It’s Time for Brighter Start

Brighter Start Boulder County is an initiative dedicated to strengthening our community by ensuring every child has access to affordable, high-quality early care and education.

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Boulder County is Facing a Child Care Crisis

A young child with an adult outdoors near a green leafy background. The child is touching the adult's face, and they are engaged in a tender moment.

Boulder County families face annual child care costs exceeding $23,000 per child.

A group of young children and two women sitting on the floor in a classroom, engaging in a discussion or activity. The classroom has colorful decorations, toys, and educational materials.

Infant and toddler slots are dangerously scarce, leaving families with no care options and spending months on waitlists.

Multiple hands stacked together, symbolizing unity or teamwork, with individuals wearing colorful sweaters including pink, green, black, orange, blue, and brown, in a close-up shot.

ECE educators and providers have a 20–30% annual turnover rate that destabilizes the care children receive.

Why Child Care Matters

In the first five years, 90% of brain development occurs. This also shapes the foundation for learning, behavior, and long-term success. Access to high-quality early care supports school readiness, stronger academic outcomes, and lifelong well-being.
Child care is also essential infrastructure for our economy—enabling parents to work, supporting businesses, and strengthening communities. Without it, families, employers, and children all face lasting impacts.
Research shows every dollar invested in early childhood returns $7–$13 to the community through better outcomes and lower long-term public costs.
While state and federal programs exist to support early care and education, such as Colorado’s UPK program, they leave significant gaps in infant/toddler care, affordability, and educator wages that only local investment can fill.

Learn more here

A young child smiling and playing outside while at preschool covered in colorful paint on her face, arms, and shirt.

The Brighter Start Plan

We have developed a comprehensive plan to address the biggest issues facing child care. The Brighter Start Plan calls for:

Making Child Care Affordable for Families- Through direct financial support to families earning under $150,000—helping close the gap between what families can afford and the true cost of care.
Expanding Infant and Toddler Slots- Infant and toddler care is the most limited and hardest to find. By investing in the expansion of these critical slots, through facility improvements, program growth, and startup support, we will increase access where it is needed most.
Stabilizing Teacher and Provider Workforce- Early childhood educators are the backbone of our system, yet low wages - 25% below their K-8 counterparts - and high turnover threaten its stability, which directly harms children. Through targeted investments in compensation, professional development, and support systems, we will retain skilled educators, reduce turnover, and ensure consistent, high-quality care for children.