Investing in children, Pueblo specialists share how economies thrive with quallity childcare

Guest Column

Currently, the average family spends about 18 percent of its income on childcare.

The pandemic brought about a renewed interested in childcare and highlighted the issues that were causing a reduction in quality childcare even prior to the pandemic. Due to lack of childcare women, four times the rate of men, have dropped out of the workforce. Research states that if quality childcare is affordable, 21% more parents, particularly mothers, would choose to work. The employment effects are the greatest for the lowest-income parents which would increase by a whopping 18% for the poorest mothers. An increase in the labor supply, supports the broader economy, increasing the economy’s productive capacity and growth.

Colorado Shines is a quality rating and improvement system for Colorado’s licensed early care and learning programs. They say safety, and quality are the most important factors about a child care program. They also state that “the early years of life are very important for all areas of children’s learning and development. That’s because the human brain develops faster during the first five years than at any other time in a person’s life! High-quality child care and preschool programs support children during a sensitive and important time of life. Research shows that quality child care and preschool programs help children prepare for kindergarten and success in school”. So, what is quality? According to professionals in Pueblo County, they agree quality should be safe, healthy, engaging, happy, and positive.

The high cost of child care can be a financial hardship for many families to have access to quality child care. The Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) assists eligible families that are homeless, working, searching for employment, attending school, and enrolled in the Colorado Works Program. Families can apply for CCCAP on-line at Colorado Peak, visit the Pueblo County Depart- ment of Human Services at 405 West 9th Street, or 320 West 10th Street to pick up an application, or can call 719-253-7929 to request an application be mailed.

Investing in early childcare has a duel return on investment. Improving the early childhood experiences of our youngest citizens has long term ripple effects, raising the next generation up the economic ladder. Research demonstrates the impact of high-quality early childhood experiences, as increases in education, health, full-time employment and reduced incidence of anti-social behavior or crime. The findings have been proven time after time and should provide communities with the confidence to use investments in quality early childhood development as an effective tool to improve the economies and health and wellness of a community.

When a community makes big, bold investments in childcare and early education, it reaps significant benefits for children, their families, businesses, and the whole economy of the community.

Further reading can be found at these sites: www.earlylearningnation.com www.heckanequation.org www.Nwlc.org

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