Routt Thrive by 5, a branding and public education effort out of First Impressions of Routt County built around the broader early childhood initiative, has launched an interactive dashboard for community members on the region’s early childhood crisis, according to a statement released Wednesday. 

The dashboard, designed for elected officials, community leaders and members of the public, provides critical data on childcare accessibility, affordability, workforce impact and economic repercussions in a user-friendly online resource.

These statistics include the shortage of licensed childcare slots and length of waitlists facing families seeking infant and toddler care; the cost of care relative to family income and local wages; the wage gap between what early childhood educators earn and cost-of-living levels in Routt County; and the trend of residents ages 25-45 leaving the community, among others.

Development for the dashboard was funded by recently launched local nonprofit Steamboat for All, which aims to platform narrative storytelling and strengthen local capacity around cost-of-living challenges.  

“We are grateful to Steamboat for All for this extraordinary gift,” said First Impressions Executive Director Meg Franges in the statement. “Data tells the story of what families in our valley are experiencing every day — and now that story is accessible to anyone who wants to understand the crisis and what it will take to solve it.”

“When families can’t find or afford childcare, they make the difficult decision to leave for communities where they can,” Franges continued. “If Routt County is going to retain its vital workforce, we must take urgent, collective action to address the childcare needs.”

“This dashboard makes the reality impossible to ignore — and underscores that real solutions will require meaningful community investment, not just awareness,” she added. 

The effort builds on Routt Thrive by 5’s yearlong public education campaign for a potential ballot initiative in November 2027 to fill an estimated $8.5 million annual funding gap to fully support a high-quality early childhood education system.

In the statement, Steamboat for All Executive Director Loryn Duke noted how community access to clear, reliable data can help create meaningful change. 

“Our research at Finding Common Purpose has shown that well-designed dashboards can shift community understanding and build momentum for solutions,” she continued. “We’re proud to support this effort alongside Routt Thrive by 5 to ensure that decision-makers, families and employers all have a shared, data-driven picture of the childcare challenges facing Routt County.”

To view the dashboard, visit Dash.RouttThriveby5.org.