Blog by Kacee Miller, Senior Director of Implementation

Colorado was recently recognized as the nation’s leader in child care workforce supports. While rankings tell part of the story, what matters most is the people behind them: the early childhood professionals, caregivers, families, and community leaders who make quality care possible every day. 

Colorado Earns National Recognition 

On Aug. 18, Governor Jared Polis announced that Colorado tied with Illinois for the No. 1 spot in the nation for child care workforce supports, according to a new 50-state scorecard from the Child Care Trust. The news comes just three weeks after Colorado was also ranked the No. 1 state for education by U.S. News & World Report, underscoring the state’s sustained commitment to young children, families, and early childhood professionals. 

Having spent years working alongside communities, providers, and policymakers to understand workforce challenges and test solutions, I see this ranking as evidence that sustained investments can make a difference. While there is still more work to do, Colorado’s recognition reflects real progress in supporting the people who care for and educate young children. 

What the Ranking Really Means 

This ranking may surprise some Coloradans. Colorado Public Radio’s reporting earlier this year highlighted the economic strain of high-cost, hard-to-find child care on families and the overall workforce. 

Why Child Care Matters Beyond Families “Child care is often viewed as a family issue. But it’s actually a structural leak in the state’s economic engine, hampering the ability to hire the essential workers who Coloradans interact with every day.” — Jenny Brundin, Colorado Public Radio

Both realities can be true at once. Colorado continues to face serious child care  challenges while also making meaningful progress in strengthening the workforce that makes quality care possible. 

Colorado did not become a national leader overnight. The state’s recognition reflects years of investment, innovation, and partnership across the early childhood sector. This progress has been shaped by providers, families, advocates, policymakers, funders, and community organizations working together to find solutions that meet the needs of their communities. The No. 1 ranking is a reflection of that collective effort—and a reminder that lasting progress requires sustained investment, partnership, and a commitment to learning and adapting. 

Our work alongside communities across Colorado has reinforced a simple lesson: the strongest workforce solutions are shaped by the people and communities closest to the challenges. Three initiatives illustrate what this can look like in practice. 

Through the Workforce Innovations Initiative, Early Milestones partnered with communities in 34 Colorado counties to test solutions related to compensation, recruitment and retention, working conditions, and career pathways. The work demonstrated that workforce challenges vary by community, and that locally designed strategies can help attract, support, and retain early childhood professionals. 

The CIRCLE Initiative supported 218 community-led projects across all 64 Colorado counties, addressing child care shortages, expanding access to infant and toddler care, and strengthening the early childhood workforce. A follow-up evaluation found that 85 percent of grantees reported lasting individual-level impacts and 50 percent reported system-level changes. CIRCLE demonstrated that investments in local leadership, innovation, and community-driven solutions can create lasting change. 

More recently, the Rural Care Network and related Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregiver initiatives have highlighted the importance of supporting all members of the early childhood workforce, including FFN caregivers who care for more than half of Colorado’s young children. Through research, advocacy, community-building, and connections to training and financial supports, this work has shown that strengthening caregiver networks and access to resources helps build a more resilient early childhood system. 

Supporting the people behind the work After participating in the Rural Care Network, Family, Friend, and Neighbor caregivers reported higher levels of community connection, stronger support networks, and increased confidence accessing resources and early childhood information. These are the kinds of workforce supports that help caregivers continue serving children and families in their communities.

“The network gives me a sense of community and hope for the future.” — Family, Friend, and Neighbor caregiver participating in the Rural Care Network 

One lesson I’ve seen repeatedly through Workforce Innovations, CIRCLE, and our work with FFN caregivers is that progress is strongest when communities are trusted to identify their own solutions. 

Colorado’s recognition as a national leader is worth celebrating. Just as importantly, it reminds us that continued progress depends on maintaining the commitment that made that progress possible. When we invest in the people who care for, educate, and support young children, families, employers, communities, and Colorado’s economy all benefit.