org
United Way of Larimer County
Annie Davies, President & CEO,
adavies@uwaylc.org
STRATEGIC VISION:
A dynamic labor market with a strong talent
pipeline that supports employers’ current and
future needs and provides residents with
good career options and opportunities
to improve their skills.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:
TALENT 2.0 INVOLVED THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS:
https://fortcollinschamber.com/program/talent-2-0-2017/
COLORADO
FORT COLLINS
LARIMER COUNTY
LOVELAND
WYOMING
DENVER METRO AREA
OPPORTUNITIES
TALENT CAMPAIGN. Design and launch a talent campaign to support the
recruitment of prospective employees to the Fort Collins-Loveland MSA.
LOCAL TALENT. Help connect regional employers with residents and
residents with better economic opportunities.
AWARENESS. Build greater awareness of the region’s job opportunities and
strong employment base.
HR BEST PRACTICES. Coordinate with local HR agencies to hold workshops
on talent management topics
RETENTION. Partner with employers to coordinate solutions to talent
retention.
OPPORTUNITIES
BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT. Streamline business engagement and input
mechanisms.
EDUCATION & TRAINING CAPACITY. Support education and training
institutions in strengthening the “home grown” talent pipeline.
2018 PRIORITIES
YOUR PLACE: NORTHERN COLORADO. Launch a
talent portal, an ambassadors program, trailing
spouse connections, and recruitment services.
RESOURCE DIRECTORY. Develop and distribute
a comprehensive resource directory to raise
awareness of existing workforce tools.
THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT PROJECT. Put a program
in place in an efforts to help individuals find jobs
appropriate to their skillsets.
PLAN FOR SUCCESS(ION). Assist companies in
assessing their needs and crafting a transition strategy.
FUTURE PRIORITY PROJECTS
ENHANCED INDUSTRY-EDUCATION ALIGNMENT. Forge
relationships with education institutions to inform on
the skillsets needed for quality training programs.
FRONT RANGE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS. Increase
student career-readiness and marketability in the
local employment market and college courses.
OPPORTUNITIES
ADVOCATE. Advocate around key structural issues.
EDUCATE. Organize a series of symposia on each topic to educate
relevant audiences, generate discussion about possible solutions, and
identify a core group of champions that will lead taskforces.
ACHIEVE. Assemble taskforces of champions and “doers” to move
solutions forward.
2018 PRIORITIES
KEY STRUCTURAL ISSUES. Advocate for I-25 Corridor
Improvements, FRCC Allied Health School,
affordable housing, and child care.
ANNUAL CONFERENCES. Organize a workforce
symposium and regional issues forum to keep
stakeholders informed and identify new issues.
TALENT 2.0
OPPORTUNITIES & PRIORITIES FOR 2018
TALENT 2.0 REGIONAL WORKFORCE STRATEGY
provides a platform for collectively addressing
regional challenges by identifying opportunities
for collaboration and coordination. The strategic
plan provides an overarching vision and a
common agenda.
Over the last five years, the region’s economy added almost
20,000 jobs but only 11,000 workers. This imbalance, combined
with low unemployment and high labor force participation, has
CHILD CARE IN
LARIMER COUNTY
Recommendations to Address the
Need for Additional Affordable
Child Care in Larimer County
January 2019
A Report by The Talent 2.0 Child Care Task Force
2
3
Executive Summary
The 2017 Talent 2.0 Regional Workforce Strategy Report identified three structural barriers
to workforce recruitment and retention in Fort Collins-Loveland Metro Area: lack of affordable
housing, lack of affordable child care and transportation. The Talent 2.0 Child Care Task Force
was formed in June 2018 to study the lack of affordable child care in Larimer County and to
make recommendations about addressing this barrier.
In Larimer County, an estimated 7,000 young children, based on 2010 census data, do not have
access to licensed child care when their parents are working. As our population increases, so
does the demand for care. To address this shortage, at least 1,000 additional early childhood
teachers are needed. However, childcare providers cannot afford to pay high enough wages to
attract and retain the needed workforce. They, too, are facing workforce challenges that prevent
them from operating at full capacity.
This task force met six times over eight months to explore these issues and develop
recommendations for the Talent 2.0 Leadership Group. The issues are complex, and the task
force recognizes that solutions need to be multi-pronged, with engagement from business,
community and early childhood leaders.
Recommendations:
1. Establish a Larimer County Child Care Work Group, including strategic
stakeholders from across the community, to continue the work of the Talent 2.0
Child Care Task Force and to implement the recommended strategies.
2. Recruit and retain a highly trained and qualified early care and education (ECE)
workforce that is paid a competitive wage.
3. Educate and engage employers around the impact of child care on the workforce.
4. Collect and analyze updated data about the impact of child care on employment
and families.
5. Conduct a public education campaign incorporating the results of data collection.
6. Broaden and develop new and diverse funding streams for all aspects of early
care and education, including public, private and philanthropic resources.
7. As part of a comprehensive child care solution for children ages 0 – 5, continue to
explore the possibility of instituting a universal preschool program across Larimer
County utilizing existing providers and space to accommodate all 3 and 4-year-old
students.
4
Introduction
The Challenge of Finding Solutions
Larimer County’s workforce is aging at the same time the economy is experiencing a rapidly
growing number of jobs. These factors have combined to create a growing labor shortage.
According to Larimer County, over 80% of women and over 95% of men between ages 25
and 44 are employed. Filling empty job positions during this labor shortage will require the
recruitment and retention of a newer, younger workforce. The Talent 2.0 Regional Workforce
Strategy (2017) identified three barriers that make the recruitment and retention of this
workforce extremely challenging in Northern Colorado:
• Lack of affordable housing
• Lack of affordable child care
• The cost of transportation
The Talent 2.0 Child Care Task Force was appointed to develop strategies that address the lack
of affordable child care, so that parents are available to fill needed jobs.
This document describes the challenge of finding solutions, the task force process, and
recommendations.
Child care is a complex issue that seeks to solve three separate but related problems.
ACCESS
Access is defined as the availability of child care for those who need it when they need it.
According to A Workforce Strategy and Major Economic Driver: Child Care in Larimer
County (2018) there are an estimated 3339 more children ages 0-2 who need care than
there are places for those children to go. There are also an estimated 3343 children ages
2-6 who have no access to available care. This is due to a shortage of licensed child care
providers and qualified staff.
Even if more child care facilities could be opened, Larimer County does not currently have
enough teachers with the required qualifications to staff them.
Early childhood teachers have specialized education and training, and yet are only paid
between $12 and $15 per hour. Only about 15% of early childhood teachers receive health
insurance benefits through their employer, and less than 10% are covered by a pension
plan.1 About two-thirds of child care teachers with children under the age of 18 qualify for
public assistance, such as food stamps.2 To recruit more people into this career, we must
increase pay and benefits, and provide scholarships for education.
Larimer County needs over 1000 additional qualified early childhood teachers and/or family
child care home providers to meet the current demand for child care, and anticipates this
number will grow as our population continues to increase.
1 https://www.epi.org/publication/child-care-workers-arent-paid-enough-to-make-ends-meet
2 http://cscce.berkeley.edu/files/2014/ReportFINAL.pdf
5
QUALITY
We all want children to be safe and cared for in an enriched and appropriate environment.
Research has demonstrated that the experiences during the first five years of life profoundly
impact brain development and the ability of a child to enter school ready to learn. Providing
stable, quality and enriched experiences starting in infancy puts children on the best
trajectory for success.
To ensure this and to make sure children are safe, local, state and federal governments
have created many rigorous requirements for the facilities, environment, and caregivers of
children.
Requirements include levels of facility cleanliness, a baseline number of adults per child,
education and experience qualifications for teachers. Toilets, sinks, furniture and educational
materials must meet certain standards.
Meeting these standards requires a high level of capital investment for child care providers.
They also prevent other buildings from housing child care centers without extensive
remodels.
To be a licensed child care business, an impressive number of standards must be met and
maintained. These standards ensure a quality experience for our children. They also raise
the cost of entry for those interested in opening a child care business.
COST
Quality of care is critical to the development of young children. However, higher quality can
result in high costs for child care providers as well as high costs for families. Families cannot
afford to pay more, while providers must maintain high standards and pay wages that attract
and retain qualified staff. Child care providers and families both are squeezed financially.
In Colorado, the cost of child care for one child can be as high, or higher, than college
tuition. Parents with young children can expect to pay an average of about $12,000 per year
per child, although the cost per child varies significantly based on age and type of care.
Those most in need of care for young children are young parents at the start of their careers,
which means they have not yet reached their highest earning potential.
Many companies have lost valued employees due to the birth of a child, especially the birth
of a second child simply due to the cost of childcare to the family. While it is difficult to pay
for one child’s care, most families cannot afford to pay to have two or more children in child
care. It is simply not a sound financial decision.
According to A Workforce Strategy and Major Economic Driver: Child Care in Larimer
County (2018), “This steep cost is directly correlated with spousal retention in the workforce,
as families often reach the conclusion that it makes more economic sense for one parent to
stay home while the children are young. Reemployment after time off caring for children can
also result in underemployment.”
