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As many Americans would agree, raising a child is expensive. In fact, a 2022 Brookings study estimated the cost of raising a child from birth to age 17, adjusted for inflation, is over $300,000 in the United States. As families navigate the expenses of raising a child, including the impact of economic uncertainties, financial planning conversations are beneficial. However, for many families, particularly those from underserved communities, the idea of visiting a financial planner can be intimidating. Thanks to the 2023 launch of PNC Center for Financial Education, individuals, families and small businesses across PNC’s national footprint have access to a variety of workshops, delivered in partnership with community organizations such as Mi Casa Resource Center and Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute in Colorado.

Why Colorado’s Economic Future Depends on Childcare 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 childcare; 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, childcare 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 childcare 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 childcare 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 only center operates part-time with […]