-Child Care Providers Appreciation Day- Arapahoe County Early Childhood Council and the Early Childhood Partnership of Adams County (ECPAC) are honored to share that the Aurora, Colorado City Hall, with a proclamation from Mayor Coffman, recognizes all Child Care Providers nationwide for the important work they provide and how valuable they are to our communities. Thank you! Proclamation and video reading: https://bit.ly/3EKb8i9 (fb)

To Our Arapahoe County Childcare Providers, We know you're feeling it. The uncertainty, the anxiety, and the fear of what tomorrow might bring for your classrooms, your staff, your families, and your businesses. As you’ve likely heard, the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) is facing a potential enrollment drop of up to 64% statewide. Rising costs for everything, the end of COVID-era relief, and unfunded federal mandates are pushing our system to the brink. Right here in Arapahoe County, CCCAP enrollment has been frozen since January 1, 2025, leaving hundreds of eligible families locked out of access and leaving providers caught in an impossible position. Today, the Denver Post wrote an article about these challenges. “Lack of enough child care spots affects businesses as well as families, said Gretchen Davidson, CEO of the Arapahoe County Early Child Council. She stays in touch with business organizations to keep the issue of child care availability and affordability on the economic radar. “They’re thinking about it. They’re just as aware of the situation it puts them in, making sure they can hire the best people for jobs,” Davidson said.” We’re not staying silent. We are proud that every early childhood council across the state, including Arapahoe County Early Childhood Council (ACECC), has been speaking up and showing up, meeting with lawmakers and urging them to fund early education. We’ve been pushing hard so that your voice is heard, because we all know that when child care breaks, everything else breaks with it. But now we need you. We need every provider, whether you own your program or work within one, to contact your state house representative, state senator, and the governor’s office. Tell them what CCCAP means to your families, tell them what it means to your business, tell them what it means for the future of Colorado’s children. You’ve built your centers and homes with love, commitment, and sacrifice. And now, as policy decisions threaten your ability to stay open, we want you to know, you are not alone. FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR https://bit.ly/3YtIIPN (fb)