Once these three factors (access, quality, cost) are well understood, it becomes clear how
challenging it is to solve the puzzle of affordable, available, quality child care for parents.
Increasing access to care with additional investments in teacher training and salaries raises
the cost to parents. Increasing quality, so that children receive the best possible care in order
to thrive and enter school ready to learn, also increases costs. Reducing costs to increase
affordability will reduce quality and the ability to recruit and retain a child care workforce.
6
Further complicating the matter of access, quality, and cost is the issue of infant and toddler
care. Because of their high needs and young age, state regulations require low teacher/child
ratios and more specialized training of staff. This is extremely important to ensure quality
care. It also greatly increases the cost of care for our youngest children. To ensure financial
viability for child care centers that accept infants and toddlers, those centers typically offset
the higher cost of care for infants and toddlers with a higher number of older children (ages
3-5). Older children need fewer caregivers and are thus slightly less expensive for the child
care provider. To ensure availability of care for infants and toddlers, the current business
model requires that older children remain as part of the financial mix.
Another important consideration is continuity of care for the children. Developmentally, children
do better when they are bonded with their caregivers. Research tells us that moving children
frequently from one caregiver to another is harmful to their sense of stability, and can actually
be detrimental to their development. Therefore, creating solutions that take this into account,
and that provide for the stability of childcare arrangements is critical for our children’s success.
The Task Force Process
The Talent 2.0 Child Care Task Force was established to study the above issues and develop
recommendations to present to the community. The task force included representatives from
business, early childhood, governmental and philanthropic organizations. (Please see Appendix
I for task force members.)
The task force outlined the following criteria by which to judge ideas and strategy suggestions:
• Supports additional access for infants and toddlers—not just focus on preschoolers
• Is within community’s control to implement and adjust
• Is feasible to implement
• Impacts the entire system of child care
• Supports quality of care for all children
• Makes child care more affordable for families
• Increases funding to the entire local child care system
• Increases the child care workforce
• Limits the overall costs to businesses
• Improves overall labor force reliability (decreases absenteeism)
• Increases overall capacity in the child care system to allow for access for more children
• Reduces any unintended consequences
The task force held six meetings between June and November 2018. A facilitator was hired to
provide structure and leadership through the process.
Meeting One: The first meeting’s goal was to educate task force members about the scope and
complexity of child care.
• The Early Childhood Council of Larimer Council (ECCLC) and Teaching Tree Early
Learning Center presented an overview of the child care industry, and challenges
regarding availability and cost. Data included:
• A sample budget and organizational chart of a nonprofit child care facility
• Overview of state licensure requirements
• 2018 Larimer County child care data from ECCLC
• Colorado’s Early Childhood Workforce Survey 2017
• Each participant discussed challenges they have had with the child care industry, either
personally within their families, or in their businesses to highlight the pervasiveness and
breadth of the concerns.
7
Meeting Two: The goal of this meeting was to explore possible solutions to the complex issues.
• Larimer Department of Human Services presented on the Colorado Child Care
Assistance Program and its limitations.
• The members brainstormed and categorized possible solutions to explore. (Please see
Appendix II for a list of all suggested solutions.)
• Subcommittees formed to research and analyze the solutions, potential costs, benefits
and drawbacks. (Please see Appendix III for solution categories and Appendix IV for
Subcommittee members.)
• Each subcommittee included at least one business and one child care representative.
Meeting Three: The goal of this meeting was to share information about possible solutions.
• Each subcommittee presented their analysis, including rating of each solution against
the agreed-upon criteria listed at the beginning of this section.
• The assignment for Meeting Four was that each subcommittee continue to refine their
recommendations and identify those that best fit the criteria of the task force.
Meeting Four: At this meeting the group narrowed the possible solutions in order to select the
most viable to present to the Talent 2.0 Committee.
• Each subcommittee presented its refined recommendations in a one-two page summary,
which included (please see Appendix V for each subcommittee summary):
• An overview of the challenge they were addressing
• A summary/description of the recommendation
• Pros/strengths of the recommendation
• Cons/weaknesses of the recommendation
• Challenges
• Risks
• How it matched the task force criteria
• Using the established criteria as a guide, the task force then discarded anything that was
not considered a strong recommendation.
Meeting 5: During this meeting the task force reviewed the final recommendations that had
been compiled into draft form.
Meeting 6: The task force reviewed the final report draft and offered suggestions.
Recommendations
To take greatest advantage of the current workforce in Larimer County, in 2019 and beyond,
early care and education must be available to at least 7000 additional children, ages 0-5. As our
population grows, this number will also increase.
The following recommendations were developed by the subcommittees of the Talent 2.0
Child Care Task Force. These recommendations are not in any specific order. The task force
considers each critical for change to occur on the Early Care and Education system. (Each
strategy is discussed in more depth in Appendix V.)
8
Establish a Larimer County Child Care Work Group, including
strategic stakeholders from across the community, to continue
the work of the Talent 2.0 Child Care Task Force and to implement
the recommended strategies.
Recruit and retain a highly trained and qualified early care and
education (ECE) workforce that is paid a competitive wage.
1.
Recommendation:
2.
Recommendation:
Larimer County currently has no multi-sector group that is focused specifically on implementing
change and making policy recommendations regarding early care and education. The Larimer
County Child Care Work Group will provide cross-sector leadership.
Strategies:
1.1 Hire a group facilitator to provide backbone support as the group works to
implement the recommended strategies. Community groups can lose momentum
without an effective facilitator to ensure the work stays on track.
1.2 Advocate for changes to regulatory and policy barriers. Examples of advocacy efforts
include addressing local building codes and state child care licensing requirements.
1.3 Advocate for municipalities, Larimer County and the public health sector to prioritize
quality affordable child care as an economic and public health issue.
There are not enough people working in or entering the early childhood field to meet the
demands of parents so they can go to work or school. In order for individuals to perceive
the child care field as a viable career option, the status and wages of this workforce must be
elevated.
Strategies:
2.1 Elevate the status of working in the child care industry through a public education
campaign (see Recommendation 5.1) and explore additional funding models (see
Recommendation 6).
2.2 Build on existing efforts to improve the school-to-work pipeline for ECE
professionals. Front Range Community College, school districts, the Early Childhood
Council of Larimer County and local ECE programs are in the early stages of implementing
an ECE apprenticeship model.
2.3 Advocate for changes to state regulations and/or early childhood teacher
credentialing rules that create barriers for ECE programs to hire and maintain
qualified staff.
9
Educate and engage employers around the impact of child care
on the workforce.
Collect and analyze updated data about the impact of child care
on employment and families.
3.
Recommendation:
4.
Recommendation:
Employers are critical partners in child care because they need a workforce. There are multiple
tools that employers can use to assist in providing solutions to the issues their employees face
in accessing care for their children.
Strategies:
3.1 Partner with the Talent 2.0 Trailing Spouse efforts to encourage ECE as a possible
career option. Talent 2.0 has already identified the need to engage and support the “trailing
spouse” when families relocate to this area. This group has identified the significant need for
early childhood workforce, so there could be an opportunity to connect these two efforts.
3.2 Educate employers about the Colorado Child Care Tax Contribution Credit and how
their company can benefit.
3.3 Share information with employers about a range of benefits which can be offered to
support employee child care needs.
3.4 In partnership with employers, continue to explore new child care business models.
Business as usual in the childcare sector is not keeping up with demand, community growth
and workforce changes. To continue solely with conventional business models designed for
a different era, and hope for different results, will only perpetuate and deepen the childcare
crisis in Larimer County. By examining nontraditional, out-of-the-box business models,
opportunities may emerge to expand childcare access, affordability and capacity. When
implementing innovative business models, it is critical to work to understand the impacts on
the entire community, and particularly any negative impacts on vulnerable populations.
In order to support our engagement of businesses, we need current, local data from businesses
and families about the impact of child care. Early Childhood Council of Larimer County
conducted community wide surveys in 2003 and 2010, but those are now outdated.
Strategies:
4.1 Utilizing the 2003 and 2010 surveys as a guide, collect updated information about
Larimer County’s child care situation through the Chambers of Commerce and
employers. Data to be collected includes:
• Current child care benefits being offered by employers
• Impact of child care on employee retention/recruitment
• Survey of employees regarding child care needs and financial impact of child
care on their families
4.2 Partner with entities that conduct comprehensive planning processes and already
collect data (such as the public health sector, city and county and other) to include
questions about the impact of childcare on employment and families. We recommend
partnering with them to make sure the information gathered is from as many facets of our
community as possible.
10
Conduct a public education campaign incorporating the results of
data collection.
Broaden and develop new and diverse funding streams for all
aspects of Early Childhood Education, including public, private
and philanthropic resources.
5.
Recommendation:
6.
Recommendation:
Most people are not aware of the impact of child care on families or the economy unless they
have personally been impacted. We recommend getting the word out to a variety of groups
through multiple avenues.
Strategies:
5.1 Hire a public relations firm to develop a strong, compelling education campaign.
5.2 Present findings of data gathering effort to community organizations and groups.
5.3 Through the campaign, engage additional partners in advocacy efforts.
Families struggle to pay enough for child care to allow child care programs to pay competitive
wages to their employees. Our recommendation is to seek out new funding streams to support
the child care industry.
