Why Colorado’s Economic Future Depends on Child Care Innovation By Alethea Gomez Colorado Executive Director, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) At EPIC, we spend a lot of time talking with business and community leaders across Colorado about child care; not just as a family issue, but as a critical pillar of economic infrastructure. What we’re seeing across the state right now underscores just how urgent that conversation has become. Colorado is at the crossroads of a major demographic shift. Birth rates are falling, Boomers are retiring, and the number of working-age residents is shrinking — especially in rural areas. Together, these trends are fueling labor shortages and reshaping our economic future. Rural Colorado is Aging, and Families Are Leaving Take Routt County in Colorado, for example. A recent housing demand study* shows that since 2010, the number of residents over age 65 has increased by 158%, while the number of children has declined by 9%. Seniors now outnumber children in the Yampa Valley. In Steamboat Springs, the trend is even more dramatic: an 182% increase in older adults and an 11% decline in children. These shifts aren’t just demographic facts; they’re signals that communities are becoming less viable for working families. Housing prices are climbing, child care options are shrinking, and more young people are being priced out. It’s not surprising that the fastest-declining population group in Routt County is young adults aged 18 to 24, according to a study commissioned by the Yampa Valley Housing Authority.* We see similar trends in many of Colorado’s resort and rural regions. Wealthy retirees are moving in, while the very workforce that supports their communities (like restaurant staff, teachers, health care providers and child care providers) can no longer afford to stay. And the issue isn’t just happening in rural Colorado – it’s occurring statewide. According to the July 2025 Common Sense Institute report Fewer Movers, Bigger Problems, net migration into Colorado as a whole has also slid. It’s down 52.5% since 2015 equating to 36,000+ fewer new residents last year alone. In metro areas like Denver, the drop is even more pronounced, with migration down nearly 70%, while Colorado Springs saw a third fewer arrivals. Rising housing costs, demographic aging and lack of affordability explain much of the trend. The Workforce Implications Are Immediate As we also lose younger residents and working parents, the talent pool across Colorado contracts. With Boomers retiring, employers in every sector are facing growing competition for a dwindling workforce, and there are plenty of jobs that AI and automation will never be able to replace. Child care is a big part of that equation. If we don’t have systems in place that allow parents to stay in the workforce, we lose those workers and the economic activity they generate. But the child care landscape is evolving. In some rural communities, the population of young children is now too small to sustain traditional care models. We recently spoke with a provider in a rural Colorado town where the […]
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 10:10:262026-02-17 15:43:15Strong 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 09:00:152026-02-05 14:47:47Marking Another Year of EPIC Progress
Fewer Kids, Fewer Workers
/in BlogWhy Colorado’s Economic Future Depends on Child Care Innovation By Alethea Gomez Colorado Executive Director, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) At EPIC, we spend a lot of time talking with business and community leaders across Colorado about child care; not just as a family issue, but as a critical pillar of economic infrastructure. What we’re seeing across the state right now underscores just how urgent that conversation has become. Colorado is at the crossroads of a major demographic shift. Birth rates are falling, Boomers are retiring, and the number of working-age residents is shrinking — especially in rural areas. Together, these trends are fueling labor shortages and reshaping our economic future. Rural Colorado is Aging, and Families Are Leaving Take Routt County in Colorado, for example. A recent housing demand study* shows that since 2010, the number of residents over age 65 has increased by 158%, while the number of children has declined by 9%. Seniors now outnumber children in the Yampa Valley. In Steamboat Springs, the trend is even more dramatic: an 182% increase in older adults and an 11% decline in children. These shifts aren’t just demographic facts; they’re signals that communities are becoming less viable for working families. Housing prices are climbing, child care options are shrinking, and more young people are being priced out. It’s not surprising that the fastest-declining population group in Routt County is young adults aged 18 to 24, according to a study commissioned by the Yampa Valley Housing Authority.* We see similar trends in many of Colorado’s resort and rural regions. Wealthy retirees are moving in, while the very workforce that supports their communities (like restaurant staff, teachers, health care providers and child care providers) can no longer afford to stay. And the issue isn’t just happening in rural Colorado – it’s occurring statewide. According to the July 2025 Common Sense Institute report Fewer Movers, Bigger Problems, net migration into Colorado as a whole has also slid. It’s down 52.5% since 2015 equating to 36,000+ fewer new residents last year alone. In metro areas like Denver, the drop is even more pronounced, with migration down nearly 70%, while Colorado Springs saw a third fewer arrivals. Rising housing costs, demographic aging and lack of affordability explain much of the trend. The Workforce Implications Are Immediate As we also lose younger residents and working parents, the talent pool across Colorado contracts. With Boomers retiring, employers in every sector are facing growing competition for a dwindling workforce, and there are plenty of jobs that AI and automation will never be able to replace. Child care is a big part of that equation. If we don’t have systems in place that allow parents to stay in the workforce, we lose those workers and the economic activity they generate. But the child care landscape is evolving. In some rural communities, the population of young children is now too small to sustain traditional care models. We recently spoke with a provider in a rural Colorado town where the […]
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 […]