EPIC President & CEO Nicole Riehl was recently a guest on the Wooden Teeth Show, where she joined host Jake Williams to discuss the business challenges of childcare and how they impact price and availability for families. We’re grateful for the opportunity to appear on Wooden Teeth, and to share the episode here on our platform. You can find Wooden Teeth at their website. This episode is also available to watch on their YouTube channel here.
https://www.epicimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Untitled-design-73.png10801080Colorado EPIC/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/epic-logo-sm.pngColorado EPIC2025-04-28 10:10:262025-06-12 14:35:34Strong Foundations: Strategies for Child Care Capital and Supply-Building Solutions
As we reflect on an incredible 2024, we’re celebrating the achievements and milestone moments that defined the year. On behalf of the entire EPIC team, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our members, policy makers, supporters and community partners who took action to create child care solutions that benefit families, employees and communities everywhere. We’re excited to build on this momentum and see what 2025 has in store! Top EPIC Moments of 2024 Child Care Solutions at Denver International Airport In the spring of 2024, the Denver City Council approved a new phase of collaboration with EPIC to support Denver International Airport (DEN) in exploring child care solutions for 40,000 badged airport employees. As DEN focuses on equity while expanding to serve 100 million passengers, the airport aims to eliminate barriers for individuals interested in employment. At the airport’s innovative Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation, drop-in care will be offered for workforce programming participants. EPIC will continue to support the development of broader child care solutions at the airport into the future. 15th Annual Business Leaders Dinner In September, more than 275 of Colorado’s most influential business, government, philanthropic and community leaders came together to celebrate EPIC’s accomplishments and foster collaboration on advancing early childhood initiatives. The evening featured inspiring remarks from Governor Jared Polis and Mayor Mike Johnston, the presentation of the 2024 EPIC Award to Emeritus Board Member Brad Busse and the Early Childhood Champion Award to Community Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. Catalytic Funding EPIC received a transformational investment from Pivotal, a network of organizations founded by Melinda French Gates, enabling us to expand our capacity, grow into new states, and engage business leaders who recognize the importance of child care benefits in attracting and retaining top talent today, while also investing in the workforce of tomorrow. This investment would not have been possible without the longstanding philanthropic support from the David and Laura Merage Foundation, Gary Community Ventures, Buell Foundation, Colorado Gives Foundation, Mile High United Way, and other critical funders. We are grateful for the vision and commitment of our supporters. Read more about this investment. National Child Care Innovation Summit: Business Leaders in Action EPIC, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and presented by the David and Laura Merage Foundation, hosted the National Child Care Innovation Summit: Business Leaders in Action in Washington, D.C. in December. The event brought together more than 200 business leaders from 38 states to discuss child care solutions, strategies and the urgent actions needed to address our nation’s child care crisis and secure its economic future. Launch of the Employer Child Care Navigator At this year’s summit, we debuted the Employer Child Care Navigator — a free, groundbreaking website designed to help businesses discover customized child care solutions. Created in partnership between EPIC and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, this innovative tool provides employers with unbiased expertise and data-driven recommendations tailored to their unique needs. To help spread the word, we also rolled […]
https://www.epicimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MHR18273-e1734035402373.jpg14581692Colorado EPIC/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/epic-logo-sm.pngColorado EPIC2024-12-31 09:00:152025-06-12 14:35:01Marking Another Year of EPIC Progress
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) announced the launch of the Employer Child Care Navigator (The Navigator) website; unveiled at the 2nd annual National Child Care Innovation Summit: Business Leaders in Action in Washington, D.C. The first-of-its-kind website will provide free unbiased expertise and data-driven recommendations to employers interested in contributing to meaningful child care solutions and support for their workforce, including parents working shifts during non-traditional hours. The newly developed Navigator website builds on the success of the highly touted Employer Roadmap: Child Care Solutions for Working Parents developed by the U.S. Chamber Foundation. This effort takes the action-oriented support from the Employer Roadmap a step further by combining the expertise of the U.S. Chamber