EPIC has recently partnered with the office of early childhood and CDHS to offer expertise and support to Colorado businesses in a unique opportunity for employers to gain the knowledge necessary to plan an on-site or near-site child care facility through direct support and community partnerships while developing a competitive grant application for up to $800,000 in state funding for their projects. “A ski resort in Steamboat Springs, a community hospital in Grand Junction, and a food hall project in downtown Pueblo. On the face of it, they don’t have much in common, but all three have ambitious plans to launch child care centers for their employees within the next two years.” Read more to learn about the Design Lab in this Chalkbeat article.
From the Desk of the Director of Programs and Initiatives: Alethea Gomez Perhaps your family was watching alongside mine and many others around the world as Winter Olympians from around the globe (some hailing from Colorado!) competed on the world’s biggest sports stage. It is incredible to think about the dedication and willingness to push the boundaries required to reach a level where you serve as the example of excellence for all others. EPIC is dedicated to working with our membership and a wide range of partners to push the boundaries and engage in legislative and community efforts that embrace innovation in such a way that can be modeled, shared with others, and demonstrated as a success across our country. Rooted in the desire to prioritize the development and retention of workforce talent while meeting the needs of families and communities, EPIC is leading transformative community efforts to reduce the costs of childcare, create access to quality early education services for those who need it most, and build support across sectors for this work. READ ON! 2022 Community Initiatives Snapshot Employer Based Child Care Design Lab: The First of Its Kind EPIC has recently partnered with state partners in the Office of Early Childhood to create and present Colorado’s first Employer Based Childcare Design Lab, guiding and supporting 10 employers/partnerships from a range of sectors in Colorado communities as they seek to create on or near-site early child care and education services. With a goal of serving employees and families in their community, the lab provides broad training, resources, and education in everything from financial modeling to workforce development and real estate, so design lab participants can take their project from concept to completion. Over the past 5 months, through both live sessions and individualized coaching and technical assistance, these project partners have engaged in community partnerships, innovative model development, and comprehensive business planning. Additionally, EPIC has supported these projects in planning for investments to support high-quality environments and programs within their plans, including above-market wages, lower student-to-child ratios, and ensuring both families and caregivers have supports they can count on at work. When complete, these community endeavors will collectively provide nearly 500 new spots for young children in high-quality education and care, with 275 of those spots becoming available for infants and toddlers. In addition, nearly 140 new jobs will be created through this effort, with an anticipated total investment of over $20 million in the construction and ongoing quality supports and initiatives within each operation. A Couple Project Sneak Peaks… Fuel & Iron Food Hall (Pueblo, Co) Originally conceived as an opportunity to provide an incubator and a catalyst in the community in historic downtown Pueblo, the Fuel & Iron food hall project will house 28 single and multi-family affordable housing units, 5 food vendors, and now a 40-50 slot early care and education center to serve onsite employees, residents, and members of […]
From the Desk of The Director of Programs and Initiatives: Alethea Gomez As I was preparing to write this blog post, I was reflecting on this winter season and the turning of the new year, and how much I had relaxed once it finally snowed. Somehow, I knew that it would come, and when I saw the first flakes fall on my home in Boulder, I felt a new energy and calm and even a little more confidence in my day! At EPIC, we are more excited than ever to share details on the work we are doing alongside business leaders and community partners to develop innovative and creative solutions for the longstanding challenges that face child care business owners, the workforce, and the business community alike. EPIC is off to a great start in 2022, leading key efforts to directly increase child care access and availability, strengthen the early childhood workforce, and develop public-private partnerships that address the child care infrastructure needs of employers and working families in Colorado. EPIC’s Policy Committee is proud to present our 2022 Policy Priorities below. We hope you will join EPIC in our efforts to leverage the voice of the business community to develop policy and build infrastructure to support the workforce of today while developing the workforce of tomorrow. 2022 Advocacy & Policy Priorities Universal Access to Preschool Implementation of funding and program administration to ensure children have high-quality preschool education experiences while supporting the diverse care, access, and affordability choices of families and working parents within a mixed delivery system of services. Well-Designed System for Families Informing the creation and design of a new Department of Early Childhood in Colorado to create a more aligned, user-friendly, transparent, and effective system of resources that centers itself on serving the needs of families, young children, and the practitioners serving them. Early Childhood Infrastructure & Facilities Establish incentives, expand financial resources, and address regulatory barriers to entry to ensure communities and local employers can innovatively design, create, and sustain early child care and education services that meet the needs of their local workforce. Industry Workforce & Voice Create incentives for early childhood professionals and business owners to enter and remain in the sector through sustainable investments, career/business supports, and innovative career pathways. Promote and advocate for a sufficient supply of early childhood services, a strong small business industry voice, and the stabilization of the early childhood sector through the development, design, and ongoing implementation of early childhood funds and programs.
