As we join our families during this week of gratitude, our minds go to the legacy we will be leaving our children gathered around the Thanksgiving table. Our kids are, without a doubt, our greatest responsibility. We owe it to them — and to our community — to set them up for success, as they will be the ones to propel us forward, to innovate, and to bring youthful perspectives to our most pressing issues of the future.

We all know, as educators who have built our careers in the K-12 education system, that the most important place to begin, according to an overwhelming wealth of evidence, is by strengthening local families’ access to early childhood education (ECE). 

The first few years of life are the most formative for a child’s future development, as scientists estimate that 90 percent of brain development occurs before age five. The first five years of life — before a child ever sets foot in his or her kindergarten classroom — is a critical period for learning that can affect the trajectory of that student’s future. Research shows that children who have enriching ECE experiences prior to starting kindergarten show healthier cognitive development, higher academic achievement, fewer social-emotional difficulties, and more successful careers later in life. In communities with robust ECE access, positive effects can be measured in reductions in remedial education, crime rates, and unemployment. Studies have shown that high-quality early childhood programs can yield a four to seven dollar return for every dollar invested. 

These facts are difficult to ignore, especially considering that ECE benefits more people than the young students themselves. Employers, from grocery stores to hospitals to businesses, count on early childhood programs to provide childcare for their workers. Affordable ECE allows mothers and fathers to remain in their jobs, advance their education, and contribute to our community. Where ECE is plentiful and affordable, it’s a win for everyone — plain and simple.

Early childhood education offers among the highest returns of any educational programming, and yet it remains underappreciated and underfunded. Although residents have made important steps to prioritize accessible ECE state-wide (such as passing Proposition EE in 2020 to provide 10 hours of free preschool for every four-year-old Coloradan), we still have a great deal of work to do locally. According to data collected by the Confluence Early Childhood Education (CECE) Coalition, there are more than twice as many kids under the age of 5 than there are slots in preschool and childcare programs in the Parachute to Aspen area. Moreover, an average family with two children in care is paying 37% of their monthly household income on child care. 

Regional leaders are coming together on this issue, including our school district leadership: Garfield 16 School District Superintendent Jennifer Baugh, Roaring Fork School District Superintendent Dr. Anna Cole, Aspen School District Superintendent Tharyn Mulberry, Garfield Re-2 Superintendent Heather Grumley and former Aspen School District Superintendent David Baugh. We, the current and recent superintendents of all the school districts from Parachute to Aspen, have been working with the CECE Coalition to expand access to ECE in our region, as well as to strengthen programs in our own communities.

Roaring Fork Schools currently provides care for more than 350 children ages 6 weeks to 4 at its five early childhood centers. The high quality, inclusive, and diverse classrooms ensure that all families can access care regardless of ability to pay, which requires significant investment from the district despite the support of the Universal Preschool Program and the Colorado Childcare Assistance Program. 

The Aspen School District is proud to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to early literacy by providing comprehensive training for all area preschools, ensuring every child builds a strong foundation for lifelong learning. 

Garfield Re-2 believes that an early start is a strong start. To support our community, they have opened seven preschool rooms and two toddler rooms over the last year by leveraging a variety of grants and general fund dollars. 

Garfield 16 currently has preschool for children ages 3 and 4, and it is working in partnership with the Parachute/Battlement Mesa Parks and Recreation District to develop an early childhood center for children 6 weeks to three years old, operating 12 months out of the year. 

Please join us in working for better access to ECE from Parachute to Aspen.

Rob Stein is a former superintendent for Roaring Fork School District.