Strategies:
6.1 Engage entities such as Health District of Northern Larimer County, municipalities,
Larimer County, Community Foundation of Northern Colorado, United Way of
Larimer County, other foundations, businesses to prioritize identifying funding
solutions. For solutions to work well, the entire community needs to be focused on what
they can do to help.
6.2 Create new and diverse funding streams. Potential areas for funding include
scholarships for teachers and children, attraction and retention of workforce, and capital to
expand the space available for early care and education.
6.3 Advocate that municipalities designate support for early care and education as a part
of their economic development efforts (see also Recommendation 1.3).
6.4 Advocate that Larimer County fund action items related to early care and education.
Larimer County’s 2018-2023 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) includes the
goal Provide access to quality childcare and its 2018-2023 Strategic Plan includes the
goal By 2023, Larimer County will increase capacity for child care to provide at least one
licensed child care spot in family child care homes, child care centers or preschool setting
for every 1.5 children in the community.
11
As part of a comprehensive child care solution for children ages
0 – 5, continue to explore the possibility of instituting a universal
preschool program across Larimer County utilizing existing
providers and space to accommodate all 3 and 4-year-old students.
7.
Recommendation:
Some communities have developed funding streams that guarantee universal preschool for
3 1/2 to 4-year-old children in order to support school readiness for all children.
Strategies:
7.1 Explore utilizing available community space.
7.2 Consider the Colorado Preschool Program model as a mechanism for distribution of
funds.
7.3 Evaluate the impact of this strategy on the entire community, including infants and
toddlers.
Recommendation
What is Currently
Being Done?
How Talent 2.0
Can Help? Suggested Partners
Establish a Larimer
County Child Care
Working Group, that
includes strategic
stakeholders from
across the community,
to continue the work
for the Talent 2.0
Child Care Task Force
and to implement
the recommended
strategies.
Provide $10,000
to fund facilitator
and administrative
costs.
Organizations and entities
with influence in the
community, including
business partners.
Develop and
implement a strategy
to recruit and retain
a highly trained and
qualified workforce
that is paid a
competitive wage.
Implementing an
early childhood
apprenticeship for
high school students
(collaborative effort of
ECCLC, FRCC, PSD
and TSD)
Cohort model for
developing early
childhood teachers
(collaborative effort of
ECCLC, FRCC, local
child care programs)
12
Recommendation
What is Currently
Being Done
How Talent 2.0
Can Help Suggested Partners
Educate and engage
employers around the
impact of child care
on the workforce.
Provide $2000
for materials and
administrative
costs.
Provide access
to business
conversations.
Talent 2.0, Early Childhood
Council of Larimer County,
Front Range Community
College, Colorado State
University, AIMS Community
College, Larimer County
Economic & Workforce
Development, Chambers
of Commerce, Realtors,
Larimer County Child Care
Working Group, Certified
Public Accountants, Northern
Colorado Human Resource
Association, Workforce
Symposium, EPIC
Collect and analyze
updated data about
the impact of child
care on employment
and families.
Fund data
collection.
Incorporate
this topic into
business
assessment tools.
Chambers of Commerce,
Employers, Early Childhood
Council of Larimer County,
Colorado State University,
Health District of Northern
Larimer County, municipalities,
Larimer County, school
districts, Regional Data
Group, Health District of
Northern Larimer County
Conduct public
education campaign
incorporating the
results of data
collection.
Fund public
relations firm for
13
Appendices
A Report by The Talent 2.0 Child Care Task Force
14
Facilitator, Mary Atchison Yellow Wagon Leadership mary@yellowwagonleadership.com
Jaime Cawthron Aspen Grove Veterinary
Care
jaime@aspengrovevet.com
David Hammond Executives Partnering to
Invest in Children (EPIC)
David.Hammond@dgslaw.com
Mims Harris Be Ready Facilitator and
ECCLC Board Member
mimsbharris@gmail.com
Ann Hutchison Fort Collins Area Chamber ahutchison@fcchamber.org
Seth Kelley BASE Camp sethk@mybasecampkids.org
Kristy Klenk Downtown Development
Authority
kklenk@fcgov.com
Anne Lance Teaching Tree alance@teaching-tree.org
Eric Lea Robert Half eric.lea@roberthalf.com
Adam Molzer City of Fort Collins amolzer@fcgov.com
Heather O’Hayre Larimer Dept of Human
Services
ohayrehj@co.larimer.co.us
Jodie Riesenberger Bohemian Foundation jodie@bohemianfoundation.org
Sylvia Robinson, Ph.D. Tolmar Sylvia.robinson@tolmar.com
Lisa Sadar ECCLC lsadar@ecclc.org
Joyce Saffel Columbine Health Systems joyce.saffel@columbinehealth.com
Deirdre Sullivan The Family Center/La
Familia
deirdre@thefamilycenterfc.org
Bev Thurber ECCLC bthurber@ecclc.org
Talent 2.0 Child Care Task Force
Appendix I. // Task Force Participants
Invited Members as of 05-30-18
15
All Suggestions for Solutions
Appendix II. // All Strategies
1. Increase college student internship/work experience with child care centers.
2. Market for more students within educational fields—such as business students, to get dual degree
with education
3. Increase understanding of needs of employees for child care within companies—how to support their
financial need vs. work schedule
4. Fund a CCAP-like system to subsidize wider range of families to be able to afford high quality child
care
5. Focus on costs for highest expense care and best investments—Infants and toddlers (NOT universal
preschool!)
6. Tax incentives for child care businesses—all types
7. Tax incentives for child care employees
8. Encourage businesses (who benefit from this, by the way) to help fund child care
9. Require businesses to fund child care
10. Incentivize
11. Campaign to increase awareness of critical current and future impact of high quality care and value
these professionals
12. Examine unnecessary licensing requirements/staffing—what do other states look like?
13. Tax credits for developers who support non-profit early care and education (ECE)
14. Increase effort to recruit out of High School teachers (High School license)
15. Access to housing
16. Community funding to fully support ECE continuing education
17. Employer supported care in partnership with licensed centers
18. Developer requirements? Zoning for ECE?
19. Look at how other communities are financing ECE with public dollars
20. Facilitate cost sharing options between centers and private sector—non-monetary, etc.
21. Integrate ECE into housing developments and offer housing for staff
22. Collective effort for scholarship fundraising that is centrally housed and distributed across centers—
public-private fund
23. Incentives to create new centers
24. Incentives to encourage smaller centers/home-based
25. Regulation reform
26. Charitable fund to pay for child care
27. Coops for business-child care
28. Head Start staffed by local business
29. Encourage Sharing Talent/Sharing Kids program—share job and share care
30. Business Plan issue
31. Don’t try to fix it—existing system too big and too broken
32. Women-owned business grants
33. WomenGive
34. Non-profit similar to RFC/business members
35. Private fundraising for budget gaps
36. Public Service marketing plan
37. Organizational structure change
38. Allocate CCAP funding in tiered levels
39. Separate funding source for ‘affordability’ for those 70% - 100% AMI
40. Tax credit for hosting on site care
41. Full day kindergarten
42. Universal Pre-K
43. FAMLI Act
44. Create hourly require for certification for below 18 years old.
45. Affordable child care in affordable housing
46. County tax to share cost
47. Special tax district like art or health districts
48. Tax (beverage tax type of thing)
49. Property tax
50. Coordinated campaign for system level change/funding
51. Private sector solution (business model for expansion)
16
54. Public initiatives to support payments complimentary to CCAP
55. Collaborative effort by businesses to establish and operate child care centers—CCTC-qualifying
56. Employer benefit of child care subsidy with co-pay
57. Scholarship fund for parents who are above CCAP level—foundation and CCTC qualifying donation
58. Public initiatives to support development and operation of additional centers
59. Cost-sharing cooperatives
60. Shared services
61. Lobbying for greater CCAP
62. Lobbying for statewide initiative to fund child care, sort of like Colorado Pre-K
63. WorkLife Partnership—funnels dues from business members—grant dollars to increase child care
slots
64. Business co-op child care centers—then other providers would have more slots open
65. Business fund non-profits for child care grants
66. Tax credits for education for providers
67. Joint effort to finally address TABOR so there are more funding dollars
68. State level overhaul of licensing--$ to counties
69. Business subsidize child care funding
70. Database of tradeoff list—employees who can watch other kids
71. “In everything we do in Larimer County, we think of children 0-5”.