https://www.epicimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/colorado-state-capital-denver-1279371_1280.jpg9601280Colorado EPIC/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/epic-logo-sm.pngColorado EPIC2022-02-02 12:32:032025-06-12 14:24:56Action and Policy Priorities in 2022
By Alethea Gomez In 2020, I lost over 60 pounds in 6 months in a quest to heal a long-standing injury as well as take back control of my health and well-being. I discovered one of the most effective and main ways I would be able to do this was by simply walking a certain distance each day: no fancy workouts, no complicated diets, just walking. While consistency is always a challenge no matter what we pursue, for some reason, this time I decided I would not waiver from this goal. Each day for more than 5 months consecutive, I walked 5 miles or more with increasing difficulty in speed and incline. The first day I barely scraped my way around a flat terrain lake at 1.8 miles, huffing hopelessly as I arrived back on my doorstep. Yet steadily, as I returned to my purpose, after each day, I discovered I could do more, and then more than I ever thought possible. More recently, sitting on top of my first 14,000-foot peak, I was filled with a sense of purpose and energy for life that I had not felt in a long time, and the gratitude I felt in that moment will stay with me, perhaps forever, for the moment I chose to persevere. (From the first hike to 60 pounds later at Bear Peak) But why am I telling you this story? First, I am thrilled to have recently joined the EPIC Team as the Director of Programs and Initiatives. Over more than a decade, I have worked closely in the field of early education, supporting children, families, and business in the private and public sectors. I have been a teacher, hopelessly underappreciated and wondering how I could support myself. I have been a business owner, trying to understand how to grow and support my team in all the ways they need and still have something viable. I have championed the role of Head of School and Executive Director for small schools all the way to multi-national corporations like Bright Horizons, finding myself at the helm of a system that, while proven, was quickly becoming unsustainable. I realized this in so many unique moments, whether reviewing our Profit and Loss or holding parents as they cried because they were quitting their jobs due to the inability to equalize their ambition and desires with the cost of childcare support. Perhaps most difficult of all, and more intensely than ever during the pandemic, watching my fellow educators lose faith in their profession. However, perhaps the most important role I have occupied to this point is that of being a mother and experiencing the physical reactions and unbelievable stress of wondering if I am able to provide an enriching and supportive learning and family life for my child. To watch him grow into a man and know that I did nothing to change or alter our structures that support children when he was young is beyond what I can bear. Joining the […]
https://www.epicimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alethea-4.png14282000Colorado EPIC/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/epic-logo-sm.pngColorado EPIC2021-12-08 12:52:252025-06-12 14:26:17From the Desk of The Director of Programs and Initiatives: Driving Forward into 2022 and New Possibility
