| Title: |
Colorado Families Need Help Affording Child Care: Insights from the Baby & You Survey Program. Kids in Focus. Research Brief |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Maya Gould; Colorado Children's Campaign |
| Source: |
Colorado Children's Campaign. 2025. |
| Availability: |
Colorado Children's Campaign. 1580 Lincoln Street Suite 420, Denver, CO 80203. Tel: 303-839-1580; Fax: 303-839-1354; e-mail: info@coloradokids.org; Web site: http://www.coloradokids.org |
| Peer Reviewed: |
N |
| Page Count: |
6 |
| Publication Date: |
2025 |
| Intended Audience: |
Policymakers |
| Document Type: |
Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: |
Child Care; Infants; Parents; Low Income Groups; Barriers; Costs |
| Geographic Terms: |
Colorado |
| Abstract: |
Child care is an important part of how families support their children's growth and balance work and other responsibilities. But parents often face challenges in finding an arrangement that fits their needs, desires, and budgets. Nearly one in four Colorado parents of 12-month-old babies did not have a child care arrangement that matched their preferences, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment's Baby & You Survey Program, which offers a snapshot of Colorado families' child care arrangements and experiences. This report highlights key findings from the program's 12 months postpartum survey for the 2023 cohort, which was administered between January 2024 and February 2025 to parents who gave birth in 2023. The survey finds that families meet their child care needs in a wide variety of ways. A majority of families did not have a routine arrangement for care, and many of those who did have routine arrangements relied on relatives or other trusted adults to provide care. Colorado has made significant progress in helping families afford licensed child care in recent years. But Colorado's policymakers must take steps to help families afford and access the type of care they want and need, both in formal and more informal settings. |
| Abstractor: |
ERIC |
| Entry Date: |
2026 |
| Accession Number: |
ED678632 |
| Database: |
ERIC |