Bridging Denver’s Infant Child Care Gap

Denver continues to face a significant infant child care gap that mirrors a national challenge but has deep local roots.

Nearly half of all young children in Denver are cared for by Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) providers, the grandmothers, aunties, friends, and trusted community members who step in when formal care options fall short. Many of these caregivers provide care during nontraditional hours, reflecting the realities of today’s workforce. Parents and caregivers working nights, weekends, or multiple jobs rely on care that meets their families where they are.

This is not a question of quality. It is a gap in systems and a reflection of how our policies and funding structures have failed to evolve alongside the needs of families. FFN care is high-quality, rooted in trust, culture, and adaptability. It began as a community-driven solution to a lack of access, affordability, and flexibility.

As efforts to consolidate or streamline early childhood systems move forward, it is essential that these changes strengthen, not overshadow, the local providers and communities doing this work every day. Consolidation can bring needed alignment and efficiency, but only when it honors the relationships, culture, and trust that make care accessible and meaningful for families.

Closing this gap requires collective action. Businesses can lead by investing in partnerships that expand access to in-home and community-based care, recognizing that a stable workforce depends on reliable child care. Policymakers can advance solutions that protect and grow funding for early care and education, valuing FFN providers as essential partners in our early learning ecosystem.

At Piñon Advising, we work alongside governments, nonprofits, and community partners to design equitable, culturally relevant systems that meet families where they are and strengthen the early childhood workforce that sustains our communities. Together, we can build systems that reflect the realities of today’s families, not the assumptions of the past.