Your Stories

Not having childcare really impacts the quality of life I want to give to my kids. Without childcare I can’t help support the family, nor can I try to achieve long standing goals like going back to school to pursue a higher education. And by not being able to achieve the goals I can’t better my life or my kids life. 

One of my biggest challenges in 2025 was finding childcare, and it directly impacted my ability to work. When CCCAP was frozen, I could not find affordable options for consistent, reliable, and quality care for my son. Because of this, I was frequently late or absent from work and ended up losing my job in September. This wasn't due to lack of effort, but lack of resources. Since finding ...

Working in and among the service industry, I see daily examples of how lack of childcare effects employees livelihoods. When schools are closed for weather or holidays, employees must decide whether it's worth it to come to work or pay someone (sometimes more money than they earn) to watch their children. I've seen many situations where kids are "posted up" in the back of a workplace/office ...

I was a family childcare provider licensed through the Department of Defense for the Air Force. We would have younger enlisted members come in — they’d have a baby, and they would need childcare. Infant care is more expensive than preschool or school-age students. If I charged market rate, it was more than what those young airmen made in a pay period. There was no way. So I would cut my rate ...

My name is Brian Blasnick. I’m the owner of NIAX Colorado Springs, which is a revenue-sharing networking group here in town. The biggest reason I own my own company is because it allows me flexibility with my childcare situation. For about 20 years, I was a chef —an executive chef — in Colorado Springs. I worked at a ton of different places: Trinity, The Broadmoor, Blue Star. The last ...

When I first had Estella I started doing daycare in the rural area I was living in at the time since it seemed to be a big need. It was wonderful for us because then I could provide for us while still getting to be there for the big moments. Once I did get her into daycare and start working, I started to feel like I was missing out. I loved going back to work but didn’t want to leave my ...

I decided to leave a career I loved to help care for my grandchildren. I did this primarily for the incredible opportunity to spend this precious time with my grandbabies, but also because my daughter's childcare experience was so disastrous and the cost so astronomical. My daughter is a psychologist and can afford private daycare, but after a different child's diaper was put on her baby and ...

Having a place where my child is well cared for is extremely important to me, as it has allowed me to work with complete peace of mind, knowing that my child is safe and well. This gives me a great sense of calm and tranquility and allows me to handle everything I need to do in my day-to-day life.After a separation and with an absent father, I have had to face significant challenges. Having ...

When our kids were little we used a nanny we found through Care.com. Honestly, it was scary. You’re dropping your kids off at someone’s house with very little ability to verify anything. Other kids, big dogs — you just hope your kids are safe when you pick them up. But you have to go to work. You’ve got to put food on the table. You’re choosing between two bad options. We didn't have family ...

Telma and her husband Ernesto are parents to three young children, with a fourth baby on the way. Ernesto had always worked tirelessly as a roofer to provide for his family, often taking on long days and difficult jobs. But one rainy afternoon, while repairing a roof, he slipped and fell. The accident left him physically unable to work for the foreseeable future.As Ernesto began the long ...

I live just south of Colorado Springs in an area called Security-Widefield in unincorporated El Paso county. We are very near Fort Carson but are non-service members/non-veterans. I had a premature baby in April of 2025. He was 10 weeks early and we had not yet gotten on any childcare waitlists yet though we knew we wee behind. I started having high risk issues and was struggling to go to ...

Having childcare at CPCD helps me be able to work and provide for my child and helps me be able to do errands and go to appointments. Also, my child is able to be around other kids his age which has helped him build social skills. With limited childcare options in my community though, it has been a challenge to find care outside of school hours and days and will be more challenging during ...

There have been so many times in my life when I experienced a lack of childcare. Luckily, I was able to get my son in the headstart program and my daughter in pre-k, which have been lifesavers. It allows me to pursue my career and schooling, all while they are learning and having fun. I have had to find alternative places for them to attend when school is not in session, and without those, I ...

I had my child in November of 2019 and by the time I needed to go back to work, I was unable to find affordable childcare that made sense paying for with my current salary. I had been looking for care throughout my pregnancy. I was about to quit my job but my employer offered for me to come back in February 2020 with the flexibility to work some from home while I continued searching for ...