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Building the Next Chapter: What Comes Next for Early Childhood in Larimer County
Thanks to our community’s support for the early childhood ballot funding, we’re ready to begin building the next chapter for young children, families, and providers in Larimer County. We are working closely with Larimer County and community partners to ensure a strong, transparent, and effective start.
This work will happen in phases throughout 2025 and 2026 as we put the systems, staffing, and programs in place to make sure funding reaches the people and programs who need it most.
Our Guiding Focus
As we move forward, ECCLC is focused on:
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Strengthening systems that support early care and education providers.
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Ensuring equitable access to affordable, high-quality early childhood programs for families.
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Building the internal capacity and accountability needed to manage and report public funds effectively.
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Keeping the community informed and engaged every step of the way.
What to Expect: A High-Level Timeline
Late 2025: Laying the Groundwork
Early 2026 (January–March): Building the Framework
Mid-2026 (April–June): Designing for Readiness
Summer 2026 (July–September):
Launching Early Pilots
Late 2026 (October–December):
Refining and Scaling Up
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Finalizing administrative agreements and budgets with Larimer County.
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Preparing for organizational growth and identifying initial staffing needs.
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Establishing staffing and workflow plans for tax funding administration
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Refining financial and reporting systems to ensure transparency and accountability.
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Beginning community engagement and program design efforts to guide early investments.
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Finalizing key technology and vendor partnerships.
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Testing fiscal systems and refining program structures.
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Preparing the first comprehensive progress report and future-year budget.
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Hiring additional staff in needed leadership and operational roles.
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Launching early pilot programs for tuition assistance, provider supports, and quality investments.
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Rolling out new fiscal and reporting systems to track progress and outcomes.
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Publishing Year 1 progress and evaluation data.
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Refining programs based on lessons learned and community feedback.
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Setting 2027 milestones to expand and sustain high-quality early childhood supports.
How You Can Stay Involved
Your continued engagement makes this work possible.
Here’s how you can be part of the next chapter:
About Larimer Ballot Measure 1B
Larimer County Ballot Measure 1B has passed with 51% of votes, establishing a 0.25% county-wide sales and use tax (25 cents on every $100 purchase), beginning January 1, 2026, for early childhood care and education. The tax is projected to raise an estimated $28 million annually to address Larimer County’s ongoing shortage of affordable, high-quality child care and preschool options and has a 20 year sunset.​
The revenue from 1B will be used to:
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Support families through financial assistance for child care provided on a universal sliding scale, ensuring benefits for all Larimer families. Families across our community will be supported in finding child care and connecting to early childhood resources that meet a wide variety of needs.
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Strengthen the early childhood workforce by improving compensation, providing comprehensive employee supports to reduce turnover, and expanding career pathways and professional development opportunities.
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Increase access and quality by expanding child care availability, investing in facilities, and upgrading indoor and outdoor learning environments, and providing a wide variety of in-classroom supports such as quality coaching, early childhood mental health consultation, occupational therapy and more.
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Ensure accountability and sustainability with funding for evaluation, an annual third-party audit, community input, and a reserve for future system needs.
