Eagle County, Colorado continues to invest local public dollars from their general fund to support their Early Childhood Providers in several ways including salary supplements, subsidies for providers who provide infant and toddler care, and rental assistance so that no provider incurs any expenses relating to occupancy. In addition to these supports from the general fund, in November of 2022, their voters approved a short-term lodging tax of 2% to generate additional funds to support childcare programs and affordable housing opportunities for their local workforce.
As their program expands, Eagle County would like to support families throughout the prenatal period through home visiting, maternal mental health, and increasing access to health benefits for the ECE workforce through a shared service alliance.
As our community considers investing locally in our early care and education ecosystem, learning from other communities such as Breckenridge and Aspen can help us maximize the return on our investment.