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DENVER, CO – The House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee today passed legislation to help create more high-quality child care facilities in Colorado and save families money. This bill would create incentives and support for local governments and communities with expressed need for more child care facilities, such as rural and mountain towns.
“Child care is the foundation to future educational success, and it’s important that our families and kids have access to high-quality child care in their communities,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “This bill would help local governments create and support new child care facilities in their towns, easing the burden on families to find a location that’s close to home and saving them money. When we support families, we strengthen communities and I am committed to helping our youngest learners succeed.”
HB24-1237, also sponsored by Representative Mary Bradfield, R-Colorado Springs, passed by a vote of 11-0, would help reduce costs and burden for child care by providing technical planning, building, construction, and development support to increase child care capacity in communities.
Specifically, this legislation would provide incentives and support for local governments, private partners, builders, and child care providers to:
Create regulatory alignment and simplification of the processes to develop child care facilities
Navigate the process of creating or developing a child care facility
Access capital to help with development or renovation of new child care spaces
Outlined in the legislation are three specific programs including the Child Care Facility Development Toolkit and Technical Assistance Program to create support mechanisms including training and web resources, the Child Care Facility Development Planning Grant Program to help local governments accelerate the development of new child care facilities, and the Child Care Facility Development Capital Grant Program to directly support the development of care facilities that meet a demonstrable need in a community.