72. ‘Build a parking structure—Build a child care center’
73. Include child care center in large housing complex
74. When we talk about education, include 0-5 (not just K-12)
75. CCAP
76. State/county funding formulas
77. City funding formulas
78. Elect public officials who advocate and commit to early care and education—with examples of w hat
they will do to help the situation
79. Collaboration between and among providers
80. Collaboration between FRCC and CSU education programs
81. Pilot programs—try things on for size
82. Comprehensive education program about ECE
83. Local public funding for CCAP
84. Employer engagement—contacting for employee slots, FSA promotion, flex hours/schedules when
possible
85. Workforce initiative—look at salary subsidy models across the country
86. Increase use of child care tax credit
87. Workforce recruitment—WIB involvement, connections with high schools, connections with low-
income/minority communities
88. Local taxing policy—tax breaks for locating in certain areas (especially with requirements about
accepting CCAP), utility breaks
89. Benefits—pooled health insurance and other benefits for child care workers (need to look at
regulatory barriers)
90. State waivers around workforce requirements
91. Increase CCAP funding advocacy
92. Child care impact fees for new businesses (like environmental impact fees)
93. Meeting with potential elected officials
94. Review licensing requirements, other policies and regulations impacting feasibility of operating an
in-home or center
95. Create/expand day care as FRCC/AIMS as a child care center and workforce recruiting
96. Employer provided centers
97. Renew TABOR/marijuana laws
98. Income tax credits for providers
99. Alternative business model for care provision that aligns with local business/employment sector—
MBA project, Innovation Challenge, Start-up Week
100. Co-op employee benefits for ECC educators
101. Pilot on-site ECE at local employer
102. Incentivize and support in-home start-ups
103. Expand PSD programs for increased access
104. Scholarship fund campaign
17
Possible Solutions to Child Care Issues
Appendix III. // Categorized Solutions
Universal Child Care (5 Votes)
• Universal Pre-K
• Expand PSD ECC Programming
Employer Supported Care (8 votes)
• Groups of private companies Survey need for daycare onsite vs. offsite service
• Pilots of onsite childcare at local employers
• Employee-supported care in partnership with licensed centers (onsite, offsite/
center-based)
• Businesses co-operate child care centers for employees-open slots in other centers and
homes
• Incentivize and enable businesses to develop and support child care centers that would
serve their employees (discount rate) and others in a way that allows businesses to
claim child care contribution credit
• Financial incentives to create new centers
Legislation/ Advocacy (10 votes)
• Legislation to provide an independent analysis of child care and provider shortages
• Meeting with Governor candidates before election-discuss administrative changes,
TABOR, marijuana tax rules
• Joint effort to finally address TABOR so there is more funding available
• Elect public officials who articulate and commit to support ECE with an explanation of
what they will do
• Coordinate advocacy campaign with diverse and influential voices for increased funding
and system change
• Develop comprehensive education program about ECE funding
• In everything we do in Larimer County, we think of children 0-5
• Campaign to increase awareness that our investment in young children makes a short
and long term difference
• Promote state government level action to increase CCAP and support 0-5 child care
similar to Colorado pre-K program
Local Tax Initiative (4 Votes)
• Separate CCAP or universal subsidy option to expand subsidy to broader range of
families and support programs at level to provide quality
• Collective effort for cliff/gap scholarship funding (private/public $$) that is centrally
housed and distributed in a way that is responsive to family geography
• Separate funding ‘locally governed’ to offset 70% - 100% AMI. County wide tax
• Sugar beverage tax to fund ECE needs (happening in WA state)
• Local taxing policies—e.g. tax breaks for certain areas, utility tax breaks
• County tax
• Tax initiative
• County level ballot initiative to expand and support high quality, accessible, affordable
child care that also supports worker recruitment, training and retention
18
Possible Solutions to Child Care Issues
Workforce Recruitment (7 votes)
• ECE Workforce recruitment
• Increase college student work experience/credits while providing employers workers
• ECE workforce benefits and salary subsidies (research models)
• Tax credits for education for providers
• Promote in home ECE as post-retirement opportunity and lobby state to substitute life
experience for specific required coursework
• Utilize apprenticeship models for workforce need
• Educational reimbursement for teachers who stay in field X years
• Provide preschool/ECE certification as part of high school electives so students graduate
ready to enter ECE workforce
New Business Models (8 votes)
• New facility, new business plan. Different sources of funding for budget gap, business
membership, business grants (women-owned)
• Start up funding-education via Small Business Development Center (SBDC), resource list
• Business challenge to design alternative ECC start-up business model that directly
aligns to business/employer needs
• Private funding-grants, employer benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
Regulatory Reform
• Review child care licensing and other related policies and regulations impacting
feasibility/liability for operating child care
• Analyze licensing requirements that lead to higher costs (Comparative to other states)
and advocate for change
Other Ideas
• Survey families for needs and desires
• Job share and kid share
• Cost sharing/shared services
• FAMLI Act
• Barrier to new providers is space/cost of leases, etc. Recruit places like churches to
allow programs to start in their space and charge low rent
19
David Hammond Executives Partnering to
Invest in Children (EPIC)
David.Hammond@dgslaw.com
Mims Harris Be Ready Facilitator and
ECCLC Board Member
mimsbharris@gmail.com
Ann Hutchison Fort Collins Area Chamber ahutchison@fcchamber.org
Heather O’Hayre Larimer Dept of Human
Services
ohayrehj@co.larimer.co.us
Kristy Klenk Downtown Development
Authority
kklenk@fcgov.com
David Hammond Executives Partnering to
Invest in Children (EPIC)
David.Hammond@dgslaw.com
Kristy Klenk Downtown Development
Authority
kklenk@fcgov.com
Heather O’Hayre Larimer Dept of Human
Services
ohayrehj@co.larimer.co.us
Jodie Riesenberger Bohemian Foundation jodie@bohemianfoundation.org
Bev Thurber ECCLC bthurber@ecclc.org
Seth Kelley BASE Camp sethk@mybasecampkids.org
Jaime Cawthron Aspen Grove Veterinary
Care
jaime@aspengrovevet.com
Lisa Sadar ECCLC lsadar@ecclc.org
Bev Thurber ECCLC bthurber@ecclc.org
Talent 2.0 Subcommittees:
Appendix IV. // Subcommittees
Legislation/Advocacy
Employer Supported Care
Universal Child Care
Regulatory Reform
20
Jaime Cawthron Aspen Grove Veterinary
Care
jaime@aspengrovevet.com
Eric Lea Robert Half eric.lea@roberthalf.com
Adam Molzer City of Fort Collins amolzer@fcgov.com
Anne Lance Teaching Tree alance@teaching-tree.org
Eric Lea Robert Half eric.lea@roberthalf.com
Sylvia Robinson, Ph.D. Tolmar Sylvia.robinson@tolmar.com
Lisa Sadar ECCLC lsadar@ecclc.org
Joyce Saffel Columbine Health Systems joyce.saffel@columbinehealth.com
Deirdre Sullivan The Family Center/La
Familia
deirdre@thefamilycenterfc.org
Ann Hutchison Fort Collins Area Chamber ahutchison@fcchamber.org
Seth Kelley BASE Camp sethk@mybasecampkids.org
Jodie Riesenberger Bohemian Foundation jodie@bohemianfoundation.org
Deirdre Sullivan The Family Center/La
Familia
deirdre@thefamilycenterfc.org
Talent 2.0 Subcommittees:
New Business Model
Workforce Recruitment
Local Tax Inititive
21
Data Subcommittee Recommendation
Appendix V. // Subcommittee Solution Summaries
RECOMMENDATION: Collect data around impact of child care on employment
1. OVERVIEW: In order to support our engagement of businesses, we need current, local data
from businesses and families about the impact of child care. ECCLC had done community
wide surveys in 2003 and 2010, but those are now quite outdated.
2. RECOMMENDATION: To gather data from across the community to better understand
impact of child care access/cost on recruitment, retention and productivity, using a multi-
tiered strategy:
PRIMARY DATA:
a) EMPLOYER/EMPLOYEE DATA COLLECTED THROUGH THE CHAMBERS:
• Survey business members (potentially only larger employers – minimum of 50 or 100
employees). Brief survey would ask questions such as:
• Do you offer childcare benefits as part of your package? If so, what type
(provide check list)
• What messages are most motivating for you to invest in a fund for ECE? Tax
credit? Affect bottom line for productivity? Good thing for the community?
• Employers would be asked to share an external link (3rd party surveyor) with
employees to get feedback directly from them about child care issues. As an
incentive, this data could be aggregated for larger employers and shared back with
them so they get a sense of how their business is directly impacted. Questions would
be adapted from previous ECCLC surveys (and would be vetted with employers/
families before using). Some possible questions include:
• What is your childcare need?
• How many days of work in past 3 months have you missed due to childcare
issues?
• Do you use employer supported benefits? If so, what (provide check list)
• If you do not use employer supported benefits, why not?
• One or multiple children—ages and are they in same center/site?
• Preferred ranking of options
• Percentage of income spent on childcare
b) NEW/POTENTIAL EMPLOYEE DATA COLLECTED THROUGH CHAMBERS:
• Have button on Chamber websites for people coming to the community to answer
questions about child care needs
c) 2019 COMMUNITY HEALTH SURVEY THROUGH THE HEALTH DISTRICT:
• Insert a couple of questions about child care needs. Could reach people who have
left the work force or reduced hours due to child care issues. Sample question:
Have you left the workforce due to lack of availability or cost of child care?
SECONDARY DATA:
a) MAPPING Project:
• Mapping of population (children 0-5); licensed child care locations; and employers
• Maybe use CSU students
b) Work Life Partnership – do they have data they could provide around need?
3. PROS/STRENGTHS: Having current data will help us understand need and “sell” this as an
issue to employers. In order to build a salient community-wide campaign, we need accurate
data.
