The Garfield Re-2 School District heard a presentation about ballot initiative 7A during their Sept. 24 meeting, an initiative that moves to support early childcare. 

If approved, the initiative would implement a 0.25% sales tax on non-essential goods in Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin counties. Revenue would fund the creation of the Confluence Early Childhood Development Service District, overseen by a new board representing the three counties.

This proposed district would not be a direct partner to providers, but would distribute funding grants and tuition credits to support families. This infrastructure would be for children from newborn to age 5. 

The Roaring Fork School District discussed the ballot initiative last week as well, and the city of Rifle heard a presentation on the measure in August, where councilor Alicia Gresley called childcare both essential and expensive in western Colorado. 

At the Garfield Re-2 meeting, presenters shared statistics showing the region has only 44% of the childcare slots needed for children up to age 5, while families spend about 35% of their income on childcare.

Coalition Director Maggie Tiscornia and Paul Mentor, president of the Early Childhood Network board, answered questions from the board. 

Board member Chance Jenkins asked how the proposed measure would make sure it gets to helping the child, referencing how some charities hold a 40% overhead, while only 60% of donations make it to the people who need it. 

“The proposal is to keep that overhead as low as possible, it will be up to the board to approve the budget,” Tiscornia said. “The goal is to get as much as this funding to families and childcare providers as possible. It’s designed to give the district flexibility to meet needs as they arise, but it is clear that it will not be operating childcare programs, so there shouldn’t be too much overhead.”

Mentor added it’s not a non-profit and as a government entity, will be subject to audits, financial reporting and communication with the community. 

Tiscornia said there will be a sliding scale on tuition and other financial needs for childcare for families.

“The money would go to the provider based on where the family wants to put their child,” she said. “If a family wants to move their child from one place to another, it will follow that family.”

Tiscornia also said that the western Colorado region has one of the largest capacity gaps for infants and toddlers. 

Board member Megan Heil said that filling the staff positions for this new proposed district would compete with Garfield Re-2 positions and asked how they would get past that. 

“Staffing the childcare programs themselves, if we expand capacity, then we need to have the staff to do that,” Tiscornia said. “The providers will be hiring directly, they’re already earning way less than a K-12 educator, I don’t think with this amount of funding, they’ll get to that point.”

Heil clarified her concern was about substitutes and support staff.

“There’s a lot of that kind of need in childcare as well, a lot of the providers are short on teachers,” Mentor said. “There’s an opportunity to bring more people into the workforce who might not be in the workforce.”

Mentor noted that at Faith Lutheran Child Care Center in Carbondale, about seven of the 13 teachers are also parents of enrolled children and receive discounted tuition. He said teacher retention is a challenge across the region, not just in Garfield Re-2, and the measure could help address that larger issue.

Heil also questioned why the measure references health care.

“That’s referring to having nurses available for early childcare providers,” Tiscornia said. “Mental health as well.”

When Heil asked why young children need mental health support, Tiscornia pointed to the importance of early intervention.

“It’s the most formative socio-emotional developmental years, with 90% of brain development happening,” she said. “We do see needs that young for mental health support. Early intervention is well-researched to help later development.”

Mentor said Faith Lutheran has had cases where young children required such services, just as in any school setting.

Tiscornia emphasized the proposed district would not directly provide interventions but would help coordinate services between families and providers.