Price of Paradise

Coloradans may be crazy about the state’s sunshine and high mountain peaks, but the cost of enjoying it all has become a real buzzkill. Nearly 90% of residents rank the rising cost of living as a very serious problem, far surpassing worries about jobs, wildfires or crime. In this four- part series, KUNC unpacks what we’re struggling to afford.

Melissa McChristian, the owner of Ouray Family Childcare, helps out with play-doh on a January afternoon. She's part of a new local project that aims to address both housing affordability and childcare.

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Here’s a look inside one Colorado town's childcare fix: putting daycares in affordable homes

Leigh Paterson

Colorado is in a childcare crisis. Around half of families struggle to find care. In rural areas, the shortage can be even worse. But some communities, like Ouray, are finding their way with a new project to close the gap between kids and care.