4. CONS: Having enough responses to be statistically valid.
22
5. CHALLENGES:
• Need to check with data experts about size of employer needed to ensure anonymity of
aggregate data and number of employers needed to be valid.
• Persuading the Health District to add child care questions to their survey.
6. RISKS: Data may be skewed by only surveying larger employers.
7. COSTS: Potential costs for developing, delivering and analyzing survey, and providing
incentives for responding. Strong possibility of using graduate public health students from
CSU for project, which would minimize cost.
8. IDEAL PARTNERS: Chambers, Talent 2.0 members, Health District, CSU, Health
Department/Community Health Improvement Plan, ECCLC
9. PHASING OF IMPLEMENTATION:
• Chamber Surveys
• Adding link to chamber website for people moving to community
• Mapping Project
• Health District Survey (2019)
10. HOW MATCHES CRITERIA: Analysis not done.
23
Business Support Subcommittee Recommendations
RECOMMENDATION #1: Promoting Colorado Child Care Tax Credit (CCTC) and
Employee Benefits
1. OVERVIEW: Employers are likely unaware of the tax benefit of investing in early care and
education via CCTC, or of creative benefits employers can offer to help offset the challenges
of securing early care and education for children.
2. RECOMMENDATION: Engage employers to invest in their employees through use of tax
credit and employee benefits. Succinctly package the information about tax credit, how to use
it, what’s in it for them, and examples of the benefit package opportunities. Engage HR teams
to help with marketing to business CEOs.
3. PROS/STRENGTHS: More family-friendly policies contribute to recruitment and retention
(according to some data), helps alleviate the cost of recruitment when potential employees
are unable to relocate here due to lack of child care.
4. CONS/WEAKNESSES: Will increase immediate cost to businesses (either via investment
for tax credit or expanded benefit offerings; doesn’t address the shortage of care in the
community).
5. CHALLENGES: Cost of recruitment, productivity and retention related to the child care
issues tend to be hidden to employers; often employees aren’t transparent with employers
about the challenges.
6. RISKS:
• IRS pending regulation to dilute the impact of the CCTC
• Uncertainty about how the CCTC can be used in CO - lawyers in the Dept of Revenue
interpretation
• CO tax credit could be used so aggressively that State doesn’t want to do it anymore.
7. COSTS: Business have to invest, up-front cost of outreach/promotion
8. IDEAL PARTNERS TO IMPLEMENT: HR managers/directors group, a committed partner in
the business sector to be a leading voice, carry a B2B (business to business) message not a
child care sector to business sector.
9. PHASING OF IMPLEMENTATION:
• Get clear on the data - what does it say about workforce implications, local trends, etc.
• Get clear and consistent in messaging what is in it for the employers, ROI, retention
value.
• Get clear on exactly what the benefit opportunities are, their associated cost, pros/cons,
etc. (e.g. data and messaging help from Early Milestones of CO, EPIC)
• Engage willing HR professionals to help craft the message that will resonate with
employers.
• Think about the long-term support system for employers wanting to do this type of
employee support. Who could be that resource?
10. HOW MATCHES CRITERIA:
Criteria Score
Includes infants/toddlers 1-5?
Our community controls it 5
Unintended consequences to
larger community?
3 (internal
to biz)
Feasible to accomplish 5
Changes child care system 0
Ensures quality care 0
Criteria Score
Increases child care work force 0
More affordable to families 1-5?
Funding increase to the system 0
Increases overall cost to business 3
Increases reliability of workers 4
Increases overall capacity of
system
0
24
RECOMMENDATION #2: Leverage Talent 2.0 Trailing Spouse Strategy
11. OVERVIEW: Talent 2.0 has already identified the issue of engaging and supporting the
“trailing spouse” when families relocate to this area. This group has identified the significant
need for early childhood workforce, so there could be an opportunity to connect these two
efforts.
12. RECOMMENDATION: Connect with Talent 2.0 Trailing Spouse work to discuss ways to
connect to existing efforts to recruit early childhood work force. Those strategies are multi-
pronged, and include recruitment for people to become early childhood teachers in child
care centers and to provide in-home child care.
13. PROS/STRENGTHS: The systems for supporting people to enter into the early childhood
field are already in place through ECCLC. This mostly requires connecting those efforts to
the existing Talent 2.0 Trailing Spouse efforts.
14. CONS: none identified
15. CHALLENGES:
• This will probably need an extra step before connecting with employers. That step
will be connecting with ECCLC to see what the person would need to be qualified
under Colorado Child Care Regulations, and then to support the person to meet those
qualifications. These systems are in place through ECCLC.
• Potentially, if this were really successful, the capacity of the existing pipeline systems set
up through ECCLC would be stretched. This would be a great challenge to have.
16. RISKS: none identified
17. COSTS: Staff time to participate in network of employers. Potential refinement of existing
marketing materials to outline options for trailing spouses. Costs to support interested
people to meet Colorado child care requirements.
18. IDEAL PARTNERS: Talent 2.0 partners/employers; ECCLC; child care programs
19. PHASING OF IMPLEMENTATION:
• Understand and make connection with Increase Access strategy in the Talent 2.0
recommendations, to understand how this could fit in with that plan
• Once that is figured out, create marketing materials to share and make connections
• ECCLC support of any spouses interested in entering field
20. HOW MATCHES CRITERIA: Very strong on most items
Criteria Score
Includes infants/toddlers 5
Our community controls it 5
Unintended consequences to
larger community?
5
Feasible to accomplish 4
Changes child care system 0
Ensures quality care 0
Criteria Score
Increases child care work force 5
More affordable to families 0
Funding increase to the system 0
Increases overall cost to business 5
Increases reliability of workers 0
Increases overall capacity of
system
1
25
Summary of all group ideas:
This group originally identified four distinct ideas. Of those, three have been incorporated into
the above recommendations:
• Colorado Child Care Tax Credit (CCTC) – part of recommendation #1
• Employee Benefits and Other Employer Strategies – part of recommendation #1
• Leverage Trailing Spouse Strategy in Talent 2.0 recommendation –recommendation #2
The committee believes the remaining strategy, direct financial support for child care by
employers, is also important, but did not include it in the top two recommendations due to the
cost and potential difficulty of implementation. However, it should be noted that it could be part
of the continuum of “employee benefits and other employer strategies” and that the CCTC can
be leveraged to support this as well.
The committee also continues to believe that a precursor to all of these strategies needs to be
awareness building and engagement with the business community around the access to child
care issues.
26
Workforce Subcommittee Recommendation
Lack of Available Child Care related to lack of ECE Workforce
Overview of the Challenge: Increase the talent pipeline of Early Care and Education (ECE)
workers. We do not have enough people working/entering the field to meet the demands
of parents to be able to go to work/school. Need to shift the general public’s view about the
nature/importance of this work both for its current impact on our economy as well as the future
impact on the economy and raise the perceived status of this workforce to a level which people
will value the work as a career option and choose to work in the field for a minimum of three to
five years, and potentially as a lifelong career.
Summary of the recommendation: Focus efforts to support high school (HS) opportunities
to have experiences in the field as well as encourage these students to access concurrent
enrollment in college courses to access the educational requirements at no/low cost and allow
them to enter the field more prepared. Individuals in the age group are more likely able to afford
a lower paying job if they are still in HS. Talent 2.0 can help by helping businesses understand
the value of having an available child care system to support their own workers to have an
ability to work, as well as the value of the work in ECE for the future economy.
Pros/Strengths:
• Students can work part time in ECE during HS to complete contact hours requirements
while they can still afford to live on lower wages.
• Training in ECE will make these students better parents once they have families of their
own, regardless of whether they remain in the field of ECE.
• Attaining the qualifications needed will give HS students the option of working in a childcare
center or starting their own home based childcare business with more knowledge about
what impact they can make in children’s lives while providing a needed service in our
community.
• Students can continue their education beyond HS while working in ECE part-time.
• Concurrent enrollment during HS is (mostly) covered by the school district.
• Both Poudre and Thompson school districts have Career and Technical Education
Coordinators, many located at each HS to promote this to students.
• School to Work Alliance Program (SWAP) at Poudre School District is already looking at
how they can connect students, including paid internships, in this field.
Cons/Weaknesses:
• Students may not stay in ECE long term.
• Funding will be required for dual enrollment coursework.
• ECE centers will need to provide mentors and offer part-time internships (hopefully paid) to
students needing to complete certification requirements.
Challenges:
• There will need to be champions at all levels: businesses, the school district, the ECCLC,
community colleges and child care centers, parents, etc.
• For non-HS students funding for course work is not sufficient.
• Linking students to courses in ways that meet their needs. A need to address obstacles
related to HS student access to courses: students go to college campuses, college instructors
go to high schools, on-line access and/or an apprenticeship model all have various policy
barriers that are being looked at either through work between the community colleges and HS
systems and/or through work at the Early Childhood Council of Larimer County (ECCLC).
27
Risks:
• Students may receive all the training and certification and then change their minds about an
ECE career.
• Need for adults in ECE to be trained Mentors as having inexperienced students will require
closer guidance and supervision, causing a need to address concerns about liability.
• Without good first experiences, people will walk away from this field.