In Colorado alone, more than 100,000 women left the workforce during the pandemic and mothers took the brunt of job losses. Out of the mothers who didn’t leave careers, more than 17% had reduced work hours and pay. The overwhelming reason? A lack of accessible and affordable child care in Colorado (Source: Common Sense Institute). In many cases, the pandemic only exacerbated an existing problem as it relates to child care because quality providers and resources were scarce long before March 2020. Lack of access and quality leads to bad outcomes for children, but more importantly the broader Colorado community. More so, research shows that if action is taken to improve early education, states won’t have to spend nearly as much money later on for special education, remedial job training, correctional facilities, and other costs that are a drain on economic growth. The correlation between high-quality early childhood education and community success is exactly why PNC Bank remains so committed to investing in this space through PNC Grow Up Great®. Launched in 2004, PNC Grow Up Great is a $500 million bilingual initiative designed to help prepare children, particularly underserved children, for success in school and life. Built on the understanding that education is a powerful means for economic and social mobility, PNC Grow Up Great helps children across the country develop a lifelong passion for learning. Since arriving in Denver in 2018, PNC Bank and the PNC Foundation have already invested more than $1 million to strengthen high-quality early childhood education and provide critical resources across Colorado. This legacy of investing in high-quality early childhood education is why PNC Bank is thrilled to be a community partner of EPIC, as they work together to create a strong Colorado workforce and community. As the presenting sponsor for EPIC’s Annual Business Leaders Dinner, PNC’s regional president for Colorado, Ryan Beiser spoke at the event about the bank’s commitment to high-quality early childhood education and dedication to impact the current and future workforces here in Colorado. Ryan said, “We believe that all children deserve to start life on equal footing and the best way to do that is through early childhood education.” See the full video here. PNC Grow Up Great has inspired great futures at home, in schools, and across communities. The program has collectively distributed more than $200 million in grants to organizations that support high-quality early childhood education and has supported more than 7 million young children in the U.S. to date. These dollars have provided teachers and caregivers with the resources to inspire a lifetime of learning, promoted school readiness, and filled classrooms with school supplies across the country. Relationships with organizations such as EPIC allow PNC’s contributions to go further and provide an abundance of tools and resources that help young minds thrive. From birth to age 5, children’s brains are the most malleable, with over 90% of a child’s brain development taking place. These first five years of life are critical to support curiosity and growth while […]
https://www.epicimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PNC-Blog-Pic-1.png23041728Colorado EPIC/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/epic-logo-sm.pngColorado EPIC2021-10-29 12:32:112025-06-12 14:26:16PNC Supports EPIC to Advance Early Childhood Education in Colorado
Colorado effort helps employers create on-site child care in “The Design Lab”
/in BlogEPIC has recently partnered with the office of early childhood and CDHS to offer expertise and support to Colorado businesses in a unique opportunity for employers to gain the knowledge necessary to plan an on-site or near-site child care facility through direct support and community partnerships while developing a competitive grant application for up to $800,000 in state funding for their projects. “A ski resort in Steamboat Springs, a community hospital in Grand Junction, and a food hall project in downtown Pueblo. On the face of it, they don’t have much in common, but all three have ambitious plans to launch child care centers for their employees within the next two years.” Read more to learn about the Design Lab in this Chalkbeat article.
