ECEA Child Care Update

A newsletter from CO's only Trade Association that supports community based care.

First a quick note: ECEA thanks Senator Bright for being willing to pursue outside of the box ideas to fund child care with no new taxes. Senate Appropriations postponed SB26-180 indefinitely yesterday. So for now, cost avoidant measures are the only way to eventually get CCCAP stabilized an...

May 07, 2026

4/30/26 ECEA Child Care Update

Action Alert: Two bills, one request. The ask: Email your Senator TODAY regarding these two bills. As we approach the end of the legislative session, bills are moving quickly. SB26-180- Bipartisan Innovative solution to fund low income child care Right now, enterprise zones across Color...

Apr 30, 2026

4/17/26 ECEA Child Care Update

Colorado Is Losing Families. Private Child Care Is Losing Ground. That Is Not a Coincidence. The population is shrinking. Businesses are leaving. Regulation keeps climbing. And while the private sector contracts, public school districts are expanding into early childhood on a playing field tha...

Apr 17, 2026

4/10/26 ECEA Child Care Update

Public schools and nonprofit child care providers are typically exempt from property taxes. Private, for-profit providers? They pay the full amount often tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. That alone creates a massive competitive disadvantage. Yet when governments ro...

Apr 11, 2026

3/26/26 ECEA Child Care Update

Dear Child Care Business Owner, Let’s be honest for a moment—no fluff, no sugar-coating. Trust is the hardest thing. You’ve poured your heart, your savings, and your sleepless nights into this center. Every child who walks through your doors, every parent who hands you their most precious gift...

Mar 26, 2026

3/10/26 2nd ECEA ACTION ALERT

Honorable Members of the Legislature, I stand before you today as a fierce advocate for Colorado's families, children, and the private childcare providers who form the backbone of our state's early education ecosystem. While the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) dismissively portr...

Mar 10, 2026

3/9/26 ECEA ACTION ALERT

Dear Colorado Families, Educators, and Child Advocates, A dangerous bill, HB26-1282, has been introduced in the Colorado General Assembly that would allow school districts to opt out of key regulations from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC). This legislation aims to eliminate ...

Mar 09, 2026

3/5/26 ECEA Child Care Update

The child care industry in Colorado is at a critical crossroads, where the promise of a balanced "mixed delivery" system—combining private providers, community-based programs, and public options—is failing to materialize. Instead, government-run or -supported programs like the Colorado Child Care...

Mar 05, 2026

2/27/26 ECEA Child Care Update

Elevating UPK Outcomes in Colorado: Why Kindergarten Readiness Alone Is Not Enough Colorado is making one of the largest early childhood investments in the nation—hundreds of millions of dollars every year in Universal Preschool (UPK). Families, providers, and taxpayers deserve accurate accountab...

Feb 27, 2026

2/20/26 ECEA Child Care Update

The Colorado child care industry stands at a profound crossroads in early 2026. Our latest 2026 State of the Industry report paints a stark picture: a sector facing enrollment declines, capacity gaps (with only 73.8% utilization across surveyed providers), and intense financial pressures drive...

Feb 20, 2026

2/12/26 ECEA Child Care Update

The CO Child Care Landscape is Shifting The face of child care in Colorado is shifting dramatically—and not in a way that supports families or the diverse providers who have long served them. Community-based and home-based child care providers are closing at rates that far outpace new openings, w...

Feb 12, 2026

2/6/26 ECEA Child Care Update

The 2026 Colorado gubernatorial election is a critical opportunity for child care owners and directors to influence policies that directly affect your industry. Governors shape funding for early childhood programs, licensing regulations, subsidy programs like the Colorado Child Care Assistance Pr...

Feb 06, 2026

1 2