Foundation with EPIC’s 15 years of direct business leader engagement to create a tool that helps employers identify their needs, solutions, and action plans. The Navigator website provides free online resources, beginning with a three-minute survey to assess employee needs and determine the viability of various approaches by providing data-driven recommendations that align solutions with the employer’s workforce and operations. The site shares insights into a wide range of child care solutions and support, tools for planning, access to solution vendors across the country, and case studies highlighting employer-based child care successes. Ultimately, the Navigator is designed to simplify the process of understanding and implementing child care supports that boost recruitment, retention, productivity, and job satisfaction, resulting in beneficial gains for businesses and employees. “The U.S. Chamber Foundation is committed to equipping employers with the tools they need to support working parents and strengthen the workforce,” said Aaron Merchen, executive director of early childhood education at the U.S. Chamber Foundation. “The incredible interest in our Employer Roadmap underscored the ongoing need to build on this foundational knowledge. By partnering with EPIC, we are ensuring businesses across the country can benefit from our shared expertise.” The website is made possible by a transformational grant from Pivotal, a network of organizations founded by Melinda French Gates. The grant was awarded to EPIC earlier this year to allow the organization to create access to affordable child care and expand its efforts in Colorado to additional states and businesses. An increase in demand from a variety of industries and sectors to explore child care benefits prompted the U.S. Chamber Foundation and EPIC to join forces, combine industry knowledge and provide unbiased guidance via the Navigator. “We are honored to work with the U.S. Chamber Foundation and create this new tool for employers and business leaders across the country, who know they want to provide critical child care benefits but often don’t know where to start or how to get from point A to point B,” said Nicole Riehl, President and CEO of EPIC. “We recognize there are more organizations than we are able to help with our one-on-one services. By bringing together the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s reach across the nation and our skill set of offering unbiased, data-driven recommendations for […]
https://www.epicimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Untitled-design-2024-12-02T194751.766.png10801080Colorado EPIC/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/epic-logo-sm.pngColorado EPIC2024-12-03 02:00:342025-06-12 14:34:59U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and EPIC Partner to Provide New Online Resources for Child Care Solutions
Ep. 25: Why Is Childcare So Expensive? (Wooden Teeth Crossover Episode Event!)
/in Blog, PodcastsEPIC President & CEO Nicole Riehl was recently a guest on the Wooden Teeth Show, where she joined host Jake Williams to discuss the business challenges of childcare and how they impact price and availability for families. We’re grateful for the opportunity to appear on Wooden Teeth, and to share the episode here on our platform. You can find Wooden Teeth at their website. This episode is also available to watch on their YouTube channel here.
2025 Colorado Legislative Progress Report
/in Blog, News, PolicyStrong Foundations: Strategies for Child Care Capital and Supply-Building Solutions
/in Blog, ResourcesMarking Another Year of EPIC Progress
/in Blog, NewsAs we reflect on an incredible 2024, we’re celebrating the achievements and milestone moments that defined the year. On behalf of the entire EPIC team, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our members, policy makers, supporters and community partners who took action to create child care solutions that benefit families, employees and communities everywhere. We’re excited to build on this momentum and see what 2025 has in store! Top EPIC Moments of 2024 Child Care Solutions at Denver International Airport In the spring of 2024, the Denver City Council approved a new phase of collaboration with EPIC to support Denver International Airport (DEN) in exploring child care solutions for 40,000 badged airport employees. As DEN focuses on equity while expanding to serve 100 million passengers, the airport aims to eliminate barriers for individuals interested in employment. At the airport’s innovative Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation, drop-in care will be offered for workforce programming participants. EPIC will continue to support the development of broader child care solutions at the airport into the future. 