The Design Lab
/in BlogFrom the Desk of the Director of Programs and Initiatives: Alethea Gomez Perhaps your family was watching alongside mine and many others around the world as Winter Olympians from around the globe (some hailing from Colorado!) competed on the world’s biggest sports stage. It is incredible to think about the dedication and willingness to push the boundaries required to reach a level where you serve as the example of excellence for all others. EPIC is dedicated to working with our membership and a wide range of partners to push the boundaries and engage in legislative and community efforts that embrace innovation in such a way that can be modeled, shared with others, and demonstrated as a success across our country. Rooted in the desire to prioritize the development and retention of workforce talent while meeting the needs of families and communities, EPIC is leading transformative community efforts to reduce the costs of childcare, create access to quality early education services for those who need it most, and build support across sectors for this work. READ ON! 2022 Community Initiatives Snapshot Employer Based Child Care Design Lab: The First of Its Kind EPIC has recently partnered with state partners in the Office of Early Childhood to create and present Colorado’s first Employer Based Childcare Design Lab, guiding and supporting 10 employers/partnerships from a range of sectors in Colorado communities as they seek to create on or near-site early child care and education services. With a goal of serving employees and families in their community, the lab provides broad training, resources, and education in everything from financial modeling to workforce development and real estate, so design lab participants can take their project from concept to completion. Over the past 5 months, through both live sessions and individualized coaching and technical assistance, these project partners have engaged in community partnerships, innovative model development, and comprehensive business planning. Additionally, EPIC has supported these projects in planning for investments to support high-quality environments and programs within their plans, including above-market wages, lower student-to-child ratios, and ensuring both families and caregivers have supports they can count on at work. When complete, these community endeavors will collectively provide nearly 500 new spots for young children in high-quality education and care, with 275 of those spots becoming available for infants and toddlers. In addition, nearly 140 new jobs will be created through this effort, with an anticipated total investment of over $20 million in the construction and ongoing quality supports and initiatives within each operation. A Couple Project Sneak Peaks… Fuel & Iron Food Hall (Pueblo, Co) Originally conceived as an opportunity to provide an incubator and a catalyst in the community in historic downtown Pueblo, the Fuel & Iron food hall project will house 28 single and multi-family affordable housing units, 5 food vendors, and now a 40-50 slot early care and education center to serve onsite employees, residents, and members of […]
Action and Policy Priorities in 2022
/in BlogFrom the Desk of The Director of Programs and Initiatives: Alethea Gomez As I was preparing to write this blog post, I was reflecting on this winter season and the turning of the new year, and how much I had relaxed once it finally snowed. Somehow, I knew that it would come, and when I saw the first flakes fall on my home in Boulder, I felt a new energy and calm and even a little more confidence in my day! At EPIC, we are more excited than ever to share details on the work we are doing alongside business leaders and community partners to develop innovative and creative solutions for the longstanding challenges that face child care business owners, the workforce, and the business community alike. EPIC is off to a great start in 2022, leading key efforts to directly increase child care access and availability, strengthen the early childhood workforce, and develop public-private partnerships that address the child care infrastructure needs of employers and working families in Colorado. EPIC’s Policy Committee is proud to present our 2022 Policy Priorities below. We hope you will join EPIC in our efforts to leverage the voice of the business community to develop policy and build infrastructure to support the workforce of today while developing the workforce of tomorrow. 2022 Advocacy & Policy Priorities Universal Access to Preschool Implementation of funding and program administration to ensure children have high-quality preschool education experiences while supporting the diverse care, access, and affordability choices of families and working parents within a mixed delivery system of services. Well-Designed System for Families Informing the creation and design of a new Department of Early Childhood in Colorado to create a more aligned, user-friendly, transparent, and effective system of resources that centers itself on serving the needs of families, young children, and the practitioners serving them. Early Childhood Infrastructure & Facilities Establish incentives, expand financial resources, and address regulatory barriers to entry to ensure communities and local employers can innovatively design, create, and sustain early child care and education services that meet the needs of their local workforce. Industry Workforce & Voice Create incentives for early childhood professionals and business owners to enter and remain in the sector through sustainable investments, career/business supports, and innovative career pathways. Promote and advocate for a sufficient supply of early childhood services, a strong small business industry voice, and the stabilization of the early childhood sector through the development, design, and ongoing implementation of early childhood funds and programs.
