Middle-income families in the Estes Valley will soon have access to affordable childcare, thanks to a new tuition assistance program set to launch this fall. The program is designed to support working families who do not typically qualify for income-restricted subsidies, yet face challenges paying full tuition for childcare.

On June 10, the Estes Park Town Board approved an agreement with the Early Childhood Council of Larimer County (ECCLC) to administer the program. The approval comes after a year-long effort to create a robust, data-driven assistance system tailored to the unique needs of the Estes Valley community while setting a foundation for the anticipated growth in childcare capacity with new providers and centers opening.

“This program fills a critical gap for middle-income families and reflects the community’s commitment to building a strong foundation for our children, our workforce, and our future,” said Housing and Childcare Manager Carlie Bangs. “We’re proud to introduce a program that is both responsive and sustainable.”

The development of this program has been shaped by:

Direction from the Town Board to direct 6E Lodging Tax funds to support middle-income working families in the Estes Valley. The utilization of the Buell Foundation Local Financing for Early Childhood grant, awarded to the Town in July 2024, to conduct cost modeling and program development. Recommendation from the Estes Valley Childcare Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan, which identified the need for blended and layered funding structures that maximize local resources and integrate with existing state and federal assistance programs. Stakeholder feedback emphasizes the importance of a tuition assistance program that provides an efficient, user-friendly application process for families and providers.

To meet the objective, Town staff inventoried available resources and tools to maximize the use of the Buell grant and took into consideration how the Town fits within long-term strategies for the region. By collaborating with ECCLC to build a local “bucket” within the Larimer Child Care Fund (LCCF), the Town ensures that 6E Lodging Tax revenue is allocated to the program and reserved exclusively for Estes Park families. By using ECCLC’s established online platform, BridgeCare, the Town is able to administer highly sophisticated and accountable assistance at a fraction of the cost it would take to build a system from scratch.

“We are honored to partner with the Town of Estes Park to launch this important tuition assistance program for middle-income families,” said Christina Taylor, CEO of the Early Childhood Council of Larimer County. “For 28 years, ECCLC has worked to strengthen the early childhood system across Larimer County—including targeted support in the Estes Valley—and this initiative represents a meaningful step forward. By building on our existing infrastructure, we’re able to deliver a responsive, data-informed solution that directly benefits working families, supports local providers, and helps ensure every child has access to quality early care and education.”

The program is expected to:

Support middle-income families through a sliding-scale system requiring a parent copay based on monthly income. Layer with existing assistance programs such as Universal Preschool (UPK). Maintain high accountability through complex data tracking and coordination with regional partners. Prioritize currently enrolled families during the first phase of implementation.

While the Town Board considered a counterproposal from EVICS Family Resource Center, the Town staff’s recommendation- developed in response to board directives and community priorities-was designed specifically to meet the complex requirements of a blended funding model and ensure long-term sustainability for families and childcare providers. EVICS will continue to be an integral partner as the new program is rolled out.

More information, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, will be released in the coming weeks. Applications open in early fall, with tuition assistance distributed between August 2025 and July 2026. For more information about the Town’s workforce housing and childcare initiatives, please visit estes.org/workforcehousingandchildcare or contact Housing and Childcare Manager Carlie Bangs at 970-577-3894 or cbangs@estes.org.