The Town of Estes Park has been awarded a $75,000 Child Care Planning Grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to support the development of a Child Care Facility Master Plan.
The funding, announced in a letter to Mayor Gary Hall, will help the town assess local childcare needs and identify strategies to expand access for families and employers. The grant program, created through House Bill 24-1237, supports local governments statewide in addressing childcare shortages through planning, policy, and regulatory improvements.
“The Town of Estes Park is grateful for the support from DOLA to advance our community’s childcare goals,” said Carlie Bangs, childcare manager for the Town of Estes Park. “This grant will allow us to develop a comprehensive childcare facility master plan, helping us determine the most effective use of future capital investments and guide the management of Town-owned facilities to better meet local childcare needs.”
Bangs added that the project aligns closely with the town’s broader strategic goals. “This funding directly supports the next steps and objectives outlined in our 2026 Annual 6E Funding Plan, which emphasizes increasing access to quality childcare, supporting local providers, and strengthening partnerships to meet demand,” she said.
“Developing a clear data-driven facilities strategy to direct capital investments of 6E Lodging Tax revenue is an important step toward achieving those goals.”
According to DOLA, the grant funds cannot be used until a formal agreement is signed. The award is also contingent on the town maintaining compliance with election filing requirements within three months.
The planning process will include community engagement to gather input from parents, childcare providers, and local employers.
DOLA officials said they hope the Estes Park project will serve as a model for other small and mountain communities facing similar challenges.
More background: Childcare needs and challenges in the Estes Valley
In June 2024, the Estes Valley Childcare Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan was published. The 76-page report, prepared for the Town of Estes Park, was conducted by Sarah Hughes of Groundswell for Good, LLC., a Denver-based research and consulting firm, and Beth Melton of Melton Strategic Solutions, a policy consultancy.
The report highlighted the need for more childcare services in the Estes Valley, based on the number of children in the area, the number of available childcare providers, the challenges working parents face in paying for childcare due to its high cost, and the challenges faced by childcare providers as a business model.
The needs assessment explained the history of the 6E bed tax funding that voters in the Visit Estes Park Local Marketing District approved in 2022. Annually, the tax generates approximately $5 million in revenue that, by state law, is dedicated to providing options for workforce housing and childcare.
Arguing that “everyone depends on someone who depends on childcare,” the report articulated the vision that working families would have “consistent access to childcare that allows them to live, work, and thrive in the Estes Valley.”
Four priority goals and strategies were identified, along with metrics on how these would be achieved and measured, including:
- retain existing staff and recruit new staff and providers
- increase and maintain facility capacity
- support the retention of new and existing providers through financial sustainability while maintaining affordability for families
- increase childcare capacity in areas of highest need
Using demographic and economic data, the report provides an analysis of both current and future demands for childcare services to meet the needs of parents working in the Estes Valley. To read the full report, click here, and other reports in the Town’s document archive on housing and childcare.