Routt County has always felt like a place where childhood can be something special. From ski lessons and Winter Carnival to summer concerts, the rodeo and afternoons at the playground, this is the kind of place where families build memories together.

But more and more, I’m hearing a different story.

Parents who want to stay here aren’t sure they can. Employers struggle to hire and retain workers. Early childhood teachers who love what they do are leaving because they simply can’t afford to live here.

Child care sits at the center of all of it.

This isn’t just a challenge for parents with young children. It affects our hospitals, schools, restaurants, small businesses and ultimately the future of our community.

Today, there is just one licensed infant child care spot for every seven infants in Routt County. Families often wait months, sometimes more than a year, for care. When they finally find a spot, it can cost as much as $24,000 a year. At the same time, many early childhood educators earn between $18 and $27 an hour in one of the most expensive places to live in Colorado.

For years, we’ve treated child care like it’s a private family issue. Parents are expected to somehow figure it out on their own.

The reality is that child care is community infrastructure. Just like roads, schools and housing. Our community depends on it.

That doesn’t mean every family needs full-time child care. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from talking with parents is that families need options. Some need care five days a week so they can work. Others need part-time care, seasonal care, extended hours or occasional drop-in care. Some parents choose to stay home. None of those choices are wrong. What matters is that families actually have choices.

Right now, too many families don’t.

That’s why Routt Thrive by Five has spent the past several years listening to parents, providers, employers and community leaders to build a plan for moving forward. The priorities are straightforward: create more child care opportunities, make care more affordable and flexible for families, and better support the educators who make it all possible.

Communities across Colorado are already investing in early childhood because they recognize it isn’t simply an expense. It’s an investment in their workforce, their economy and their future.

Here in Routt County, we have something just as important. We have a community that cares deeply about families and a growing coalition ready to find solutions that fit our valley.

Over the coming months, we’ll continue hosting community conversations and listening. Whether you’re raising young children, running a business or simply want Routt County to remain a place where families can put down roots, your voice matters.

This conversation isn’t really about child care.

It’s about what kind of community we want to be.

I believe Routt County can continue to be a place where children thrive, families put down roots, and the next generation gets to experience the same special childhood that makes this community so unique. That future is possible if we choose to build it together.

Meaghan Franges is executive director of First Impressions of Routt County and leads the Routt Thrive by Five initiative. Learn more at RouttThriveBy5.org.