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In the NoCo

High cost of childcare in Northern Colorado comes with major tolls for families, communities

Erika Fletcher
/
Unsplash

Advocates say failing to invest in childcare is a missed opportunity to address inequity. And the lack of investment is hitting Northern Colorado families in multiple ways. For one, it leaves rising kindergartners unprepared to enter public schools. “The achievement gap is present well before children enter kindergarten,” said Tarryn Morrisey, a professor of child and family public policy at American University. “And so if we were to invest early, we could narrow that before it even began.”

In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole sat down with Morrisey to learn more about what is driving the high cost of childcare, and why it is critical to find solutions.

This is part of our ongoing coverage on the childcare crisis in Northern Colorado. Find more episodes on the challenges and solutions here and here.

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.
Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University’s NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family’s financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.
As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.