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Non-School Hour Programming Recreation and Open Spaces in Larimer County The Loveland Parks and Recreation Department maintains 28 city parks , three golf courses, Barnes Park batting cage, North Lake Park Swim Beach, Winona Pool, Chilson Recreation Center, 15.5 miles of recreational trails, Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park, plus 2,018 acres of open land and public areas, like the Civic Center Complex. Larimer County Parks & Open Lands maintains:
Beginning March 1, 2010, due to severe budget cuts, the Larimer County Department of Human Services instituted a waiting list for parents applying to the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, the primary source of funding to assist families with child care costs. As a result, many lower income families are unable to access assistance to help pay for the high costs of child care. The Early Childhood Council of Larimer County (ECC) collects vacancy and capacity information from its 400+ child care providers every six months. (As of June 2010, the date ECC compiled the information below, there were 406 child care facilities reporting in Larimer County.) Due to the self-reported information collection process, the data are subject to change rapidly.
Child Care Capacities & Vacancies in Larimer County - June 2010
In Larimer County, typically there is adequate availability of care for children age 2–5 years, although the care may or may not be at a location convenient for parents. Infant and toddler care is somewhat more limited, perhaps especially for families with a low income. Beyond the “type” of child care facilities available in Larimer County, ECC collects information on what kinds of services those facilities offer. The percentages shown below are the percent of facilities out of the 406 facilities that reported out in June 2010. The percentages and total number of facilities add up to more than 100% and more than 406 because some facilities offer more than one type of service. Specialty Child Care Services Offered in Larimer County - June 2010
(Source: Data prepared by the Early Childhood Council) A recent study of 1,295 parents in Larimer County found that 35% of parents with children less than 12 years of age use child care from someone other than a spouse. This includes multiple forms of child care, including both licensed and non-licensed. Ninety-five percent (95%) of these parents need care to go to work and 19% need care to attend school while some need care for both work and school. Eighteen percent (18%) of parents also indicate a need for evening or weekend care. Of these parents using child care, 19.2% are single parents and 2.7% are grandparents. (Source: Early Childhood Council of Larimer County – “Demand and Impact of Early Care and Education Services in Larimer County,” JVA Consulting, LLC, August 2010)
The number of hours children spend in child care is increasing. In 2003, 19% of child care children spent 40 or more hours per week in care while this increased to 37% in 2010. (Source: Early Childhood Council of Larimer County – “Economic Impact of the Early Care & Education Industry in Larimer County,” BBC Research and Consulting, July 2003)
If childcare were unavailable, parents reported the following impact (which increased between 2003 and 2010):
In addition, 74% of parents reported that they would need to drop out of school or reduce school hours if child care were unavailable. (Source: Early Childhood Council of Larimer County – “Economic Impact of the Early Care & Education Industry in Larimer County,” BBC Research and Consulting, July 2003)
Almost 70% of the children in care come from families who earn less than $75,000 (the median income in Larimer County for a family of four). Of these families, 79% pay the full cost of care and receive no financial assistance. Sixty-six percent (66%) of these families say that the cost of care is the greatest barrier to finding and retaining quality child care. (Source: Early Childhood Council of Larimer County – “Demand and Impact of Early Care and Education Services in Larimer County,” JVA Consulting, LLC, August 2010)
Benefits of Quality Child Care • The first three years of life are critical in a child's development. During these years, children get many of the basic learning patterns and abilities that they will build upon for the rest of their lives (National Governor’s Association). • Children from low income families who participated in high quality early care and education programs had: higher cognitive test scores from the toddler years to age 21 years; higher academic achievement in both reading and math from the primary grades through young adulthood; and completed more years of education and were more likely to attend a four year college (Carolina Abecedarian Project). • Low income children who do not have access to quality early care and education programs are 70% more likely to commit a violent crime by age 18 years (2009 Fight Crime: Invest in Kids). • Every dollar invested in high quality child care can yield up to $7.16 in savings to the public in crime costs, welfare dependency, and other savings (The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study 1993). • A survey of police chiefs across the nation found nine out of 10 chiefs said that America could greatly reduce crime by expanding quality child care programs and after-school programs (http://www.fightcrime.org/reports/childcarereport.pdf).
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Healthier Communities Coalition of Larimer County
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