Costs Involved/Funding Ideas:
• Beyond a cohort of up to 15 early childhood teachers being trained as mentors for HS
students and adults, we need to identify funding to continue this work in the future as the
workforce grows.
• Scholarship funding for education for non-HS students which may include something similar
to loan forgiveness if they stay in the field.
• Costs to implement and maintain a federally approved apprenticeship model if chosen.
Community child care programs are too small to take this on, school districts will be great
partners but cannot be the sponsor, ECCLC is positioned for this work in terms of it being
able to be countywide but currently lacks funding for this work. Costs of administering
an apprenticeship are a barrier regardless of the sponsor. While this could be ideal,
especially for HS students, please note barriers identified under the regulatory committee
recommendations.
Ideal Partners:
• Front Range Community College
• Poudre and Thompson School Districts, including their early childhood programs
• Community ECE programs
• ECCLC
• Interested Businesses/other funders
Phasing:
Much of this work has already begun or has been identified by other Talent 2.0 subcommittees
for efforts to be done. Talent 2.0 could be most helpful in identifying Champions to raise the
awareness of the importance and value of the ECE workforce in Larimer County.
28
Regulatory Subcommittee Recommendations
RECOMMENDATION #1: International Building Codes
1. OVERVIEW: Many municipalities have adopted the International Building Codes, which can
negatively impact family child care home providers (FCCH). Examples include limits on
number of children served below levels allowed by licensing and requirements for in-home
sprinkler systems.
2. RECOMMENDATION:
• Conduct a landscape analysis/meet with local zoning and planning departments to
understand each municipality’s building codes and impact on licensed child care.
• Advocate with local municipalities to ensure no code is more restrictive than child care
licensing or creates undue burden/barrier to provided licensed child care in the home.
3. PROS/STRENGTHS:
• Alignment of regulations across systems
• Low one-time cost
• Immediate positive impact on FCCH by removing barriers, lessening confusion over
conflicting requirements, and simplifying process of things to consider when becoming
licensed
4. CONS: None identified
5. CHALLENGES: Number of municipalities that exist in Larimer County that need to address
this
6. RISKS: None identified
7. COSTS: Staff time to
• Analyze IBCs in comparison to FCCH regulations
• Potentially develop template proposal to create code guidelines specific to FCCH
• Analyze application of IBCs in each municipality, if needed
• Develop individualized proposals for each municipality, if needed
• Advocacy
8. IDEAL PARTNERS: Child care licensing; planning and zoning; FCCH Association
leadership; builders; ECCLC
9. PHASING OF IMPLEMENTATION:
• Analyze IBCs in comparison to FCCH regulations
• Explore and potentially develop template proposal to create code guidelines specific to
FCCH; analysis of planning and zoning by municipality (identify each entity; contact info;
maybe how currently applying IBCs)
• Advocacy to modify local IBC application for FCCH
10. HOW MATCHES CRITERIA: Very strong on most items
Criteria Score
Includes infants/toddlers 5
Our community controls it 5
Unintended consequences to
larger community?
None
identified
Feasible to accomplish 5
Changes child care system 4
Ensures quality care n/a
Criteria Score
Increases child care work force 3
More affordable to families 3
Funding increase to the system No
Increases overall cost to business No
Increases reliability of workers 3
Increases overall capacity of
system
3
29
RECOMMENDATION #2: Formal Mechanism to Engage in Policy Specific Advocacy
1. OVERVIEW: Because the child care industry is affected by so many policies and regulations
at all levels of government, policies are periodically identified that have a negative impact
on child care. Although advocacy comes from the child care industry, in general this is
an industry made up of small businesses with little influence. The ability to engage more
influential voices in specific advocacy could be extremely beneficial. Many of the issues that
fall under this are those that were identified in the previous summary by this group, such
as the Colorado Child Care Contribution Tax Credit and restrictions on number of children
served by in-home care in the City of Loveland. An additional issue that just came up
was the possibility of being able to use the City of Fort Collins CDBG funds to fund capital
expansion for child care.
2. RECOMMENDATION: Identify or develop process to mobilize Talent 2.0 members around
advocacy for EC issues as they are identified by community members.
3. PROS/STRENGTHS: Low investment for potentially high return. Child care industry is low
status/ low power. Involving outside advocates who are impacted by the industry and have
greater influence would make the advocacy more likely to result in change.
4. CONS: One more ask of people’s time
5. CHALLENGES:
• Need to have employers understand the impact these issues have on their bottom line
before they will engage as advocates.
• Capacity to track and identify issues and organize the advocacy.
6. RISKS: none identified
7. COSTS: Limited hard costs. This is primarily a need for people to commit time to this effort.
8. IDEAL PARTNERS: Talent 2.0 members (large and small employers); policy makers; child
care industry; issue-specific other partners
9. PHASING OF IMPLEMENTATION:
• Start with employer education and engagement around the need for increased child care
• Identify/develop advocacy process within Talent 2.0
• Identify/develop strong process for identifying issues
10. HOW MATCHES CRITERIA: This is dependent on whatever policy is being identified
Criteria Score
Includes infants/toddlers 3
Our community controls it 3
Unintended consequences to
larger community?
Unknown
Feasible to accomplish 3
Changes child care system 3
Ensures quality care Depends
on issue
Criteria Score
Increases child care work force Depends
on issue
More affordable to families Depends
on issue
Funding increase to the system Depends
on issue
Increases overall cost to business No
Increases reliability of workers 2-3
Increases overall capacity of
system
2-3
30
Additional Thoughts for the Report:
This group originally identified five distinct policy areas. Of those, one is addressed directly
in recommendation #1 and the other indirectly through recommendation #2 above. The other
three are still important, but will be handled outside of any recommendations for Talent 2.0. See
below for brief synopsis:
Universal Building Codes: Conduct a landscape
analysis/meet with local zoning and planning
departments to address identified barriers (e.g.,
limits on number of children & requirements for in-
home sprinkler systems)
Recommendation #1
Child Care Contribution Tax Credit: Need to
advocate for regulation clarity around whether
employers can use tax credit for helping to support
employee child care costs
Need advocacy. This is the type of issue under
Recommendation #2
Council Waiver Authority: Used to address state
Child Care Regulatory barriers as identified by
focus groups of Family Child Care Homes and/or
Child Care Centers
Will continue to use as appropriate. This must
happen through ECCLC, so not included in these
recommendations
Recognition of experience that counts toward
becoming Early Childhood Teacher qualified:
Advocacy to change regulations to count
experience of high school student under the age of
18 and nanny care
We believe the best avenue to address this
challenge is through the Council Waiver process
noted above.
ECE Classes taught in high school:
Identify barriers to having FRCC instructors teach
early childhood classes in local high schools
These barriers are twofold:
• National accreditation standards for the college
requires master’s degree in early childhood to
teach EC classes (only one PSD teacher meets
this requirement)
• Colorado Department of Education Teacher
Licensure is required to teach in school
buildings (and FRCC instructors don’t have
this)
We believe that this will be an on-going dialog
with FRCC, local schools and ECCLC to problem
solve, and does not make sense to include in above
recommendations.
31
Advocacy Task Force Recommendations
RECOMMENDATION: Collect data around impact of child care on employment
1. Education of the Public on Issues – Conscious Raising/Building Relationships
Develop a comprehensive outreach plan to share insight into issues facing communities,
employers and families. Focus on issues education and proposed solutions.
a. General Community – Presentations, Emails, Articles, Opinion Pieces, Ads, Editorial
Boards
i. Service-based organizations:
1. AAUW - American Association of University Women - both Fort Collins and
Loveland
2. Community Foundation of Northern Colorado
3. Junior League of Fort Collins
4. WomenGive
5. Kiwanis
6. League of Women Voters
7. Lions - Fort Collins and Loveland and Berthoud
8. Rotary - Fort Collins and Loveland
9. Zonta
ii. Advocacy-based organizations:
1. NCLA (Ann contact)
2. Fort Collins Area Chamber
3. Loveland Chamber
4. NFIB
5. Denver Metro (CCC) (Ann contact)
6. CACI
iii. Government organizations:
1. Fort Collins City Council
2. Loveland City Council
3. Estes Park Town Board (Frank Lancaster)
4. Larimer County Commissioners
iv. Educational Institutions:
1. Colorado State University
2. Front Range Community College
3. Poudre School District
4. Thompson School District
v. Editorial Boards
1. BizWest
2. Loveland Reporter-Herald
3. Coloradoan
vi. State Legislators:
1. Ginal
2. Arndt
3. Kefalas
4. Buck
5. McKean
6. Lundberg
32
vii. Relationship focus:
1. Early Childhood Leadership Commission
2. Colorado Children’s Campaign
3. NCLA
4. CCC – Denver Metro
5. United Way – Larimer County, Denver
6. Early Childhood School Readiness Commission
7. Larimer County Strategic Plan
b) Elections
i. Questions during candidate forums re: Child Care
2. Change Efforts – After Local Analysis
Create a framework to analyze solutions from a local perspective and then lobby for
that change. Create partnerships to lobby at the local and state level on solutions that
make sense for Northern Colorado.
a. Once change is identified, analyze from a local perspective. This might mean the
creation of a local organization to evaluate issues.
b. Once a local perspective is finalized, begin proactive communication/lobbying on that
change utilizing resources already in place (business organizations, Early Childhood
Council, Health Directors Association, etc)
c. Use this same system to identify grant opportunities and to activate to access those
resources.
