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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About
The Plan & FAQ
Why Child Care Matters
Meet the Coalition
News & Updates
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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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Research shows every dollar invested in early childhood returns $7–$13 to the community through better outcomes and lower long-term public costs.

  4. 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

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.

Read the full ECE Investment Plan here
FAQ

Meet the Coalition

  • Logo of the Boulder County Early Childhood Council, featuring multicolored abstract human figures encircling the council's name.
  • Placeholder image with the text 'Join Us!'.
  • Longmont Community Foundation logo featuring mountains, a sun, sky, and grass with the organization's name.
  • Logo for Social Venture Partners Boulder County with the initials SVP inside a location pin, and text stating 'Social Venture Partners Boulder County' and 'Strong nonprofits, strong community'.

  • Councilor Tina Marquis, City of Boulder

  • David Secunda, Avid4 Adventure

  • Davis Stewart, Boulder Valley Education Association (BVEA)

  • Ed Victor, Social Venture Partners of Boulder County

  • Elizabeth Fannon, Aspen Center for Child Development

  • Elizabeth Lenski, Wild Plum Center

  • Eric Hozempa, Longmont Community Foundation

  • Genevieve Free, Heart Connections Family Child Care

  • Genna Hackley, Babysitters of Boulder

  • Jennifer Karowe, TEENS Inc.

  • Joanna Cagan, WOW! Children’s Museum

  • Josh Silberstein, Social Venture Partners

  • Karen STallard, Social Venture Partners

  • AB DeLoach, A Better Standard Direction

  • Amy May, Treehouse Learning

  • Board Member Richard Garcia, Early Childhood Council of Boulder County

  • Boulder County Commissioner Claire Levy 

  • Cassandra Barnhart, Indivisible Longmont

  • Chelsea Chamberlain, The Acorn School

  • Cheryl Spraetz, AAUW

  • Chris Coker, YMCA

  • Cindy O'keeffe, Social Venture Partners

  • Councilor Anil Pesaramelli, Town of Erie

  • Councilor Annmarie Jensen, City of Lafayette

  • Councilor Jake Marsing, City of Longmont

  • Councilor Nicole Speer, City of Boulder

Elected Officials & Community Leaders

  • Kaycee Headrick, Early Childhood Council of Boulder County

  • Kristen Argow, Active Kids Louisville

  • Liz Berube, Child Learning Center

  • Marc Cowell, OUR Center

  • Mardi Moore, Rocky Mountain Equality

  • Margarita Taylor, Littlest Angel’s Home Daycare

  • Maria Cristina Lopez De Leon, Bilingual Busy Babies

  • Marty Fisher, AAUW

  • Mary Newell, Boulder Day Nursery

  • Matt Eldred, TLC Learning Center

  • Mayor Aaron Brockett, City of Boulder

  • Nicole Crawford, Wiggles and Giggles Childcare

  • Rachel Steele, Alaya Preschool

  • Reyn Hedger, Gateway Montessori School

  • Rosa Maria Ramirez, Yeya’s Childcare

  • Rosario Mendoza, Red de Cuidadoras/ Una Mano Una Esperanza

  • Rosie Evans, Evans Early Childhood Center

  • Sam Case Penman, ScuttleBugs Boulder

  • Sam Hall, Boulder Journey School

  • Sarah Johnson, Little Victories, LLC

  • Soledad Diaz, YWCA Boulder County

  • Stacie Clements, YMCA

  • State Representative, Karen McCormick

  • State Senator, Katie Wallace

  • Stephen LeFaiver, TEENS Inc.

  • Suzanne Crawford, Sister Carmen Community Center

  • Curtis Walker

  • Danette Olinger

  • Ed Victor

  • Elena Bacmeister

  • Elise Silva

  • Emily Flake

  • Emily Lynn

  • Erika Cunningham

  • Greta Maloney

  • Holli Chadwick

  • Isis Burgess

  • Jacqueline Copley

  • Jennifer Jepsen

  • Jess Teitelman

  • Jessica Scott

  • Johnathan Singer

  • Joshua Stallings

  • Josie Heath

  • Adrian Fine

  • Alexis Rodriguez

  • Allie Kallmann Wegner

  • Allison Bayley

  • Amanda Gibson

  • Amy Carlough

  • Andrew Burwick

  • Angela Madura

  • Becca Pacha

  • Beth Florez

  • Bob Braudes

  • Bob Norris

  • Breton McNamara

  • Brian Keegan

  • Burke Hilsabeck

  • Carolyn Adkins

  • Charles Serns

  • Craig Randall

Individual Coalition Members

  • Judy Fahrenholtz

  • Karen Stallard

  • Kate Hise

  • Katerina Barbich

  • Katharine Reece

  • Kelli Pfaff

  • Lark Rambo

  • Laurene Phillips

  • Leah Morley

  • Linden Gray

  • Lindsay Neville

  • Lorena Ibarra

  • Louisa Matthias

  • Lyndsey Chea-Kinnecom

  • Mary Henry

  • Mary Lynn Neiman

  • Melanie Piazza

  • Mitch Rosenbaum

  • Nia Wassink

  • Nick Robles

  • Patt Montgomery

  • Peter Dawson

  • Phoebe Westwood

  • Ranelle Randles

  • Rebekah Hartman

  • Rick Rohr

  • Rosie Evans

  • Ryan Schuchard

  • Sarah Alcorn Sharp

  • Shakeel Dalal

  • Shaun Lee

  • Shela Blankinship

  • Steve Callander

  • Sue Knaus

  • Susan Moore

  • Susie Valdez

  • Tom Briggs

  • Tom Mahowald

News & Updates

All news & updates

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