15th Annual Business Leaders Dinner In September, more than 275 of Colorado’s most influential business, government, philanthropic and community leaders came together to celebrate EPIC’s accomplishments and foster collaboration on advancing early childhood initiatives. The evening featured inspiring remarks from Governor Jared Polis and Mayor Mike Johnston, the presentation of the 2024 EPIC Award to Emeritus Board Member Brad Busse and the Early Childhood Champion Award to Community Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. Catalytic Funding EPIC received a transformational investment from Pivotal, a network of organizations founded by Melinda French Gates, enabling us to expand our capacity, grow into new states, and engage business leaders who recognize the importance of child care benefits in attracting and retaining top talent today, while also investing in the workforce of tomorrow. This investment would not have been possible without the longstanding philanthropic support from the David and Laura Merage Foundation, Gary Community Ventures, Buell Foundation, Colorado Gives Foundation, Mile High United Way, and other critical funders. We are grateful for the vision and commitment of our supporters. Read more about this investment. National Child Care Innovation Summit: Business Leaders in Action EPIC, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and presented by the David and Laura Merage Foundation, hosted the National Child Care Innovation Summit: Business Leaders in Action in Washington, D.C. in December. The event brought together more than 200 business leaders from 38 states to discuss child care solutions, strategies and the urgent actions needed to address our nation’s child care crisis and secure its economic future. Launch of the Employer Child Care Navigator At this year’s summit, we debuted the Employer Child Care Navigator — a free, groundbreaking website designed to help businesses discover customized child care solutions. Created in partnership between EPIC and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, this innovative tool provides employers with unbiased expertise and data-driven recommendations tailored to their unique needs. To help spread the word, we also rolled […]
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and EPIC Partner to Provide New Online Resources for Child Care Solutions
/in Blog, NewsThe U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) announced the launch of the Employer Child Care Navigator (The Navigator) website; unveiled at the 2nd annual National Child Care Innovation Summit: Business Leaders in Action in Washington, D.C. The first-of-its-kind website will provide free unbiased expertise and data-driven recommendations to employers interested in contributing to meaningful child care solutions and support for their workforce, including parents working shifts during non-traditional hours. The newly developed Navigator website builds on the success of the highly touted Employer Roadmap: Child Care Solutions for Working Parents developed by the U.S. Chamber Foundation. This effort takes the action-oriented support from the Employer Roadmap a step further by combining the expertise of the U.S. Chamber Foundation with EPIC’s 15 years of direct business leader engagement to create a tool that helps employers identify their needs, solutions, and action plans. The Navigator website provides free online resources, beginning with a three-minute survey to assess employee needs and determine the viability of various approaches by providing data-driven recommendations that align solutions with the employer’s workforce and operations. The site shares insights into a wide range of child care solutions and support, tools for planning, access to solution vendors across the country, and case studies highlighting employer-based child care successes. Ultimately, the Navigator is designed to simplify the process of understanding and implementing child care supports that boost recruitment, retention, productivity, and job satisfaction, resulting in beneficial gains for businesses and employees. “The U.S. Chamber Foundation is committed to equipping employers with the tools they need to support working parents and strengthen the workforce,” said Aaron Merchen, executive director of early childhood education at the U.S. Chamber Foundation. “The incredible interest in our Employer Roadmap underscored the ongoing need to build on this foundational knowledge. By partnering with EPIC, we are ensuring businesses across the country can benefit from our shared expertise.” The website is made possible by a transformational grant from Pivotal, a network of organizations founded by Melinda French Gates. The grant was awarded to EPIC earlier this year to allow the organization to create access to affordable child care and expand its efforts in Colorado to additional states and businesses. An increase in demand from a variety of industries and sectors to explore child care benefits prompted the U.S. Chamber Foundation and EPIC to join forces, combine industry knowledge and provide unbiased guidance via the Navigator. “We are honored to work with the U.S. Chamber Foundation and create this new tool for employers and business leaders across the country, who know they want to provide critical child care benefits but often don’t know where to start or how to get from point A to point B,” said Nicole Riehl, President and CEO of EPIC. “We recognize there are more organizations than we are able to help with our one-on-one services. By bringing together the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s reach across the nation and our skill set of offering unbiased, data-driven recommendations for […]