From the Desk of The Director of Programs and Initiatives: Driving Forward into 2022 and New Possibility
/in BlogBy Alethea Gomez In 2020, I lost over 60 pounds in 6 months in a quest to heal a long-standing injury as well as take back control of my health and well-being. I discovered one of the most effective and main ways I would be able to do this was by simply walking a certain distance each day: no fancy workouts, no complicated diets, just walking. While consistency is always a challenge no matter what we pursue, for some reason, this time I decided I would not waiver from this goal. Each day for more than 5 months consecutive, I walked 5 miles or more with increasing difficulty in speed and incline. The first day I barely scraped my way around a flat terrain lake at 1.8 miles, huffing hopelessly as I arrived back on my doorstep. Yet steadily, as I returned to my purpose, after each day, I discovered I could do more, and then more than I ever thought possible. More recently, sitting on top of my first 14,000-foot peak, I was filled with a sense of purpose and energy for life that I had not felt in a long time, and the gratitude I felt in that moment will stay with me, perhaps forever, for the moment I chose to persevere. (From the first hike to 60 pounds later at Bear Peak) But why am I telling you this story? First, I am thrilled to have recently joined the EPIC Team as the Director of Programs and Initiatives. Over more than a decade, I have worked closely in the field of early education, supporting children, families, and business in the private and public sectors. I have been a teacher, hopelessly underappreciated and wondering how I could support myself. I have been a business owner, trying to understand how to grow and support my team in all the ways they need and still have something viable. I have championed the role of Head of School and Executive Director for small schools all the way to multi-national corporations like Bright Horizons, finding myself at the helm of a system that, while proven, was quickly becoming unsustainable. I realized this in so many unique moments, whether reviewing our Profit and Loss or holding parents as they cried because they were quitting their jobs due to the inability to equalize their ambition and desires with the cost of childcare support. Perhaps most difficult of all, and more intensely than ever during the pandemic, watching my fellow educators lose faith in their profession. However, perhaps the most important role I have occupied to this point is that of being a mother and experiencing the physical reactions and unbelievable stress of wondering if I am able to provide an enriching and supportive learning and family life for my child. To watch him grow into a man and know that I did nothing to change or alter our structures that support children when he was young is beyond what I can bear. Joining the […]
PNC Supports EPIC to Advance Early Childhood Education in Colorado
/in BlogIn Colorado alone, more than 100,000 women left the workforce during the pandemic and mothers took the brunt of job losses. Out of the mothers who didn’t leave careers, more than 17% had reduced work hours and pay. The overwhelming reason? A lack of accessible and affordable child care in Colorado (Source: Common Sense Institute). In many cases, the pandemic only exacerbated an existing problem as it relates to child care because quality providers and resources were scarce long before March 2020. Lack of access and quality leads to bad outcomes for children, but more importantly the broader Colorado community. More so, research shows that if action is taken to improve early education, states won’t have to spend nearly as much money later on for special education, remedial job training, correctional facilities, and other costs that are a drain on economic growth. The correlation between high-quality early childhood education and community success is exactly why PNC Bank remains so committed to investing in this space through PNC Grow Up Great®. Launched in 2004, PNC Grow Up Great is a $500 million bilingual initiative designed to help prepare children, particularly underserved children, for success in school and life. Built on the understanding that education is a powerful means for economic and social mobility, PNC Grow Up Great helps children across the country develop a lifelong passion for learning. Since arriving in Denver in 2018, PNC Bank and the PNC Foundation have already invested more than $1 million to strengthen high-quality early childhood education and provide critical resources across Colorado. This legacy of investing in high-quality early childhood education is why PNC Bank is thrilled to be a community partner of EPIC, as they work together to create a strong Colorado workforce and community. As the presenting sponsor for EPIC’s Annual Business Leaders Dinner, PNC’s regional president for Colorado, Ryan Beiser spoke at the event about the bank’s commitment to high-quality early childhood education and dedication to impact the current and future workforces here in Colorado. Ryan said, “We believe that all children deserve to start life on equal footing and the best way to do that is through early childhood education.” See the full video here. PNC Grow Up Great has inspired great futures at home, in schools, and across communities. The program has collectively distributed more than $200 million in grants to organizations that support high-quality early childhood education and has supported more than 7 million young children in the U.S. to date. These dollars have provided teachers and caregivers with the resources to inspire a lifetime of learning, promoted school readiness, and filled classrooms with school supplies across the country. Relationships with organizations such as EPIC allow PNC’s contributions to go further and provide an abundance of tools and resources that help young minds thrive. From birth to age 5, children’s brains are the most malleable, with over 90% of a child’s brain development taking place. These first five years of life are critical to support curiosity and growth while […]