To Join Us
The Childcare Coalition is working to expand access to affordable, high-quality childcare and education for ages birth to five in Lake County to help families, businesses, and our community thrive for generations to come.
When families do well, we all prosper. We envision a resilient childcare system that:
- Increases capacity, especially for infants and toddlers
- Is affordable for working families
- Strengthens our early childhood workforce
- Promotes equity and access
Access to childcare is not a personal family problem. It is essential workforce infrastructure that benefits all of us. To find out more and be a part of the movement, please reach out to Krista Cavataio at krista@lcbag.org
Why the Work Matters
Our childcare system faces a critical moment. Due to insufficient capacity, Lake County experiences an estimated $4.1 million in lost revenue annually, contributing to Colorado’s $2.2 billion in unrealized economic potential. However, research shows that for every dollar invested in solving this crisis, our community can expect up to $9 in economic return through increased workforce participation and business productivity .
The current childcare shortage in Lake County is severe:
- There are 246 children aged 0-2 in Lake County.
- 0 licensed childcare spots for infants, and 20 spots for toddlers.
- This means current childcare capacity supports only 8% of the infant/toddler population.
- Overall, Lake County is serving ~25% of the 0-5 population with licensed childcare slots.
- Yet 93% of young children in our community (under the age of 6) have both parents working in their household. These rates are higher than Colorado’s overall rate (66%) and reflect an increase from the Lake County proportion in 2015 (66%).
The business impact in Lake County is immediate and measurable:
- 76% of surveyed employers believe employees lack adequate access to childcare.
- 55% have lost employees directly because of childcare gaps.
- 72% report that childcare-related absences affect their ability to meet business goals.
- Among employers with more than 50 employees, 63% report difficulty hiring because of inadequate childcare.
“We’ve had over 10 employees leave in the last year due to lack of childcare.” – Participating Employer
The time to reimagine childcare in Lake County is now. With cross-sector leadership and strong public-private investment, we can turn our childcare crisis into an engine for economic growth and a place where all families can thrive.
Recent Milestones
The LCBAG Childcare Coalition , Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Council (RMECC), and Visit Leadville-Twin Lakes Tourism Panel are excited to share The Lake County Early Childcare Strategic Investment Plan.
This community-driven strategy is a culmination of the coalition’s hard work over the last 5 years. Since 2021, over 300 local community members have shaped this strategy, including staff from our only 2 licensed childcare providers, 8 major employers, and more than 200 families across Lake County. This extensive collaboration ensures our solutions are ambitious, achievable, and rooted in Lake County’s unique context.
Lake County SIP_FINAL_082626.pdf by LCBAG
