Child care is infrastructure.
Not a luxury.

In Routt County, the child care system is failing — not because people don't care, but because the economics are broken. This is a workforce problem. An economic problem. And it requires a community investment to fix.

See the data

01 / The Gap

Demand far exceeds supply

The shortage is most severe for infants. There are just 51 licensed infant slots in Routt County, against an estimated need of 300 — a gap of 249. Toddlers face a similar crisis: 98 licensed slots against 318 needed. Universal Preschool (UPK) expansion has brought preschool closer to parity, but no comparable support exists for children under three. For working parents of babies and toddlers, the math simply doesn't work.

0%
of families with infants and toddlers cannot find care in Routt County1,2
👶
7 : 1
Children competing for every available infant slot2
⏳
1+ year
Average wait to get off the infant waitlist2
☀️
~60%
Of preschool programs close during summer months1
Routt County's Childcare Crisis: 83% of Infants Lack Licensed Care
THE CRISIS — UNDER 3 YEARS OLD Infants (0–18 months) 17% 249 infants without care Toddlers (18 mo.–3 yrs) 31% 220 toddlers without care → 7 children compete for every available infant slot PRESCHOOL (3–5 YEARS) — UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL SUCCESS Preschool (3–5 years) ✓ Near parity — 498 licensed slots Colorado's Universal Preschool (UPK) program funds 3–5 year olds statewide. ⚠ No equivalent funding mechanism exists for infants or toddlers. Licensed slots available Estimated slots needed

Sources: 1 Strategic Investment Plan (2026)   2 Brodsky Report (2025)

02 / The Cost

Families pay more than they can afford. Providers earn less than they need.

Child care in Routt County costs families four times the federal definition of "affordable" — and it still isn't enough to cover the true cost of care. This isn't a budgeting problem for families. It's a market failure. The true cost of quality infant care — $25,000–$35,000 per child per year — far exceeds what any family can reasonably pay. Families in Routt County are already stretched to the breaking point, spending three to four times the federal affordability threshold. And even that sacrifice isn't enough to make the system work.

4x
the federally recommended spending level — 25–30% of family income in Routt County goes to child care, versus the 7% benchmark1,2
Share of household income spent on child care
Federal benchmark (what's "affordable") 7%
7%
Community goal 7–10%
7–10%
Routt County families (current) 25–30%
25–30%

Median household income: $104,803  |  Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

The Unfinished Bridge — True Cost of Providing Quality Care: $25,000–$35,000 per child per year
The gap $13,000–$20,000 per child, per year Families pay — already at the limit $15,000–$22,000/yr · 25–30% of income $0 $10k $20k $30k $35k

Sources: 1 Strategic Investment Plan (2026)   2 Brodsky Report (2025)

03 / The Workforce

Educators can't afford to live here on what they earn

The people who care for Routt County's youngest children are paid wages that don't cover the basic cost of living — in one of Colorado's most expensive communities. High turnover isn't a sign that educators don't care — it's a sign that the wages don't work. When a lead teacher earning $21–$27 per hour can't cover rent in a county where the living wage is $29/hour, they leave. And every time a teacher leaves, children lose continuity of care, families lose stability, and providers lose the investment they made in training and onboarding.

Education is their passion — a second job is their reality
42% HOLD A SECOND JOB One job Works a second job to cover the gap

Sources: 3 First Impressions Wage Survey, July 2025 (N=7 providers)   4 MIT Living Wage Calculator, 2023 (single adult, no children, Routt County)

04 / The Ripple Effects

Child care failure is driving families out of Routt County

The effects of the child care crisis extend far beyond individual families. When families can't afford child care, housing, and livable wages all at once — they leave. The community is losing the workforce it needs, and the economic consequences are mounting. The trendline tells the story: Routt County's 25–44 population peaked in 2018 at 7,452 and has declined every measured year since — even as the county's total population stayed flat. These are the families who need child care, and they are leaving. While peer mountain resort communities have created dedicated local funding mechanisms to keep families here, Routt County has none. Eagle County invests $8 million, Roaring Fork Valley $10 million, Summit County $4.3 million — even San Miguel County (Telluride) commits $1 million per year. Routt County is investing zero.

Routt County residents ages 25–44 — annual trendline, 2017–2024

When families can't find care, they leave. Routt County is losing the core of its workforce.

City of Steamboat Springs: The city alone saw a drop of approximately 670 residents (15.7%) in this age group — from a peak of 4,262 (2016–2020) to 3,592 (2020–2024).

5 U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (Table S0101), 2017–2024. 2020 not released due to COVID-19. Total county population 2017–2024 remained essentially flat (~25,000). Steamboat Springs figures use ACS 5-year rolling estimates (2016–2020 and 2020–2024 periods) — methodology differs from annual county estimates above.