Pros/Strengths: Serves as a platform for education – no matter what the ultimate topic is and
allows us to make sure insight has a local component.
Cons/Weaknesses: People are bombarded with lots of data and information.
Costs: Limited relative to cash, would require investment of time.
Ideal Partners: See above.
Phasing: This effort can be as big or small as desired.
Criteria: Allows the local community to control efforts and feasible to accomplish.
33
Universal Pre K Subcommittee Recommendation
The issues around Pre K tend to be on funding, space and workforce.
1. Space:
a. Currently the schools in PSD are overcrowded. With the delay of the new bond moving
forward this has put more pressure on the elementary schools just to accommodate the
current kindergarten through 5th graders.
b. Also, there is a transition currently happening that will move All Head Start programs to
go full day. The current half day model allows for classrooms to be used twice a day.
This new regulation will put added pressure on the space available.
c. Finally, the rank order of who gets priority on using the school space means that students
K-5th, children with special needs, and then Head Start get priority. This pushes early
childhood and preschool to feel the space pinch more than any other group.
d. Solutions:
i. Utilize community space. Based on licensing regulations we can ensure quality
programming at off school site locations. If a program is licensed, they must
meet a rigorous standard to operate.
2. Quality:
a. Utilize quality controls on academic programs: Currently PSD offers Colorado Preschool
Program (CPP) funding to community partners. Not only do these partners need to meet
licensing regulations but must also work in partnership with PSD staff to develop training,
equipment and academic standards.
b. TS Gold: This is a data collection system currently being used by both CPP partners and
the school district to track performance and identify needs through regular assessment of
preschooler’s achievement. By using this system for all Universal Pre K students we can
better address needs, resources and ensure kindergarten readiness.
3. Funding:
a. This one pager does not address where the money comes from but instead looks at the
mechanism if the funding was made available.
b. The CPP model is a great mechanism for distribution of funding. If we expand the
current model to accommodate more preschool spots and locations we can ensure
quality, licensing, and training.
c. There are approximately 2100 kindergarten students in the district. Assuming there are
a similar number of 4 year olds, and the per student allocation is $8,200, the cost would
be $17,200,000. The difference between CPP and another fund would be the availability
of utilizing a sliding fee instead of paying for the whole program. We could stretch the
funding and drop the cost by over half.
d. CPP currently does not reimburse at the $8,200 and because the cost of a preschooler
does not include busing, building, PSD administration, etc, the cost could be much lower
when we negotiate the per student allocation.
4. Workforce:
a. This will continually be an issue. But CPP or this new funding mechanism can reimburse
the program at a higher rate than the current CCAP does. Which could lead to better
salaries for those that work in the field.
5. Kindergarten readiness:
a. This goal is one shared across this community as well as across most of the country.
b. The only way to ensure high rates of kindergarten readiness, especially in marginalized
groups, is Universal Pre K. Universal Pre K overcomes many of the barriers that have
prevented us from already achieving the high gains we are aiming for.
6. Finally, every child enrolled in Universal Pre K is one less child utilizing CCAP. Which would
increase the budget of funding available for infant and toddler child care.
34
New Business Models for Childcare Subcommittee Recommendation
Overview of the Problem
Business as usual in the childcare sector is not keeping up with demand, community growth
and workforce changes.
To continue solely with conventional business models designed for a different era, and hope for
different results, will only perpetuate and deepen the childcare crisis in Fort Collins.
By examining nontraditional, out-of-the-box business models, opportunities may emerge to
expand childcare access, affordability and capacity.
Ideas Being Considered
Developing a community survey, with thorough data analysis, will inform business modeling
opportunities and provide further direction. A survey should include:
• Data collection from employers - identify their needs and preferences
• Data collection from families - identify their needs and preferences
• Feasibility evaluation of childcare business model ideas and scenarios (below)
• Sound and representative sampling
• Inclusive of the diversity in Fort Collins and a culturally competent methodology
• Analysis of data and prioritization of options
Brain Swirl Ideas:
• Backup Care Benefit (on-call childcare in employee’s home, ex: Family Care Connection)
• Faith community facilities – space rental or run by the faith org.
• Development of in-home care options, incentives and opportunities to expand
• On-site ECE at businesses
• Alternative funding sources
• UBER-ification of ECE - single, licensed facility with multiple classrooms. In-home providers
could lease class/play space. Similar to a Real Estate office arrangement. Provider brings
the children they are responsible for.
Criteria Scoring:
Criteria Score
Includes infants/toddlers 4
Our community controls it 4
Unintended consequences to
larger community?
3
Feasible to accomplish 3
Changes child care system 3
Ensures quality care 3
Criteria Score
Increases child care work force 3
More affordable to families 3
Funding increase to the system 3
Increases overall cost to business 3
Increases reliability of workers 3
Increases overall capacity of
system
4
35
ECE Local Tax Initiative Subcommittee Report Out
The original intent of this subcommittee was to analyze the potential of a local tax initiative to
support early care and education. While other communities have successfully passed such
measures, the group determined that timing is not right locally for a tax initiative request to the
community, given the other tax initiatives coming up on the ballot. The issue should certainly
be revisited in a year or two, but for now the group focused on strategies to help diversify and
increase the funding stream for ECE.
Ideas for diversifying the funding stream include the following:
• Engage the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado to consider creating an ECE
Fund to which business and individuals could donate. Those donations would be eligible
for the CO Child Care Tax credit. An advisory committee could be put in place to determine
distribution of funds. The focus would be on scholarships for workforce development,
infrastructure, family scholarships for care, etc.
• Work with Women Give to ensure that the funds they collect from members are used in
a way that best contributes to solutions. Group members noted some flaws in the current
system that should be explored with UWLC team managing Women Give.
• Tapping into the current County Health Improvement Plan priority of increasing access to
early care and education and engaging the Health District in funding strategy conversations.
When the time is right for a local tax initiative, the following criteria/considerations for an
initiative were noted by the subcommittee:
The tenets of any proposed tax should include:
• A clearly articulated plan for how the funds raised through a tax will be used.
• A timeline/sunset date at which time the sponsors of the tax initiative will come back to
report on progress and revisit the need for continued tax.
Ideally a tax to support ECE would be neither entirely regressive nor progressive, rather
something in the middle. A property tax would not likely get the support of the business
community. If sales tax items on this fall’s ballot pass, Larimer County sales tax will be
approaching 10%. Some type of hybrid approach would be ideal.
If a local tax revenue stream be put in place, it is recommended that the current Colorado
Preschool Program mechanism be used to funnel dollars to service providers, via the school
districts.
Examples of local tax initiatives:
• Mesa County -- EPIC has been asked to supplement the work that Mesa is doing…
because of this ECE Taskforce, there is discussion of adding Larimer County.
• Boulder County -- human service tax to fund child care, Medicare, SNAP (food stamps). In
building support for this initiative, they did a good job of identifying and breaking down the
silo and finding opportunities for streamlining and efficiencies in existing systems before
going to the public for additional funding.
• San Miguel County (Telluride area) passed a childcare tax through a property tax mil
increase. The initiative will increase property taxes by .75 of a mill, or an estimated $5.40
for every $100,000 of assessed residential property value in order to help fund county child
care services. The tax is estimated to raise approximately $616,890 per year.
https://www.telluridenews.com/news/article_b73acc78-c452-11e7-a3a8-bf25269ac1b3.html
36
A Workforce Strategy and
Major Economic Driver:
Child Care in Larimer County
A collaboration of
January 2018
Directing
Change
Supported by
Appendix VI. // A Workforce Strategy and Major Economic
Driver: Child Care in Larimer County
37
Dear Business and Community Leaders,
Our early childhood community has long been aware of the increasing shortage of child care
options in Larimer County. Our lack of adequate child care affects employers in all industries
across Larimer County, as parents cannot work when they do not have safe and stable care for
their children.
Multiple groups have joined efforts to address this child care shortage:
• Be Ready – a county wide initiative formed in 2010 to engage the community and support
young children and their families so that children can enter kindergarten ready to learn and
succeed.
• Directing Change – a coalition of non-profit organizations formed in 2017 to collectively
advocate for issues that affect children and families.
• Early Childhood Council of Larimer County – a non-profit organization whose mission is
to bring the community together to work collaboratively to ensure that all young children
in Larimer County have the care, support and opportunities necessary to grow, learn and
succeed.
We wrote the white paper, A Workforce Strategy and Major Economic Driver: Child Care in
Larimer County, to provide a brief overview of child care challenges for employers and families in
Larimer County. The issues are complex, and solutions will require the joint effort of businesses,
governmental agencies, educational institutions, and the early childhood sector.
We thank you in advance for reading this white paper and becoming informed about
Larimer County’s child care crisis. For additional information, please contact Mims Harris at
mimsbharris@gmail.com.
