Colorado faces a funding crisis for child care − local communities hope to fill the gaps

A 2024 Colorado report found that 40,000 parents either quit a job, turned down a job or significantly changed a job due to child care problems. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Colorado is the sixth-least affordable state for child care in the nation. Costs for center-based care average 14% of a two-parent household’s median income and 45% of a single parent’s median income. The federal affordability benchmark is just 7%.

Colorado also faces significant shortages in access to slots in licensed child care programs. In 2023, more than 40,000 Colorado parents reported quitting a job, turning down a job or significantly changing a job because of problems with child care.