What Routt County loses each year — the $37.6M+ annual economic drain
CONTRIBUTING SOURCES $27.6M Commuter income earned outside Routt County / yr $10M+ Unrealized economic potential per year Families leaving Workforce & talent drain $37.6M+ ANNUAL ECONOMIC DRAIN Routt County currently invests $0 in child care per year

Sources: 1 Strategic Investment Plan (2026)   7 Economic modeling, Routt County

The choice: invest or accept the status quo
INVEST $8.5M / YR ✓ Educators don't need second jobs ✓ Families stay in Routt County ✓ $7.30 returned per $1 invested = $62M+ community benefit / year Brodsky Report economic modeling OR INACTION ✗ Drain compounds year over year ✗ Families keep leaving ✗ Educator shortage worsens Status quo Economic opportunity lost Current Routt County investment: $0

Sources: 1 Strategic Investment Plan (2026)   2 Brodsky Report (2025)

05 / The Path Forward

The community has the power to fix this

Routt County needs $8.5 million in annual investment to fully fund a child care system that works for families, providers, and the broader economy. Child care is infrastructure. And infrastructure takes investment. Eagle County (Vail) — like Routt, a mountain resort economy — raises $8 million a year through a lodging tax. Roaring Fork Valley (Aspen) raises $10 million through a quarter-cent sales tax. Summit County invests $4.3 million. Even San Miguel County (Telluride) has committed $1 million. These are communities that look like Routt County. The question is not whether it's possible. It's whether Routt County will act.

$8.5M
annual funding gap — the difference between the $17.5M it costs to fully fund the system and what currently exists1
The Community Blueprint — $8.5M builds three pillars that hold up Routt County's future
+270 licensed slots by 2030 90%+ access rate up from ~70% today Living wages for all educators SPACE Capacity Expansion New facilities, renovation & infrastructure $2.0M – $3.5M per year ACCESS Affordability & Reach Tuition assistance & flexible care for all families $1.8M – $2.9M per year PEOPLE Workforce & Wages Wage supplements, housing support & retention $2.3M – $3.8M per year Combined annual investment: $8.5M · Builds all three pillars simultaneously · Returns $7.30 per $1 invested
Routt County vs. peer mountain communities — annual local investment
Larimer County (Fort Collins) $28M Roaring Fork Valley (Aspen) $10M Eagle County (Vail) $8M Summit County (Breckenridge) $4.3M Aspen – Kids First $2.7M San Miguel County (Telluride) $1M Routt County (Steamboat) $0 — No dedicated local funding

Eagle County (Vail): Lodging Tax  |  Roaring Fork Valley (Aspen): Quarter-cent Sales Tax  |  Summit County: Local funding mechanism  |  Aspen – Kids First: City of Aspen program  |  San Miguel County (Telluride): Local funding  |  Larimer County (Fort Collins): Local funding mechanism6

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Data sources & methodology

1 Strategic Investment Plan (2026). First Impressions of Routt County: Routt County Strategic Child Care Investment Plan. Includes licensed slot counts, cost estimates, workforce data, and economic projections.

2 Brodsky Research & Consulting (2025). "Early Childhood Education and Care Opportunities and Considerations: Analysis of Community Insights and Investment Options in Routt County, Colorado." Includes demand estimates, waitlist data, provider economics, and workforce analysis.

3 First Impressions of Routt County Wage Survey (July 2025). Provider compensation survey, N=7 providers. Educator wage ranges reflect typical lead teacher positions across surveyed programs.

4 MIT Living Wage Calculator (2023). livingwage.mit.edu — Routt County, Colorado. Living wage for a single adult with no children: $29.00/hour. Used as baseline affordability benchmark for educator wages.

5 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. Table S0101: Age and Sex. 2019 and 2024 estimates for Routt County, Colorado. All 64 Colorado counties analyzed for demographic comparison. Total population change: 25,072 (2019) → 25,084 (2024), +0.05%.

6 Peer community funding data. Eagle County (~$8M/year via Lodging Tax); Roaring Fork Valley (~$10M/year via quarter-cent Sales Tax); Summit County (~$4.3M/year); Aspen – Kids First (~$2.7M/year); San Miguel County (~$1M/year); Larimer County (~$28M/year via local funding mechanism). Data sourced via Buell Foundation and local partners (2026). Routt County currently has no dedicated local child care funding mechanism.

7 Bureau of Economic Analysis (2023). Commuting and labor market data used to estimate income leakage from workers employed in Routt County who reside — and spend — elsewhere due to lack of local housing and child care options.

8 Routt County Child Care Needs Assessment (2023). Shields, L. and Franko, M., Butler Institute for Families, University of Denver. Background demand and demographic research.

Note on pending data: The comparison of Routt County's 25–44 demographic loss rate relative to other Colorado counties is pending verification with the Colorado State Demographer's office. The absolute change data (−267 residents, −3.6%) is confirmed from ACS sources.