Cornerstone 1: Quality Early Care & Education

Families have a variety of high-quality early care and education options that meet their needs, provided through a mixed-delivery system.

ADVANCE POLICIES SUPPORTING CHILD CARE

Local implementation of SB24-002: Work toward designating child care as a specific area of concern related to use of real property, offering limited property tax credits or rebates to child care providers in Jefferson County.
- Outcome: Reduce property tax burden for child care provider businesses.
Support Growing Our Future and Protect Colorado's Future efforts to pass a graduated income tax in Colorado.
- Outcome: Free up state funding to increase investments in child care.
In partnership with EPIC Colorado, advance one prioritized child care strategy (wage enhancement, co-location/mixed-use, or repurposed land/building) in Jefferson County toward feasibility ready.
- Outcome: Increase existing and add new child care capacity in Jefferson County.
In partnership with Bell Policy Center, create Early Childhood Policy Blueprint that outlines 3-5 actionable policy goals and recommendations that align with Bright Futures Roadmap to support the early childhood ecosystem.
- Outcome: Community-driven early childhood policies and practices reduce disparities for families.

Promote access to wellness resources on the Gateway Partnership website for ECE teachers and providers through targeted outreach.
- Outcome: Increased provider self-efficacy and wellbeing.
Simplify and publicize career pathways and tuition support resources in Jefferson County to position ECE as a profession, not just a job.
- Outcome: Increased supply of child care providers to the field.
Implement child care action plan for affordability, quality, usefulness, and access in Clear Creek County, including a project to offer much-needed summer and aftercare for families in 2026.
- Outcome: Increased child care slots for families (summer/aftercare).
Host early childhood social connection events in Gilpin County to provide ECE resources on child care licensing, support for FFN caregivers, opportunities for parents to find or swap care for their children, and/or to form FFN arrangements.
- Outcome: Increased access to childcare for families; increased access to parental support and resources.

Leverage census tract-level data from the statewide UPK Mapping Project to understand where young children live in Jeffco, Gilpin and Clear Creek, the proportion of UPK-eligible children enrolled in each neighborhood, where preschool programs are located and where gaps in access remain.
- Target outreach to neighborhoods with low enrollment
- Align resources and programs to better meet community needs
- Track progress over time toward more equitable access
Pilot new communications channels and strategies (Whats App, grassroots community outreach, direct email updates, podcasts, etc) to better reach “tricky” audiences, including speakers of other languages, immigrant communities, policymakers and funders.
- Outcome: Increased access to UPK for speakers of other languages, immigrant communities. Increased awareness of UPK program for funders and policymakers.
Participate in Rocky Mountain Partnership Cradle to Career Network, setting measurable UPK targets and supplying early childhood indicators that contribute to broader cradle-to-career goals.
- Outcome: Increased accountability for UPK efforts and increased data informed decision-making