Directing
Change
38
Talent 2.0 Regional Workforce Strategy was released in February 2017. This report was the result
of the combined efforts of eight organizations: City of Fort Collins, City of Loveland, Larimer County,
Larimer County Workforce Center, Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce, Loveland Chamber of
Commerce, Northern Colorado Economic Alliance, and United Way of Larimer County.
As identified in the Talent 2.0 Regional Workforce Strategy, Larimer County is
facing three primary workforce challenges: job growth; current and projected labor
shortages; and, the aging of the current workforce. Addressing these challenges
requires recruitment of younger employees to move into the market. In Larimer
County, over 80% of women and over 95% of men between the ages of 25 and
44 are employedi. These employees are the ones most likely to require access to
affordable, quality child care as a condition of employment.
Yet, as also identified in Talent 2.0, lack of access to child care is one of three key
barriers to workforce recruitment and retention in Larimer County. Larimer County
has a shortage of quality child care slots for children under the age of 5. Further,
the cost of child care is out of reach for many families. We will neither attract nor
retain a quality workforce in coming years unless we address the issue of access to
affordable, quality child care now.
Cost of Child Care
Lack of affordable housing, affordable child care and transportation are identified in Talent 2.0
as structural barriers that impact family budgets. Families in Larimer County can expect to pay
approximately $12,000 per year for each child needing care, although it may vary depending on
the age of the child and the type of care chosenii. Families paying for care have less to spend on
housing, transportation and the other costs of living. A family with the Larimer County median
income of $64,919iii and two children under 5, spends 37% of their pre-tax income to cover child
care costs. This steep cost is directly correlated with spousal retention in the workforce, as
families often reach the conclusion that it makes more economic sense for one parent to stay
home while the children are young. Re-employment after time off caring for children can also
result in under-employment.
With 1 Child
Cost for child care
All other expenses (including taxes)
With 2 Children
Cost for child care
All other expenses (including taxes)
18%
82%
37%
63%
Percent of Family Income Spent on Child Care
(based on Larimer County Median Income of $64,919)
Because 70% of families with young children make less than the median
incomeiv the percentage of income spent on child care is often even greater.
“When we
incorporated the
cost of childcare
into our budget,
it turned out that
the job offers
she had did not
offset the cost of
childcare.”
- Bjorn A.
Did You
Know?
39
Community Capacity
With the expanding workforce in Larimer County, the gap between demand for and supply of
licensed child care is increasing. The shortage is most acute for infant care, with availability
estimated at 25% of demand. For preschool age care, availability of licensed care is estimated
at 60% of demand. The chart below reflects the estimated 0-5 populationv, estimated number of
children needing carevi, and actual supply of licensed child care slots.vii
6,856
4,456
1,117
That’s a gap of
3,children! 339
0-2 Years 2-5/6 Years
Larimer County:
Estimated Child Care Need
vs Licensed Capacity
2010 Population Estimated number of children needing care (both parents work) 2016 Licensed capacity
14,304
9,298
5,955
That’s a gap of
3,children! 343
Families in our community, especially families of infants, are often unable to access care, even
when they have the capacity to pay for it. No one knows exactly who is caring for the children
who are not in licensed care. Parents may leave the workforce, cut back hours or juggle
work schedules to cover child care needs. Other parents piece together care using relatives,
neighbors, friends, or older siblings. Such care is often inconsistent, impacting both the quality
of the child’s experiences and the parent’s ability to be reliable at work.
“A 3rd grade teacher in our
community was forced to
resign mid-semester because
she was unable to find care
for her infant, leaving a
classroom of children without
their teacher.”
- Nancy A.
40
This task force would consider, among other things:
• The number of quality, affordable child care slots needed now and in five and ten years;
• The amount that the great majority of Larimer County parents could reasonably afford to pay for child
care and the level of assistance that may be required by others;
• The quality of care needed (and measurement of that quality);
• The desired geographic distribution of the additional slots;
• The most readily achievable routes for expanding capacity;
• Strategies for developing and retaining the qualified early childhood workforce necessary to meet
demand;
• Preliminary cost models for expanding capacity,
achieving necessary geographic distribution, and
ensuring affordability for parents and financial
sustainability for providers;
• Cost reduction strategies for providers, e.g., sharing
kitchen facilities, maintenance services, accounting
and payroll services;
• Possible funding for expanding affordable, quality
child care capacity, including the funding necessary
to develop a definitive plan;
• Regulatory and administrative barriers; and
• Building community support.
Addressing the lack of adequate child care in Larimer County is critical to maintaining a healthy economic
environment. Solutions will require the joint efforts of business, policy makers and the early childhood
sector.
A Failed Market
Child care providers, both profit and non-profit, cannot afford to
pay high enough wages to attract and retain a qualified workforce.
They, too, are facing workforce challenges that prevent them from
operating at full capacity. The high cost of providing quality child
care threatens the financial viability and sustainability of providers.
The child care industry is considered a “failed market” because
those who want the service cannot afford to pay enough for child
care providers to afford to supply the desired service.
Proposal
Just as the issue is multi-faceted, the solutions are also complex.
In response to Talent 2.0’s recommendation to address
child care challenges collectively, child care industry
leaders propose joining forces with business and economic
development leaders, forming an official task force of the Talent
2.0 Strategy to pursue solutions for Larimer County.
i Economic and Workforce Health Report, Larimer County Workforce Development Board, Spring 2017
ii Average Cost of Care Report, Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, February 2017
iii 2015 Median Income in Larimer County, https://www.larimer.org/about-larimer-county/vital-statistic-
census-information/larimer-county-economy-statistics
iv Study of Projected Demand and Impact of Early Care and Education Services in Larimer County,
Colorado, JVA Consulting, LLC, 08/3/2010
v http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/
vi http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/
vii Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, 2016
American business needs a strong
workforce, now and in the future, to
compete and succeed in the global
economy. Yet in the context of global
competition for innovation, human
talent, and productivity, American
businesses are facing a workforce
crisis: there are insufficient workers
with the skills business needs to fill
existing and new job openings. To
address this growing skills gap, we
must reconsider the entire education
pipeline, starting with high-quality early
education and care.
US Chamber of Commerce
June 2017
“I was entertaining an offer for a position
at CSU and one of my first steps in
making the decision was to find child
care for my 16 month old daughter. I was
shocked to learn how long the waiting
lists are in Fort Collins.”
- Jeanine P-G
105. Scale the ECCLC and FRCC project
All Suggestions for Solutions
52. Educational reimbursements
53. Hold politicians accountable (SCAN)
(Brainstorm Meeting 2)
development of
messages and
materials.
Lead conversation
that this is
an economic
development
issue.
Larimer County Child Care
Working Group, Executives
Partnering to Invest in
Children, the media, public
relations firm, legislators,
Northern Colorado Legislative
Alliance, local elected
officials, lobbyists, ECCLC
Broaden and develop
new and diverse
funding streams
for all aspects of
Early Childhood
Education, including
public, private
and philanthropic
resources.
Advocate for
existing and
expanding tax
credits that benefit
early childhood
education.
Health District of
Northern Larimer County,
municipalities, Larimer
County, Community
Foundation of Northern
Colorado, United Way
of Larimer County, other
foundations, EPIC,
businesses, ECCLC
Continue to explore
the possibility of
instituting a Universal
Preschool program
across Larimer
County utilizing
existing providers and
expanding space to
accommodate all 3 and
4 year old students.
Support
exploration effort.
Early Childhood educators,
school districts, other
communities who have
successfully done this
Campaign to recruit
family child care
homes (ECCLC)
Developing career
pathways flowchart to
help with recruitment
(ECCLC)
Support and
assist efforts.
Front Range Community
College, Thompson School
District, Poudre School
Distract, Estes Park School
District, Larimer County
Economic & Workforce
Development, Department
of Labor, Early Childhood
Council of Larimer County,
Northern Colorado Legislative
Alliance, City of Fort Collins
Office of Social Sustainability,
Bohemian Foundation,
Community Foundation of
Northern Colorado, local child
care programs
What is Currently Happening Regarding Recommendations?
resulted in employers having difficulty finding the talent they need.
Over the next five years, employers will have at least 28,000 openings
to fill. The labor force adds only about 2,000 to 3,000 workers each
year. As a result, the labor market will likely continue to tighten.
One-quarter of workers in the MSA are 55 or older. With the upcoming
wave of retirements, employers will need to start succession planning
in order to prepare for the loss of those key individuals.
With input from more than 50 of the Fort Collins-Loveland
area’s employers and findings from an in-depth analysis of
the regional workforce and labor market,
three primary workforce challenges were identified:
Actively support employers in finding, attracting, and retaining the talent that they need
Align education and workforce resources more closely with the business community and the local talent pool
Collectively address structural issues that serve as barriers to a secure talent pipeline
are insufficient workers with the
skills business needs to fill existing
and new job openings. To address
this growing skills gap, we must
reconsider the entire education
pipeline, starting with high-quality
early education and care.
US Chamber of Commerce
June 2017
“I was entertaining an offer for a position
at CSU and one of my first steps in
making the decision was to find child
care for my 16 month old daughter. I
was shocked to learn how long the
waiting lists are in Fort Collins.”
- Jeanine P-G