Nearly 14,000 children in Colorado are waiting for subsidized child care. These numbers have been rising recently, outraging many residents, who believe the government should find better ways to spend its money instead of leaving critical areas like this underfunded.
According to recent reports, 13,869 eligible children are waiting for assistance through the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP). Enrollment freezes in some counties reportedly began more than two years ago, and the number of children without assistance has risen sharply from about 5,700 a year ago.
With the high cost of child care and no assistance, many families are struggling. The situation does not seem to be improving anytime soon, too, as lawmakers have been reportedly planning to cut social safety net programs even more.
Locals Criticize Colorado Government’s Inability to Fund the CCCAP
Colorado residents criticized the state government on Reddit’s r/Colorado for allowing the situation to become so dire. One user pointed out that states like New Mexico “pay for subsidized or free child care for everyone through oil and gas taxes.” They argued that Colorado should instead implement progressive taxes on the wealthy rather than “throwing a big stink when the underfunded programs eventually fail and get cut.”
Others blamed the crisis on the high cost of child care. One user argued that child care should be a priority, saying, “I don’t have kids. But I might if it didn’t cost a mortgage payment, or if one spouse had to quit their job.” Another user echoed that sentiment: “I want taxes so we can pay for stuff like this and actually improve our lives. People constantly vote away taxes and then are like, ‘Why are schools getting worse?’”
Some folks even blamed the federal government for the current woes that Colorado residents are facing. One commenter wrote, “We are paying one billion dollars a day in Iran. It is driving up costs for all our livelihoods, on top of what we already pay, and we can’t get a drop of our own tax money to our state to help with our child care.”
As the cost of living rises in the United States, it’s easy to understand why parents are so concerned about these problems in Colorado. Hopefully, the situation will improve, but for many, it is difficult to feel hopeful right now.
