Support for Local Child Care Expands in Pitkin County | News

More Pitkin County families seeking assistance with early child care costs will soon be eligible for state funding with expanded eligibility through the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP).

The Pitkin County government, along with Kids First, an early childhood resource program of the City of Aspen, recently announced that starting November 1, the Pitkin County CCCAP eligibility threshold will increase from a household earning 265% of the federal poverty level to 300 % will rise.

For a family of four, that means a jump from the annual income limit of $82,680 to $93,600.

Ligia Bonilla, CCCAP specialist in Pitkin County, said the increase is due to the county pushing the state to increase the percentage to take advantage of all available funding, an idea she shared with Lindsay Maisch, human services director of the district. The state program is administered by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.

“We noticed that we never spend all of the allotment money each fiscal year for the county,” she said. “Perhaps [the state would] Allow us to increase the percentage and then we can qualify more families to take advantage of the funding.”

The program uses federal money funded by the state and counties to cover child care bills by paying providers directly a percentage of a household’s bill based on their income. Bonilla said most providers in the area accept CCCAP funds.

Bonilla said about 30 children currently benefit from CCCAP funds and she estimates that between 5 and 10 households will be covered by the expanded eligibility. She said she hopes more families will come forward.

Families currently receiving financial assistance from Kids First can now qualify for CCCAP based on their 2024 estimated gross income, the county said in a news release. These families are encouraged to apply for CCCAP to receive enhanced financial assistance.

Pitkin County has historically been among the counties with the highest adjusted federal poverty level for this program, Bonilla said, and will continue to seek a higher adjustment to cover as many families as possible.

Pitkin County’s CCCAP funding is only available to Pitkin County residents, but Bonilla said Eagle and Garfield counties are providing CCCAP funding just shy of a lower federal poverty level than Pitkin County after Nov. 1.

However, the Kids First program is open to residents and workers in Aspen, she said.

Bonilla emphasized that the program does not inquire about the immigration status of parents or guardians, only that the enrolled child must be a citizen or legal resident of the United States.

Bonilla encouraged anyone with questions to contact her at [email protected]. She speaks both English and Spanish.

Ways to apply:

Online: Applications can be submitted through the Colorado Peak website.

Downloadable PDFs: Applications are available in English and Spanish. Completed forms will be emailed to [email protected].

In Person: Paper applications may be picked up and submitted at the Pitkin County Economic Assistance office, 0405 Castle Creek Road, Aspen, or the Kids First office, 215 N Garmisch Road, Suite 1, Aspen.